emma grace // a nine month update

dear sweet baby girl,

oh how i wish i could freeze time.  each and every day is so much more fun than then last.

you give the sweetest and slobberiest kisses.  you're reaching out for your people and trying to climb up mamas legs.  i never knew a little leg hug could melt my heart so fast.

you're loving sweet potatoes, squash, black  beans, bananas and avocados.  you're a big fan of puffs and i can't confirm it, but i'm pretty sure you have a little contest going to see how many you can get in your mouth at one time.  so far, the record sits at 5.

we welcomed our first two teeth! it was a little rough, but you handled it like a champ!

you also discovered that your cute little cough brings attention.  it's pretty hilarious to see you fake cough and then follow up with a giggle.  it's amazing what you can get away with when you're a teeny-tiny-cutie-patootie.

you've discovered your toesies.  when you're laying down, in your carseat, or sitting in your stroller, you're always making a grab for your toes.

you're a little roley-poley.  one morning, the monitor woke me up at 3 am to find you rolling around, grabbing your toes, playing with your toys and having a little party in your crib.  it took all of my self control to let you play on your own and not run into your room to join in on the fun.

you're the sweetest, snuggliest, smiliest baby there ever was. and i'm so glad i get to call you mine.

love always,
your mama

emma grace // eight month update

dear sweet baby girl,

you're getting sillier by the day.  i don't know where you get all your smiles, but they are the most pure form of joy.  i'm so in love with your sweet hugs and kisses. you're such a little snuggle bug and i hope that never changes.

you're trying new foods...so far we love sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, blueberries, and you love your puffs! i think you'll be ready for fro-yo any day now!

this month, you took your first trip sitting up in the shopping cart and loved every minute.  you're little miss independent and love looking around and reaching for everything. your favorite grocery store toy is the bag of chocolate chips...someday i promise i'll let you try the real thing!

i think crawling is right around the corner, but let's be real, you're really ready to start running!  we've created a little machine in that walker, and i think it's going to be impossible to keep you down for long!  you're moving from room to room like a pro, following us around and showing off your skills.

my heart is growing more and more every day for you little one. i love you more than you'll ever know. 

love,

your mama

emma grace // seven month update

dear sweet baby girl,

oh how i love you so! your daddy and i are just head over heels for you.  we can't get enough of this little adventure that we are on with you.  you're so interactive and your little, and by little i mean HUGE, personality is shining through.

you're a reaching and chewing machine! your toys, my hair, anything on the table (uhh....the table), and sometimes even sweet potatoes.  oh, and now your stickers! :)  i think you're starting to teethe, so anything that can fit in your mouth is fair game for chewing!

we're finally getting to wear some of your 6m clothes.  it's been so fun to see you grow, and i can't get enough of your arm and thigh rolls!

you've discovered your voice and are giggling and squealing up a storm. you LOVE your walker and are becoming a pro at moving from room to room.  you've started rolling from your back to your tummy, and sometimes even back again.  we haven't quite started crawling, but we are pretty good at wiggling around in a circle! you're also becoming quite the expert at sitting and reaching. you know what you want, and you go for it!

you have the biggest and best smiles. i can't get enough. thank you for bringing the sunshine. :)

love,

your mama

emma grace: six months

dear sweet emma grace, 

you're a growing machine at 15 lbs, 15 oz and 23 1/2 inches long! 

this month, you discovered your voice, and boy, do you love to hear it! i can't even begin to imagine what opinions and stories you're trying to tell us. you're sleeping a little better, but it's still one of your least favorite things to do. you're a little giggle box and the smiliest baby on the block. even when you're a little fussy, you somehow manage to have a smile on your face. you bring so much joy to everyone you meet! you're a expert in pushing backwards in your walker, and you flipped from your back to your tummy! you had a fantastic first christmas and were spoiled rotten. you have a giant family that loves you more than you know. 

love, your mama

Emma Grace: Two Months

sweet baby girl is two months old. 

i'm completely addicted to her little coos, snorts and almost-giggles.

her smiles and snarles melt my heart, even at 3:30 am. #soworthit

she never stops squirming, even in her sleep.

morning stretches are serious business and require at least 30 different facial expressions. 

she's stubborn and strong and i love every single tiny inch of her. 

month 1

Emma Grace: One Month

and just like that, our baby girl is one month old.

sleep has been replaced with snuggles and diaper changes, and my target gift cards are spent on diapers and pacifiers instead of cute shoes and maxi dresses.  i'm not complaining though...she's pretty darn adorable. even at 2 and 3 and 4 am...

inspired by @gusandrubyletterpress 

baby girl's nursery

when i started thinking about decorating emma grace's nursery, i realized that honestly, her nursery is really for me. other than looking through photos, she would have no recollection of the adorable crib skirt and bedding i picked out for her.  i started thinking of the things that were important to me (especially during 3 am feedings...) and i decided i wanted it to be calm, happy, and comfortable.  

bub-hub gave me a camera strap last christmas that had the most beautiful floral pattern on it and i just became obsessed. after searching the internet and calling hundreds of fabric stores, i found the amy butler fabric and started buying up as much as i could find.  i loved the bright colors and i thought the balance of pinks and blues and bright greens were just perfect. 

we painted the walls the calmest shade of pink we could find, and filled the room with white furniture and accents to keep the focus on the fun colors in her bedding. 

i also tried really hard to stick to our budget.  pinterest and etsy are fabulous dangerous places, but after many pro/con/do i really need the crystal chandelier conversations with myself (and bub-hub...), i chose the things that were most important to me.  i knew i wanted to do a hoop wall collage, and have a few elements for her name.  but i also knew that I would probably want to add things later on as she grew up and we started making family memories together. 

i'm pretty sure baby girl loves her room...at least, she loves having her diaper changed on her changing table! :)  

crib - pottery barn kids
lamp, night stand, dresser/changing table - ikea
quilt and crib sheet - shelly akerly
crib skirt - caden lane, etsy

photos by sarah carpenter photography

baby bump and baby beats

emma grace and i are officially in the home stretch. don't get me wrong, i love having a little buddy with me all day every day, dancing and wiggling around like a fool. pretty positive she's got some baby beats on and is practicing for her audition for step up 6...

i'm just ready to see her little face!

now that the end is in sight, everything is becoming so much more real. for the longest time, her arrival felt forever away. but now that we've crossed into the less than one month mark, we feel a definite sense of expectation and excitement. it's been so much fun getting her room ready, putting together her furniture (well fun for me to watch bub-hub at least...) and hanging up all of her tiny little clothes.

i've really been loving our family time and have been enjoying this season of stillness and calm. i'm so guilty of being a busy-bee and a multi-tasker, but lately, i've been trying so hard to sit still and soak in every minute we have left as a family of two.  i really think my level of exhaustion is a real blessing from the Lord to teach me to step back and let go.  i'm just tired enough to need to sit and do nothing, but not too tired to spend time hanging out with bub-hub and raider.

now the real test will be to see if i'm still feeling calm and relaxed a week from now. :)

two years down, forever and ever to go.

our second year of marriage was full of new things and big grown up decisions. 

we moved to a new city, into a new apartment,

and then into a our first real home.

we found out our sweet baby girl would be joining our family.

we started new jobs and took on new responsibilities,

joined a new church and met new friends.

two years ago, i said "i do" to a beautiful life with my best friend.

i can barely wait to see what this next year will bring.

happy anniversary bub-hub.

you're the bomb[dot]com.

life lately: homeownership

since apparently the whole becoming parents thing wasn't a big enough life change for us, we decided to add home-ownership to our list of responsibilities.  after months of searching and making offers and searching some more, we finally found our perfect little house. God is so good and provided the perfect place at the absolute perfect time.  we are in the process of packing (again...) and painting and planning projects, and I just can't even wait to move in!

lately

bub hub
has discovered his secret painting talent. #edgingexpert
is a master at unloading the washing machine now that the prego-belly is getting in the way.
won the best husband award for bringing home frozen and letting it be our packing party background music.

raider
has been a perfect walking companion, even now that mama's had to slow her roll a little more than usual.
is mastering the doggy door at the new house. #professionalpup
shows his love and excitement for emma grace by pouncing on mama's belly every time she's on the couch.

sarah grace
is still pregnant with only 8 (insert long or short here depending on the hour...) weeks to go!
is a terribly painting assistant and not so great with keeping paint off the floors.
is taking naps and sleeping in every chance

emma grace
is growing bigger every day and wiggling up a storm.
finally has a nursery...at least a room that will be decorated sometime in the near-ish future...
is already loved more deeply than a mama could ever hope and dream.

life lately

life just seems to be speeding by, which is good and a little bit not so good. good because tax busy season is over and we have bub-hub back (notice how he's missing from every single photo...oops...) and a little bit not so good because i'm realizing how unprepared we are for baby girl's arrival. that's what prayer and family are for right?



lately

bub-hub
has a love/hate relationship with the mavericks.
somehow talked sg to watch sherlock, and now they are both hooked
has officially dominated tax season and life has returned to normal-ish once again.

raider
won't stop drinking water out of the toilet.
has designated the closet as the most comfy location for a nap.
has completely forgotten his leash-walking-manners. #rebelliousphase

sarah grace
is getting used to her ever growing baby bump and puffy cheeks.
loves using sweet baby girl as an excuse for chipotle and fro-yo.
can't quite cope with season three of scandal being over already.

emma grace
is 28 weeks old and the size of an eggplant.
has a growing collection of the most adorable wardrobe, ruffles included.
is completely worth every backache she's giving her mama.

life lately

lately
bub-hub
is studying for his next certification test.
is hooked on chuck and (i think) secretly training to become a spy for the CIA.
handles tax returns like a champ.

sarah grace
is enjoying her new job, especially all of the office birthday cakes & treats.
feels optimistic about the forecast this coming week. bring it on 70*!
can't get the songs from frozen out of her head and doesn't hate it.

raider
loves the outside but is hating the cold.
can't get enough greenies.
has perfected his "please give me crumbs" look.

baby chastain
is twenty weeks old.
is the size of an heirloom tomato and growing more and more every day.
has a fantastic love for chipotle and girl scout cookies.

lately, life has been really busy, but so full of fun and celebration. we are so very blessed and are just soaking in every minute we have together in this season of life.

what have you been up to lately?

high five for friday! // january 31

happy friday!

the cold weather this week had me stuck inside a little more than i'd like, but it definitely helped with my productivity. if only i could make it through the day without taking a nap, or thinking about how badly i want to take a nap…

one. i recently downloaded lightroom, and i've been trying to get my brain wrapped around it. i know everyone says is so simple to use, but i'm not gonna lie, i'm pretty intimidated. but i bet all the free tutorials i've been finding online will make me a pro in no time!

two. i've started my first project life album. i got one for our family and one for baby! i'm obsessed. i can't wait to share more layouts and pages as i figure it out.

three. raider and i have been training for the color run. after not being able to run for four months, it's been quite the task getting back in the swing of things, but it's great to have a running buddy! even if he doesn't quite know what he's getting himself in to.

four. bub-hub and i took our first expecting parents class last weekend. i didn't think it would be possible to feel more prepared and less prepared at the exact same time, but that's where we are! i feel so encouraged knowing we have such a supportive church body. and know i have a list of things to figure out. but at least i have a list now! :)

five. is it wrong to blame my addiction to thin mints on baby? i'm the worst future mom.

how was your week? have you given in to the girl scouts yet?