Newborn Evie

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Stephanie

Today Evie is one month old. It has flown. I’ve soaked in as much as possible. I’ve tried to memorize her newborn face, her little eyelashes, fuzzy hairline, and that wrinkle between her nose. That wrinkle is almost gone . She is really growing and changing. I have hardly put her down since she was born. I was so worried about “spoiling” my boys, but my mindset has changed. She will have the rest of her life to be independent, so right now, I will hold her. My back is paying the consequences, but it’s worth it.

She’s a sweet baby, but we are dealing with quite of bit of fussiness. Not screaming (except for diaper changes) or endless wailing, just fussiness when she’s laid down. She has some reflux trouble, but it’s okay. I’ve been though it before and feel much more ready to handle it this time. I’m in a trial and error phase with my diet to see if it can help and I have switched her to an elevated sleeper at night. Speaking of night-time, she’s doing great. The first two weeks were heaven. She would sleep 5 hours, wake up and eat, and then sleep 4 more. Week 3 was rough. That’s when we started noticing her spitting up a lot more and being restless after nursing. She would cough, choke, spit, and gag when I laid her down to sleep. It was frustrating, but after doing an overhaul on my diet and nursing techniques, we’ve seen some improvement. Nights were still rough after the middle feeding. It was hard to get her comfortable. Then two days ago, my friend Heidi gave me a genius idea of buying a Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper. It keeps babies at a 30 degree angle without the sliding-down-the-mattress issues you have with elevating the bed. We were going to buy a special wedge, but the good ones are really expensive. The other nice thing about the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper is that I can rock her without having to sit up if she is restless at all. I am happy to report that the past two nights she has slept beautifully, just getting up once to eat and then sleeping til after seven. This momma can handle that! My fingers are crossed that she continues with this trend.

I’ve never posted her newborn pictures because, well, I’ve been a bit busy. I figured one month old is a good time to do it. Before I know it, I’ll be posting her one year session. Ahhh! Heidi came to visit me when Evie was five days old. You can imagine the fun I was five days post-surgery. You know someone loves you when they are willing to come sit in a living room for four days while staring at your newborn and getting you some water, your Boppy pillow, or (insert other random postpartum paraphernalia). She took Evie’s pictures on day 6 and 7, so it was fun to get some real newbie shots. The pictures are beautiful. Heidi did a great job as usual. I am so happy to have these beautiful memories of my one-week-old baby girl. I’m sorry, but I had a really difficult time picking out my favorites to share. Shocker? I think not.

Meet sweet, chubby, wild-haired Evie. I love her so much.

Isn’t she sweet? I’m so thankful for her in my life. She’s going to fit in beautifully to this crazy Dunn crew.

Evie’s Birthday

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Stephanie

After typing the title of this post, I smiled. Thinking of that day just makes me happy. She is simply a dream come true and my delivery went better than I could have ever hoped. That day holds so many special memories for my family. I thought I’d share a few highlights with you. I wanted David to document our day, but didn’t want him to have to fuss with my DSLR. An iPhone doesn’t take great quality pictures, but it enabled him to snap away without having to think about settings and possibly miss big moments.

(Quick background: I had a scheduled c-section due to two previous c-sections. Parker was the wrong direction and wouldn’t descend after my water broke at home. After laboring all day without him changing directions, I had a cesarean. Graham was a failed v-bac due to a bacterial infection in my uterus causing both Graham and I to become ill.)

I wasn’t thrilled about having a scheduled surgery, but my doctor (as most do) felt it was in my best interest considering I had two uterine scars already. I like to keep things natural for the most part, however, I had to come to grips with the fact that I was never going to experience a natural childbirth. I was still able to find excitement and anticipation in the future delivery of my daughter and I was able to except that my “womanhood” was not based on how I birth my children. I’m a mom. A darn good one most days, and the fact that I needed medical help to deliver my children safely does not mean I am a failure or care less for my children. Every delivery is different and there is no need to compare. I mean, let’s face it, there’s nothing natural about waltzing into an OR with a palm tree surgical cap and the most awesome knee-high socks to meet your baby for the first time. However, it was awesome!

After a good nights sleep and quiet morning, David and I headed to the hospital. Our drive was quiet and peaceful. The sun was shining just like I had hoped.

We actually got to the hospital early but they took me back to triage anyway. It was so strange to be calmly walking around the hospital. The last time I was there, I was in hard-core labor with Graham and hardly remember anything about checking in. This time was so very different. In triage, the nurses hooked me up to the monitors to make sure baby was doing okay. She was. That moment brought such relief. The moment they hooked me up to the monitors with Graham was when they realized the urgency of the situation. Graham’s heart rate showed his health deteriorating quickly as the bacteria attacked his little body. That could be considered one of the worst moments in my life. I can not describe to you the feeling of happiness I had knowing Evie’s heart rate and activity level was exactly where they should be. It was honestly hard for me to even walk into the triage room because of my experience with Graham, but now that place has new happy memories. Thank goodness.

After we took care of paperwork and were all set to go, we had time to just chill while waiting on my OB to get to the hospital.

These were fab.

I mean, how awesome is this?

My surgery was scheduled for 1:00 but my doctor got there early and said an OR was open! We met my anesthesiologist and CRNA while waiting and had great conversations with them. I felt really at ease. The next thing I knew, it was go time!

I had to leave David for a few moments while getting my spinal. It was so different getting a spinal while not in labor. There is nothing like having an intense contraction and being told to bend over your belly. It was easy breezy this time. The spinal took perfectly and I was feeling great. They brought David back in and surgery began.

Not sure if David’s hand was purple because he was cold or because I was squeezing it too tight. David actually stood and watched the entire surgery! Brave man.

I had dealt with a lot of puking during my first two surgeries, but the CRNA did a great job to keep my blood pressure in check and I didn’t have the slightest bit of nausea the entire time. I was completely me though the whole surgery. I never felt sick or even drowsy. The best part of the whole experience was right before she was born. I had asked if David could take pictures of her being born, but because of hospital policy, the nurses declined our requests. I thought that would happen but I figured it didn’t hurt to ask. I told everyone I wanted to watch since I couldn’t take a picture. My OB and anesthesiologist were both good with it so they took down the curtain and propped me up a little so I could watch. It was incredible! I felt so blessed to have that experience. The second her little head came out, she started screaming. She was perfect with rolls and tons of black hair. There are no words to describe that moment. They put the curtain back up and brought her right to me.

I watched her get weighed and evaluated. She was right in the middle of my two boys at a whopping 7 pounds 12 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. She also scored a 9 on her APGAR.

While they were getting her footprints, David walked over to her and touched her hand. She immediately stopped screaming and gripped his finger.

At this point, David had to leave with the baby while they finished fixing me up. When surgery was over, they wheeled me to recovery. I couldn’t believe how great everything had gone. I guess after a really traumatic experience with Graham, I really appreciated a smooth delivery. They brought her to me immediately in recovery and we got to bond so quickly. I couldn’t wait hold her little body. Having your child placed in your arms for the first time is one of the most precious moments in life. A natural high.

I wish I could say my recovery went as well as my surgery, but that wasn’t quite how it went down. The rest of my time at the hospital wasn’t so great. I had a lot more nausea this time mostly because my body did not tolerate the pain medications very well. I had planned to have visitors and enjoy my first few days at the hospital, but that never happened. However, by the time I got home after 48 hours, I started feeling exponentially better with each passing day. I’m impatient with healing. This time has taken longer, but tomorrow will be four weeks out and I’m getting back to my old self. Slowly but surely.

Despite the recovery being less than desirable, I am so thankful for my birth experience with sweet Evie. It may sound crazy to you, but for me, it was everything I hoped for. It’s amazing how expectations can change. Evie and I are doing well. We are getting to know one another and working through a few issues, but she is truly amazing. I am so blessed to be her mommy.

Third Time Around

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Stephanie

My third pregnancy is over. Crazy how fast it actually went. Now, granted, the last month seemed longer than the first eight combined, but it’s over and a super sweet girl is in my arms. She is definitely worth the tedious wait. You’ll probably find this post boring. It’s for me, really. This blog is a tool I use to hopefully inspire others, but it is also is a source I use for documenting my life. I love to go back a read about what was going on in different phases. It’s fun to see how my family has changed and how I have evolved over the past few years. I’ll admit, “What was I thinking?!” has come to my mind many times while reading old posts. I’m writing this particular one to help me remember some details of my third time around the pregnancy track.

Found out I was pregnant: June 23rd, 2012

7 weeks: Started feeling nauseous

8 weeks: told family, friends, and boys the good news

10 weeks: Started taking Zofran (and therefore felt much better because I could keep food down!)

12 weeks 5 days: Had nuchal translucency test done and was told we were most likely having a girl!

16 weeks: Could manage nausea without Zofran and confidently felt baby move for the first time

16 weeks: stopped running due to contractions (a little scary for me!)

16 weeks 5 days: had an elective ultrasound to determine sex….all girl!

17 weeks: David falt baby for the first time; I could tolerate going to the store again and fixing dinner

12-18 weeks: craved cheeseburgers (iron deficiency was probably to blame for this since I’m not really a beef person)

28-39 weeks: craved raspberries, strawberries, walnuts, carrots, and ice in freakish amounts

35 weeks: had a shower to celebrate Evie

39 weeks 2 days: Welcomed baby Evie

I felt so good for majority of this pregnancy, with the exception of the first few nauseous weeks and the last few where I felt like baby beluga himself. I started the pregnancy in the best shape I’ve been in for years and I truly believe that helped my body tolerate the pregnancy better than it did with Graham. I had full intentions of maintaining my exercise routine for as long as possible and making adjustments as needed. However, that did not really happen.

Around 16 weeks, while on a run, I started feeling multiple contractions. It was a weird experience since my uterus wasn’t even to my belly button yet, but being that this was my third pregnancy, I know when I’m feeling a contraction. I was fine when I walked or did mild exercise, but if my heart rate increased, the contractions would start. My OB didn’t really seem too concerned, but I just didn’t feel okay with continuing my normal workout. By week 20, I had pretty much limited my exercise to walking and some non-cardio exercises. I was a little bummed about this since I had a grand plan of only gaining 25 pounds in this pregnancy. I struggled with weight gain in my first two and I just didn’t want to deal with having to drop a lot of weight afterward.

Since I was limited on physically burning calories, I had to be super strict on my diet. Blah. If you know me, you know I like food, so this wasn’t fun. I did pretty well, though, and just made a few “rules” to help me. We eliminated eating out unless we were on a vacation or celebrating something. We also tightened up on our consumption of processed foods. We normally try to keep our home full of whole and organic foods, but I took it up a notch during the pregnancy with the exception of the holidays. I truly believe mostly eliminating processed foods had a huge impact on my health and weight gain. I ate people. I never starved myself one time or went to bed hungry during this pregnancy. I concentrated on consuming lots of fruits and veggies instead of grains. I saved my grains for morning cereal or oatmeal and ate lots of protein to keep up my energy. I developed a mad love for walnuts. Strawberries and raspberries were my fruit of choice though I went through tons of gala apples and cara cara oranges as well. I’m also pretty sure Krogers was low on sweet potatoes and acorn squash while I was enduring my third trimester. In the end, I went a few pounds above my goal, but did much better than the first two pregnancies. I have to say, though, I’m not looking forward to the first time I try some cardio here in the near future. I’ll probably keel over after a half mile.

Overall, I really enjoyed this pregnancy. I tried to cherish most parts about it and I can truly say I was “that” girl who liked being pregnant. We’ve always wanted 3-4 children so I was aware that this might be my last time being pregnant and used that to motivate myself to soak up each fun experience. The baby moving inside, telling the boys about our new family member, the ultrasounds, the excitement of finding out the sex, pushing my belly up against David so the baby could kick him, the boys feeling her hiccup. These sweet moments were really appreciated the third time around. It’s wasn’t all great, but my attitude towards what was going on with my body really helped set the tone for the pregnancy. I was much happier. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to feel a little one in me again, but Evie was really a great experience. Who knows, though?!? My OB said my uterine wall looked great for a 3-time cesarean patient…depends how crazy we’re feeling in a few years. The mystery is fun!

I had a great delivery experience with Evie, so as soon as I get my act together and upload my pictures, I’ll share some of the moments with you. I also have Evie’s newborn session with Heidi to show you. They are such good photos. Soon, people, soon. I’m trying to learn how to be a momma of three right now so be patient with me. (That was a personal pep talk, really.) Here’s a teaser. In her Daddy’s arms. He’s smitten. It’s really cute.

Dear Baby Girl

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Stephanie

Dear Baby Girl,

Today is your birthday. I can hardly even write those words without my heart jumping out of my chest. I am nervous for our surgery. Not too bad, though. It kind of feels weird having a scheduled c-section, but since I don’t really have an option, I am looking at the positives. I have to go to the hospital today around 11:00 and am scheduled to have you around 1:00. Mommy is so incredibly excited to meet you. What will you look like? Hair or no hair? Green eyes like your biggest brother or blue like Graham? Will you be big like I’m thinking you are or right in the middle? I love this suspicion! The weather is gorgeous today. I wanted sunshine and I got it. How lucky are we?

I went to bed last night at 11:00 and slept great until about 5:00. I woke up feeling great. I’ve been kind of moody lately, so I’m thrilled to be feeling like myself. My body doesn’t hurt and other than being extremely hungry, I am healthy and happy. You seem to be moving great so my prayer is that you are happy and healthy as well. Daddy and I laid in bed until 7:00 talking about how much we cannot wait for life with you. We know there will be ups and downs and some rough moments ahead, but we felt extreme joy this morning as we talked about you joining our family. We were laughing about and anticipating what we think life will be like for you with two older brothers.

I don’t know what life will hold for you, or how long we will have together. I pray a good many years. Know this though, Evie. You are God’s baby. He has given you to me and your daddy for a certain amount of time to raise you the best we know how and to love you the way he has loved us. We have a great example. I will fall short, but you can rest assured that I will never quit trying to be the best mother I can be because it’s the most important thing I could ever do. Raising you and your brothers is of top priority in my life.

I can’t wait for you to meet your brothers. They are awesome. You are going to have such a great relationship with them. They have been beyond excited for your arrival and have been counting down the days for some time now. Parker is going to be a little more gentle with you because he’s older and extremely cautious and meticulous. He will be my biggest help in taking care of you. Graham is going to obsess over you. I’ll do my best to keep his fingers out of your eyes and mouth, but when he is a little too rough with you, know it’s because he’s loving you the way he knows how. He’s extremely touchy. You are so blessed to have the brothers you do. I’m sure there will be times in your life when they feel overwhelming, but I’m thinking you’re going to love being their little sis!

I love you, Evie Lynn, and am ready for you in my life. I’ll do my best to handle the sleepless nights and tiring newborn phase you’re about to be in with grace. Expect some attitudes from Mommy. I don’t do super well with little sleep, but I can promise that you will be cherished. When I’m struggling, just know that I will come around eventually when my hormones and body get some rest.

I’ll see you soon!!!!!

With love and extreme anticipation,

Mommy

Project Evie’s Nursery

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Stephanie

I’m not really into procrastination. It happens, yes, but usually only to things I don’t care about. Doing a little girl nursery after having two boys does not fit into the “I don’t really care” category for me. I have been looking forward to creating Evie’s nursery since the day we found out she was a girl.

However, I also had a long list of things I wanted to accomplish in the house before starting in on her room. That long list included finishing painting the entire downstairs and upstairs hallway. That may not seem much, but remember, we have to paint all the trim and doors before the walls can be touched. It’s a flipping long process and took a while to accomplish with all of David’s business travel and my increasingly limited pregnant body.

Then there was the guest room. I didn’t decorate it, but got it a fresh paint job, a new bed, and curtains. It resembles a room now. I got it set up right before Christmas so that we would have a place for our holiday guests to stay. Someday I’ll get to make it pretty, but I realized I was going to be on a tight timeline to work on the nursery already, so I settled on finishing the guest room later.

I said all that to say, I didn’t begin on the nursery until almost the third week of January. My long explanation proves this was not an error of procrastination, right? Whichever. It’s pretty much complete. It was really fun to do (minus the painting) and I cannot wait to bring her home and rock my baby girl in her new nursery.

When choosing which of our bedrooms to use for the nursery, I opted for the one with the most light. I wanted it to feel cheery and bright.

I added the “E” from her shower to her door. Nice little memento from a fun afternoon.

The walls in her room read different colors with different times of day and different amounts of light. They are a very faint peachy-pink.

This room was a bit of a challenge because it isn’t symmetrical. That really only bothers the type A side of me. I’m not going to give you a detailed list of what each element cost or what I spent on the nursery as a whole, but I will say, majority of the decor and furniture was either a previously owned, up-cycled item, a thrifted purchase, or was given to me.

I got her little chandelier from a local thrift store. After a fresh coat of spray paint, some shades and yellow trim, I think it’s just perfect for her room.

This little rocking chair was mine growing up.

This bunting was another piece of shower decor I brought up to her room.

I love Katie Daisy art, so Evie got not one, but two of her prints.

This was one of my favorite purchases for the nursery. I love a good rocking chair and David and I found this one at the flea market one weekend while looking for a bookcase. It is close to 100 years old and is in fabulous shape. We had to re-upholster the cushion, obviously, but the rest of the chair was left just as we bought it. I love the copper detail at the top and the pretty wood tone.

I love to think about how many babies might have been rocked in this chair.

Heidi made me this beautiful little quilt. How pretty is it with the pillow I made for Evie? Perfect little pair.

If you haven’t already noticed, I’ll bring to your attention that the room doesn’t really “match” well. I kind of like to just do things as they come to me and don’t thrive in planning out rooms with mood boards and fabric collections. I would be an awful interior designer. I like to “eye-ball” things as I create the room. I end up with rooms I really like, but aren’t always perfectly cohesive. It works for me. I figure, if I walk in the room and feel happy, then my job was a success regardless of how many “rules” I’ve broken. It’s my home; my imperfect, yet hopefully peaceful place. Being that I’m not a super put-together person, my house should probably reflect that. See, this is where I claim to not be completely type A. This type of decorating drives planners nuts.

We needed a new crib since I had returned the one I had used for the boys. It was recalled and I was over the dark brown anyway. I was offered this pre-owned crib and was excited to accept because I have always wanted to try painting a crib. Who wants to paint a brand new crib? Not me. But an older used one? For sure! The left side of this wall has been left empty intentionally. I want to put up a few prints from her newborn session over there.

I wanted to put some kind of name art above her bed and found a really cute inspiration piece while scouring Pinterest for ideas. I bought an old rectangular frame for $3 and cut out a foam board for the back. After wrapping it in white fabric, I just cut out letters from scrap fabric and glued them to the board. It ended up a little smaller than I had hoped, but I think it’s fine.

I still need to find/buy/make Evie some dolls or stuffed creatures. When I went to fill this little basket with some soft stuffed animals, I realized I didn’t have any from the boys. We have sharks, dinosaurs, orange frogs, and snakes. Though I’m sure she’ll have a blast playing with them, a hammerhead in her nursery just didn’t seem to go well enough even with my eccentric taste. This one lone white bear made the cut. Also, this adorable soft color book was given as a gift from a friend in Florida. Isn’t it the cutest thing ever? Caimbrin, you had way too much fun making this. It’s beautiful. She is going to love it.

I already had this little shelf, so I put it up and adorned ut with another Katie Daisy print, my favorite of her ultrasound pictures, and an “E” wound with yarn from her shower invitations. I just love sentimental details. Such a girl. The pretty little smocked romper was given to me from a friend. Her little girl had worn it and it just screams little girl to me.

My mom bought this beautiful quilt for Evie. I just love it.

One of the other things I have yet to finish in this room is the closet curtains. We removed the doors so that I wasn’t worried about smashed fingers in the future. I had a grand idea of adding pom-poms around the entire edge of both curtains until I realized that meant buying like 15 yards of wool poms. No thank you. That would cost more than the beautiful antique rocker. I didn’t feel justified in that purchase, so I decided to leave them for now. I may add some fabric ruffle to the bottom or embroider some cute fabric circles on them at come point, but the white is good for now. I’m ready to just sit and wait on baby. No more work.

I painted her closet teal, but still need to organize it a little better. It’s good for now.

My friend, Emily, made me this beautifully quilted blanket. I’m telling you, there are going to be some very cute newborn pictures in the near future.

This blue frame was a mirror that hung at our last home. I covered it in chalkboard paint and copied a Bible verse print I found on-line. I don’t have unique handwriting that looks good for art, but I am good at mimicking other people’s skills.:)

I bought her this dresser for $45. I thought it was such a steal. I painted it white, not only because white furniture is an addiction of mine, but because I think I have enough else going on in the room. The drawers work perfectly (not always true for older pieces) and it doubles as a changing table. Nice. The changing pad is covered in the same fabric as the crib mattress. I found a pretty old sheet for a dollar and was able to make both and still have fabric left over. Cha-ching! We already had the wood mirror but it seemed a little small for the dresser. The oval appears much more size appropriate with the little handmade hoop art around it.

So, 500 pictures later, there you have it. Evie’s room. Though I felt a little rushed in getting it done, I really enjoyed doing it. The boys and I like to go in and lay on the soft white rug and talk about what it will be like when Evie gets here. They are super excited. Fourteen days and counting…unless she decides to pick her own date. I’d be just fine with that.

Scrappy Pink Party

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Stephanie

Girly fun. That was my weekend. To celebrate the precious baby girl on the way, my friend Heidi and I planned a weekend together to have a shower for baby Evie. Yeah, I helped plan my shower. It’s weird, I know, but I just wanted to be involved in the pink festivities. I have loved being a boy mom but there has been no floral prints or lace to be found in my past baby celebrations. Though this is my third child and a shower isn’t really protocol, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to commemorate the sweet gift my very “blue” family is about to receive. Thank you to everyone who came to share in the joy of Baby Evie’s upcoming birthday. We are truly excited. The shower was small and intimate-exactly what I wanted. In addition to having Heidi there with me, I was blessed to have my Mom in for the party. So glad she got to be there for the special celebration of her first granddaughter. I think Nana and Meemaw are ready for some pink too.

I am always a little behind on trendy decor, so I decided I wanted to give tissue pom-poms a try. So easy, cheap and fun.

Heidi made this cute little yarn spool garland.

She also crafted this pretty little wreath.

Truth be told, I didn’t start working on anything for the shower until two days before. I have been too consumed with finishing Evie’s nursery (just waiting on one print to have it complete!), so I had to take on the mindset of doing what we can and forgetting the rest. I’m really not into the idea of stressing about something that is suppose to be fun. Heidi and I spent the entire day on Saturday just making stuff for the shower. What we had time to make and finish would be enough. Really fun day. Who gets to just sit, make, and chat with a friend for the entire day without children around? It was a real treat! Krogers was low on their floral selection, like, they had nothing. Literally, we grabbed the last three tulip bunches and snagged a few baby’s breath bouquets to finish up our flower decor. Though it isn’t what I was looking for, the flowers ended up going perfect with everything else.

I’ve been wanting to make these little scrap fabric vases for a while. They are just so bright and cheery!

I wanted to have the party at my house so we cleared out the (informal) formal living room to put up the table and chairs. I ended up covering the chairs with white material bought at Walmart for a total of $16 dollars. That’s right…I got it for a dollar/yd and it took 16 yards to cover 16 chairs. Sweet! The room just wouldn’t have been as pretty with tan metal chairs.

The bunting was made with doilies, cupcake liners, and bakers twine. How easy it that?

Heidi and I decided that the party theme should be described as “scrappy.” Everything was covered or made by scrap fabric and scrap trim. The party really felt like me and think of all the money saved by using stuff we already had!

The gift bags had pink nail polish with a file and two dove chocolates.

Heidi brought cute scrap garlands to adorn my banisters.

All I’ve really wanted lately are berries, so they were an obvious party choice.

Heidi was in charge of the cupcakes and I baked the cake. Sweets are just the most fun to decorate.

How cute are these yarn cupcakes? Heidi’s been wanting an opportunity to make them and the upcoming button cookies.

Heidi had the idea of having each of our guests write a note to Evie or I. They each picked a month of Evie’s first year and I get to open them at the beginning of each month. I’m looking forward to some of the sweet things many of you wrote and I’m sure I had some comedians in the group who will make me laugh when I open and read.

36+ weeks. Ready to pop.

I’m not a huge fan of opening presents in front of people. I feel so awkward with people staring at me waiting for reactions. However, it was a lot easier with a small group. I received some great useful and thoughtful gifts.

My kids are really blessed to have two grandmothers who are basically obsessed with them. I’m sure Evie will have them wrapped around her fingers from the moment they see her.

A lovely group of ladies!

Instead of measuring my belly, guessing names, and blah blah blah, I wanted to do something different for baby number three. I wanted everyone to make her some hair bows and headbands. They turned out so cute! I got some crafty friends who don’t know it.

Thanks so much, Heidi, for coming up to help me celebrate such an exciting moment in my life. I had so much fun this weekend with you!

Now, let the waiting begin. I am down to less than 3 weeks. Though my body isn’t acting like it’s going to keep her in there much longer, I am looking forward to the last few weeks as a family of four. I’m trying to soak up time with my boys. It’s been me and them for 3.5 years and the dynamics are about to change. They are all about the count down and I can’t wait to see them as big brothers to baby Evie!

The End and the Beginning

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Stephanie

Wonderful company helped us close one year and ring in the next! 2012 was a very good year for the Dunns. I’d love to go into all the highlights of the year, but to be quite honest, my brain is mush right now. I’m sleepy and I’m not sure all of my thoughts would flow or even be coherent. Lazy, eh? Well, at least I’m attempting to document my life despite lacking wit or inspiration.

My parents came in for Christmas and spent the next week with us. What a great time we had! Despite being cooped up in the house for most of their visit, we made the best of it with fires, yummy coffee, card games, and quick spurts outdoors until fingers were too cold. One morning while my mom and I did some after-Christmas shopping with Graham, Dad and Parker entertained themselves at Cabelas. (Imagine that?) When we picked them up, they had one small package in tow. A box of wooden airplanes. Those airplanes only lasted about 30 minutes, but in the minds of two little boys, those were some pretty fantastic minutes.

He was a little disturbed with the tail broke for the 50th time and mommy could no longer put it back together with hot glue. He’s learning the phrase, It was fun while it lasted.

Fierce.

Boys aren’t really that different at 32 than they are at 5.

Sweet face did not like when his plane bit the dust, but enjoyed every second up to that moment.

Mom and Pops.

One morning, we took the boys to the jump house. I HAD to get some of their energy out.

While Mom and Dad were visiting, David and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. It’s kind of crazy. I’m sure I say that every year. I feel like we have grown so much year nine, and I’m beginning to realize how much I truly respect my husband. I don’t always do a perfect job showing him, but I now grasp how blessed I am to have such a wonderful guy by my side. Thankful. Extremely thankful. We kept it simple this year and just tried a new restaurant before stopping by our engagement spot. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us have a lovely, much needed date night.

My mom and dad hit the road for home on the 30th and we anticipated our next visitors just 24 hours later.

My long lost friend (rather dramatic, Em, I know) from high school came and visited me with her beautiful family! What a fun week. Em and I could sit and talk for hours over coffee and Eric, her husband, and David seemed to get along great too. There’s only so many people who can understand my love for thrifting, share a common desire to live on a farm one day, and who can do circles around my crafting abilities. That’s Emily. Crazy talented and bold like my husband. I admire the trait in both of them that truly doesn’t care when they don’t fit the mold. They thrive in nonconformity. So inspirational to an approval-seeking, people pleaser like myself. Em, as cheesy as it sounds (and I know you like cheesy), all our kitchen counter and sofa chats were good for my soul.

The kids were an absolute hoot to watch. The first day, Parker and Ellie had some mad love going on, but by the end of the week, Parker was getting a little less tolerant of all her affection. In her little two-year old mind, she just couldn’t understand why. It was so cute. Ellie is such a smart, affectionate girl. She and I could be real pals quickly.

I gotta tell you a funny story that happened when Eric and David took the kids for a walk in the double stroller. At one point, Ellie was feeling the love and leaned into Parker’s face (5-10 inches away) and said, “Parker, I love you.” After a long pause and not knowing what to do with his awkward feelings, Parker responded with, “That…makes…me…feel………delicate.” Kid you not. I just can’t help but crack up.

How did Graham behave with all this? He was Graham. He had sweet moments with Ellie and moments where his ugliness was put out there for all to see. It is so nice being around people with other non-perfect kids. They understand the melt-downs and need for constant love and discipline. You don’t feel the need to always explain yourself, you know? Ease is a good word to describe how I felt around the Ness’s. Comfort and Ease.

They got to see first-hand my kid’s obsession with Legos. People, I’m not exaggerating. I think Ellie might have learned a thing or two about construction.

We even got our paint on one afternoon.

Then there’s baby Will. Easiest baby ever. I’ve already had many talks with Evie about how I expect her to model after Will. My kids also loved him. Parker patted him on the head ever time he had a chance and smeared a kiss on his cheek when he felt it necessary.

Em and I had one afternoon to do a little thrifting.

One of Emily’s favorite memories of me is my awesome teenage taste in bedroom decor. I sported this little Pueblo guy in my room for a good bit of middle school and high school. He sat next to the dream-catcher. I liked him. She found him at the mountain mission. It took everything in her not to purchase him for her home. Em, it could have brought back so many great memories. You missed out.

While we were looking for treasures, the Dads took the children to the Clay Center. Em and I showed up for the last 45 minutes of action.

I’m a sucker for a good photo booth experience.

Bubble time!

If this isn’t cute, I don’t know what is.

Glad to see someone else’s kids enjoy a good crazy face as much as mine.

We had to get the kids out of the house despite really cold weather, so we bundled them up and went to the closest park to burn off a little energy. We are beginning to learn that summertime is better for entertaining visitors!

Mini pinecones are always fun…even when you keep seeing them show up in the washing machine and dryer for weeks.

Baby Will trying to hang on for dear life while David and Eric incessantly tried to break the ice on the pond with sticks and stones.

Precious face.

Emily getting her Crossfit on.

You should see Em’s baby pictures. Will is a mini boy version of her for sure!

Practicing her skills.

These two are alike in many ways.

This just cracked me up. Gotta do what cha gotta do to get the shot, right Em? I just can’t relate to the problem of long legs getting in my way.

Despite me hating to be in pictures at the end of my pregnancy and all of us being a hot mess, we wanted a group picture. Obviously Ellie did not.

We tried the whole “we’ll just take one without you” to coerce her into the shot.

Didn’t work. Do you see her drama? I have a lot to learn about girls. We’re just over there laughing. Mean mommas.

Well, leave it to her daddy to convince her to get her picture taken. He promised a wild tire ride where he would voluntarily throw himself in the mulch for laughs. It worked. She thought it to be a grand idea. Thanks Eric.

Awaiting the promised good time.

Yep. It was as good as it sounded.

How did I miss getting a picture of Eric rolling backwards upside down? Regretful. It was pretty awesome.

I cannot say thanks enough for driving the long country roads to spend a week of your lives with us. You were a timely and great encouragement to our family. The patience level you maintain with your children is something David and I took major notes on. Really looking forward to our next visit with you all. So. much. Fun. You wore this pregnant gal out!

Christmas 2012

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Stephanie

Christmas was delightful. Simple and slow. We got up when baby Graham awoke and spent some time around the piano. Yeah, we’re corny like that. We sang and played some Christmas songs and waited for our big boy to wake up. Once Parker joined us, we ate a yummy egg casserole breakfast my mom had fixed for us. Then, we all gathered in the living room where David read us all the Christmas story before tearing into some gifts. We would have the boys open a few things and then let them play. We drug out the gift-giving all day long.

I did a poor job taking pictures this year. I need a new lens for my camera. My living room is too small to use my 50mm but the kit lens that came on my camera just won’t do in such bad lighting. I had to use the flash leaving all my pictures funky. It’s all good though; it doesn’t require quality pictures to have quality memories, right?

Yes, more Legos. We were very strategic this year on gifts. I wanted things that would entertain them through the winter months. I’m getting better at figuring out what toys lose their appeal after a few weeks and which stand the test of time. The boys have so much already-I wasn’t in the mood to just add to the madness.

My boys are obsessed with reptiles and this is the closest thing they will ever have to owning a snake. This is what they told Santa they wanted.

David got some new Sperry’s. Now, if only I could convince him that they are summer shoes.

The boys really enjoyed opening the gifts they got for each other. I’m serious. Graham told Parker “thank you” at least 10 times. We often get to witness the selfish fights and mine-mentality, so it was special to see them excited to give.

Graham gets his whole body into unwrapping.

My gift from Graham was a scarf and three nail polishes. He got me blue, green, and yellow and was extremely excited. I guess David doesn’t understand how to sway him in another direction….yellow polish? He wants to put it on me. I’m considering letting him right now because it’s getting a bit tricky to reach my toes.

A gift from his grandparents.

Dinosaur love.

Me and my pretty momma.

The boys got a wagon from my parents and I’m pretty sure Evie will get some major use out of it too!

My Dad loves Under Armour. Enjoy, Dad!

I love these handsome fellas.

I can’t wait to see a pretty little lady sitting right in between these two next year!

Now for some iPhone action. These two have quite some hair in the mornings.

I’m going to miss my Dad having a fire ready every morning by the time I got up and my mom having a pot of coffee brewed. It’s the little things.

Two of the best gifts I’ve ever been given. It doesn’t always feel that way, but I always know it to be true.

Our 2012 family christmas picture.

I’m so thankful for the birth of our Savior and I’m so thankful for my family. All the “stuff” we gave and were given was just icing on the cake. It’s fun to celebrate. I hope your family enjoyed Christmas this year and felt the joy and hope that Jesus brings.

I’m excited for 2013!! See you there!

Days 18-24…Almost There!

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Stephanie

Day 18: Make a decorate christmas cookies. I’m really trying to behave myself more in this pregnancy and holiday food does not make it easy! Each time we’ve made cookies, I’ve tried to make sure the cookies have a purpose and destination outside my house. The first time, we baked for the neighbors. This time, I had the boys bake for their teachers. Graham helped with the making and Parker and Graham both decorated them. They were so excited and proud to give them to their teachers at preschool.

Day 19: I’ll just call it like it is. This day didn’t happen. I had a little bit of a melt down. I was dealing with a nasty head cold, a few minor pregnancy issues, and was just being irrationally stressed. It happens, right? We didn’t get to cook a breakfast dinner together. Life goes on and I recovered quickly from all my issues once a few tears were shed. How’s that for being real?

Day 20:Make Birthday cards for Jesus. The boys had fun with this one. They usually head to Nana’s on Thursday afternoons, so we did our activity in the morning before they headed out.

Day 21: Movie night. David was traveling back from Hagerstown, MD this day so I needed something simple for all of us.

Day 22: Go to St. Alban’s Festival of Lights.

Day 23: Camp out around the tree. We also went to church in the morning. I convinced Graham that Jesus’ birthday was worth a bow tie. Parker and I compromised with a belt.

Christmas Eve: Go to Nana and Poppy’s and make Santa cookies. Jesus was supposed to get a birthday cake, but we decided to make apple pie instead.

We made cookies that evening.

He still needs a little assistance with the mixer. He doesn’t think so.

I hope Santa appreciated our organic milk.

We sprinkled reindeer food. My boys are kind of in love with Rudolph right now.

The last thing we did before heading to bed was to light some luminaries for the children and families in Connecticut. We didn’t explain the situation to our boys because of their age, but we told them the candle in the bags were for families who had lost someone special and who would have to spend Christmas missing someone they loved. My sweet neighbor came up with the idea of the luminaries and her husband and children made all the bags with the names belonging to the lives lost. We gathered, said a prayer, and let the little candles burn around our whole cul-de-sac. It was a small gesture but thoughts and prayers are really all we have to offer those severely affected by the tragedy.

We all hit the bed exhausted that night. Exhausted and excited for our Christmas celebration to come.

My Christmasy Home and the “Chilid”

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Stephanie

We are officially ready for Christmas in the Dunn home. The stockings have been hung by the chimney with care and all of our gifts for others have been bought and wrapped. There is nothing else major on my checklist. Woo-Hoo! Time to sit back and relax (unlikely if you know me ). My Momma and Dad are coming in on Christmas Eve and we are excited to have them with us!

This year, decorating the house for Christmas was so much fun. Being that we’ve been in a constant state of reno, taking ugly to neutral since we moved in 9 months ago, most of my house is still undecorated and lacks some personality. There are very few pictures hung on the walls and we won’t even talk about the upstairs. That made decorating for Christmas so much better. All the color added life and coziness.

My mom decked our house out for Christmas when I was growing up and she passed that desire on to me. I mean, she had the place shining before mid-November each year. I absolutely love it. No other time of year has so much warmth and homey-ness as the holidays, which is partly why I love it so much. I would like to have done even more but had to realize my limitations with two little boys and a girl well on her way. Most projects this year were ones I could do quickly without much time spent on them. I’m okay with that. God willing, there’s always next year!

Come on a little tour with me!

We originally wanted to put the tree out in one of the front rooms so you could see it from the road. We changed our minds when we considered where most of our time was spent. I love that my kitchen and living room are just one big space and I can look over to see the bright lights as I’m working in the kitchen. All other moms understand what I mean. I feel like 95% of my day is either involved in preparing, eating, or cleaning up food. Can I get an AMEN?! I might as well get to peer over occasionally to see a beautiful tree!

I recently added the crate bookshelf, but as you can see, have yet to stain it. Later. Not in the mood.

Typically, I have a color scheme for my tree. I decided I didn’t want one this year. I wanted all my ornaments displayed and though it got a bit cluttery, I enjoy seeing each one hanging. I write the year each ornament was bought and it is so fun to add something special to the mix each time we put the boxes away. Some are just something pretty I liked, and others have significant meaning. I love to get an ornament from places we’ve traveled. It’a a great way to remember a good time.

I love a cute pillow.

This bad boy was a headache and a half to make, but turned out really cute I think. My boys call it the “no touchy” pillow. Their little fingers like to sit and pick at the pom-poms. Not okay.

Grammy’s ornament this year.

And Parker’s. You know if one had a cake, the other had to have one too.

This sign will forever make me smile. I have pregnancy brain right now. After completing, hanging, and staring at my little Pinterest-inspired art piece over the course of an evening, David finally pointed out that I had written “For unto us a CHILID is born.” It’s not that I can’t spell “child” or that I made a mistake (they happen often), it’s just so funny that I never noticed. It would probably still say “chilid” had my husband not said something. I am the queen of typos and I’m okay with it. I’m pretty sure all those hateful e-cards about not knowing how to spell or improper grammar are all pointed at me because I’m awful at proofreading. I’m actually half-intelligent, believe it or not, but my brain reads right through mistakes. I’d like to think it’s a gift to see past errors, but I’m sure all you English majors and grammar snobs (I’m just messin) would disagree. The sign came down, got fixed, and we now have a child born unto us. Thank God.

The kitchen is still nothing to rave about. However, I couldn’t leave it, in all it’s mauve and oak glory, out of the celebration.

I found something to do with all the pine cones the boys bring me back from their walks with Daddy.

Grammy made me this at preschool this year. How precious is that!

Yes. You do keep seeing the same fabric everywhere. I bought two yards of each print and I can’t stand to see scraps go to waste.

Because you can never have enough pom-poms, right?

The boys wouldn’t leave my ceramic nativity alone this year, so I decided to make them one to play with. I busted this one out in a few hours and they have loved it. I plan on adding some words and trim next year, but the boys could care less if it was “finished.” I enjoy seeing all the different ways Graham sets up his felt board scene. You never know how it’s going to look. Mary has been known to run with the wise men and angels have been seen carrying baby Jesus. Bethlehem gets wild in our house. Parker is responsible for this particular scene. He respects baby Jesus. Got to work on that younger brother of his.

The only bit of festiveness upstairs is the boys’ trees. Hopefully next year, the cheer will spread beyond the first floor.

And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed a few moments inside with me. You’re not allowed in the bedrooms yet. They are scary-trust me. The month of January has high hopes for transforming one of the extra rooms into a beautiful little girl nursery. Let’s hope the nesting motivation continues.

For now, I’m concentrating on Christmas and a beautiful celebration with my family.

Three Boys & a Girl