I get by with a little help

Friday was not a great day for me and baby. The day seemed to go on and on and our precious boy would not nap. Our boy is as sweet as they come but even he reached his limit around 12pm and the rest of the day was a disaster. I don't know if it was a lack of patience on my part but for some reason I was easily frustrated and brought to tears. In my mind I knew that tears were useless and that bad days happen, but in the middle of it I couldn't hold them back. These are the days I am glad our son will never remember!

When Rob came home that night I was more relieved than ever before. He took our son from my arms and let me gather myself, shower and hit refresh on a rough day.

Saturday and Sunday were wonderful days, completely opposite from Friday. Though we did nothing out of the ordinary, Rob gave me a ton of help (he's always super helpful but he was more amazing than ever this weekend) and I was even able to be out and about for almost three hours alone. I laughed whenever our son would fall asleep with ease as Rob put him down and I jokingly deemed that he had "the touch"! Even though I was kidding I realized that I had something to learn from my wonderful husband.

Rob rarely gets truly overwhelmed. It's such a gift for someone like me who can sometimes feel like I'm teetering on the edge of an emotional cliff. He keeps me sound.

When Monday came and Rob went back to work I decided that in his absence I would "channel him!"  I rocked our son, breathing evenly and calmly, thinking "What would Rob do?" (Maybe I should get bracelets made! HA) That night when I told him about my successful day he laughed. He thought it was a funny way to help me but he was happy that he did; I was too!!

I'm so thankful for my husband. He helps me in ways that he doesn't even know and boy is it nice to have him in this parenting adventure with me!

Mommy Moments: Turn my way

Baby R is four months old now! Four joyous months have passed since this girl became a momma and it has been wonderful!

Our sweet boy changes on a daily basis! He is in a new size of clothing, he reaches for things, he plays with toys, he's found and chews on his feet, and he smiles incessantly!

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In the past couple weeks Baby R has started to really recognize his daddy and me. When we walk into a room, he turns his head toward us and lights up with a sweet smile! When I get home from work I love seeing his face crinkle up as I say hello to him! There is such pure joy in that smile and when it is directed solely at me, there in lies a Mommy Moment. I am treated by the joys of these Moments that even on those hard days (yes, they do happen) I can rest in the knowledge that I am the only momma Baby R is looking for and I am completely capable of taking care of his needs.

Parenting Favorites!

1. Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'n Play:

We received this portable bassinet as a gift from Rob's Aunt and Oma. We hadn't registered for it but it ended up being our most used item in the first 6 weeks of Baby Rebhan's life! It's so light weight, folds down to almost nothing so it's easy to store when not in use and it was perfect to keep our new baby propped up while he slept. Ours didn't have any noise or vibration but some do. This is a new baby MUST HAVE in our book! 

   

2. Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Rocker:

This transition rocker was another gift that we did not register for but are so happy that we received (thanks Meaghan and Abby)! The base can either be stationary or a rocker, the back adjusts to become a seat for toddlers and the entertainment bar is removable. Our son enjoyed the seat when it was just a rocker but now that he can pay attention to and marvel at the swinging objects, he finds this seat to be a blast! It's perfect for the kitchen when I'm cooking because it keeps him entertained for quite some time! It's also a really nice size for our small home! 

   

3. Carter's Sherpa Hooded Jacket and Baby Gap Bike Onesie:

These gifts aren't necessarily must-haves, but they both made Rob and I melt the first time Baby Rebhan wore them! The Carter's bear hoodie is so soft and cuddly and the ears are so precious. Baby R wore this for the first time on our way home from the hospital (thank you Hawkins)!

   

The Baby Gap Bike onesie is my favorite full outfit on our boy. It's made of such cozy soft cotton and it's a perfect fit on our little man. Every time he wears it I text our neighbors a picture of him in it (they bought it for him); i'm so smitten with him in these duds! 

   

4. Summer Infant Swaddle Me:

Rob calls these the auto-swaddle! When Baby R was very little I would swaddle him with his Aden and Anais swaddling blankets, but as he got stronger he was able to break free almost every time we wrapped him up. Rob never really got the hang of the blanket swaddle so he would always use the Summer Infant swaddles. Once we realized he wasn't able to escape from the velcro swaddles we switched over full time. They are such a help for a squirmy baby; he sleeps so well in them! Plus look at that cute little tooshie while he cuddles with his Grandma!! 

   

5. Aden and Anais Burpy Bibs:

I can't remember if we registered for these but if we didn't, I'm sure happy we got a couple! These are burp cloth/bib combos. The cloth is shaped kind of like a kidney bean so it fits perfectly over our shoulders for burping and it also has a snap on it for use as a bib! They are cute, offer full coverage, and are super absorbent.

   

+ 1. Little Remedies Little Noses Saline Drops/Spray:

This is an extra item on our favorites list today! Our neighbors had a little boy three months before our son was born! He is such a cutie, isn't he!? I asked her what their most surprising favorite baby item has been and she told me about these Saline Nose Drops. She said that they are a perfect replacement for the snot bulbs (they creep us out) and seem to be more effective anyway! We are so grateful to have neighbors going through first time parenthood with us, we can't wait until our boys are friends!! 

   

bittersweet feelings

Yesterday, while cleaning around the house, I looked into our son's closet and realized that he has grown out of all his newborn clothes. Some he grew out of quickly, others he was still able to wear around his skinny waist but now he looks like he's waiting for a flood! Seeing as though he's almost 3 months, I decided that it was time to retire all the itty bitty clothes and move fully into 0-3 months. Yes, our baby is a long skinny dude!! 

Packing up his coming home outfit, his first Christmas onesie and many other outfits he wore to experience "firsts" had me feeling some seriously bittersweet feelings. As his mom, I burst with pride with every ounce he gains and every developmental milestone he hits or surpasses, but every day that he grows and learns something new is a day closer to exiting babyhood.

I know we still have a long ways to go before it is over but every single day with our boy is a beginning and an end; there in lies the bittersweet feeling. Thankfully the beginnings are so exciting and breathtaking, yet another great design in God's plan of motherhood!!

Many experienced moms have told me that even though some days can be bittersweet, the best is yet to come. Even after just 12 weeks, I completely believe them! 

   

Do you wanna see the nursery??

Before we even found out I was pregnant, I had visions of what I hoped our little one’s nursery would eventually look like. I had the Pinterest board and the sketches; essentially just a dream of what a sweet baby’s nursery could be even when he was no more than a prayer. When we found out that we were officially going to be parents in the Spring of 2014 my dreaming turned into planning: weeding through the pins, picking out paint, and making decisions that would make our sweet boy’s nursery a comforting space just for him. 

The vision was to have grey walls, white wainscoting, natural wood accents, with orange detailing scattered throughout. Thankfully, that is exactly what we ended up with! We mixed modern furniture with rustic accents and simple solids with bold patterns. We wanted some interest without the room feeling too busy because before we know it our little boy will have toys strewn about and that will be busy enough!  

Rob and I had such a blast taking my sketches (which at one point were taped all over the nursery door!) and making them into reality. We built the side table for the glider, re-crafted the floating shelf, installed the new closet system, and made the wooden arrows above the crib. We had so much fun working on these projects knowing that they were for our little boy!

     

All the furniture was either imagined and made by Rob and I or was handed down from our childhood bedrooms. The white crib and glider (though reupholstered) were Lindsey's as a girl and the chest of drawers was Rob's. We are so thankful for our awesome Moms (and Dads) who took such care of these pieces for so long! 

   

This nursery has turned out to be my favorite room in the house for two reasons: it came out exactly how we imagined it would and it's our son's room. We are so thankful that our prayers were answered and he is now here with us! It's an amazing feeling to love someone so deeply that you haven't even met yet, I wanted things to be perfect for him. It struck me that as we were building a place for our son, so is Christ preparing a home for us in Heaven (John 14:1-7). Heaven: how much cooler is that!

Currently, Baby Rebhan (only one week old in the picture above) doesn't sleep in his nursery overnight but we spend time in there every day and we love to rock together in the glider. As I type, our son is smiling and cooing while he sleeps in his bassinet in our bedroom. We aren't sure when the final transition will happen but we are so thrilled that he has such a cozy space to call his. 

Where is it from??

>>> Area Rug: Home Goods

>>> Toy Basket: TJMaxx

>>> Fox and Alphabet Pillow: Tootie and Tallulah's

>>> Sheepskin Rug: IKEA

>>> Crib Sheets: Target

>>> Bedskirt: BuyBuyBaby

>>> Love You To The Moon and Back art: Tootie and Tallulah's

>>> White Frames: Target

If I missed anything, or you have any other questions feel free to comment below or send us an email!! 

changing as a family of three

Our son, was born in late November and we have had such a joyful 7.5 weeks with our sweet boy!

It is an amazing thing to be a new mom. I learn things about our new family, my sweet son and myself every single day. I have learned what grace and patience feel like when there is no forethought behind giving or receiving either one. I have realized that I am now filled with such pride and joy when someone shows love to my son and coos over him. Becoming a mom is immediate: physically our son came into the world at 5:03am and at the same moment he leaped into my heart.

My days are now filled with cuddles, feedings, diaper changes, laundry and gazing at our baby's sweet expressions. Eventually I will get back to days that don't include hours of Netflix, late night feedings and "first time" outings as a mommy/baby duo; but for now I am happily settled in these early days of scrambling for the camera every time a smile crosses my son's face and waiting for his first giggle and not wanting to miss any of it.

We are exceptionally happy as a family of three.

Previously, this blog was all about the DIY projects that Rob and I have taken on in our new home. We have enjoyed all the projects that we have done so far and documenting them has been a great way for us to share some tips while having a place to keep memories of our first house! Now we have new memories to add, to remember, and some that we will want to share with those of you that want to know what's happening in our little family. So this blog is changing, we are no longer just renovating our home but our whole life and we are learning fun tidbits and sharing along the way.