Show us Where you Live Friday - Kids' Rooms!

It's Friday!

That means it's time for home touring with Kelly at Kelly's Korner!

I have to admit that I have really enjoyed this home tour over the past few weeks. It has inspired me to finally decorate my basement and finish up lots of "in progress" projects! I have found lots of neat ideas and inspirations from other people's homes... some of which I hope will be popping up in a later post soon!

So on with the tour...

First Up... Emily's Nursery

Before I post the pictures of Emmie Kate's nursery, let me give a bit of background about the room...

To say that I am a frugal person would be quite an understatement. Actually, it would be a massive understatement! I envy people who save their money, cut coupons, bargain shop and the like. Try as I might, I am just not one of those people. I try... I really do. But I don't think that I have an ounce of frugality in my blood (yes, I'm blaming my mother!).

Having said that, when it was time to purchase the things for my first nursery, I was having a hay day shopping in all of the expensive baby boutiques in Texas. As much fun as I had looking, our finances would not allow me to indulge to my heart's desire. And so I made the decision to get in touch with my (very small) inner frugal side and try to make practical decisions when it came to designing the baby nursery.

I knew my firstborn was going to be a boy. But in my heart, I hoped and dreamed that I would also one day be blessed with a girl. So in my attempt to be practical and smart, I decided that I would design a "gender neutral" nursery so that it could be used with all of our children... regardless of gender! And I have to say... I was very proud of myself in making this attempt at restraint!

Finding "gender neutral" bedding and accessories proved to be a difficult task! Everything seems to be gender specific these days. But I did not give up. I was on a mission to be practical (Vance may tell you this is the one and only time I have made such an attempt!).

I finally decided to have the baby bedding made by a local boutique and I settled on some sweet fabric choices for the bedding. Admittedly, the main fabric choice leaned more towards the feminine side, but I justified it because it was a toile pattern (and I love toile) that included a BOY fishing! It had hints of both baby blue and pink in it with the main color being a soft sage green. It also had a sort of raspberry accent that I decided could be red for boy accents.

So it was. I purchased the bedding and decided to get furniture in an creamy off-white color. Baby things just seem "babier" to me in light colors, so I went with creamy white... even though my firstborn was a boy!

And so I went about doing my very best to create a sweet, "gender neutral" nursery for our baby.

{ The very first nursery in Houston for Noah }

And I have stayed true to my promise to myself and have used the same bedding for both of my baby nurseries. In fact, I used a lot of the same things... I just changed out the accessories for each child. I have been very practical... and I'm proud of myself!

As proud as I am of my practicality, when the time comes to make Emily's "little girl" room, "practical" is not going to be my main goal! In fact, it won't be a goal at all! I want her next room to be the girliest little girl room I can create... crystal chandelier and the works!

So, here is my "practical" nursery in which both babes of mine slept, but where Emily Kate currently resides...

Views from the hallway looking in the nursery door

A close up of the dresser & hutch

My grandparents bought the hutch for Noah when he was born.

Some cute accessories, including Emmie's sunglasses collection!

More must-have girl accessories... bows, hair bands, bracelets and curlers!

Emily's chornological Shutterfly picture books (another obsession of mine!)

The crib side of the nursery

I loved Emily's baptism gown so much, I decided to decorate with it!

It is the sweetest smocked gown and I love how it now adorns her wall reminding me of that special day!

Emily's Bed

After it was time to remove the bumper pads with Noah, I thought the crib looked bare. I had some extra fabric from my bedding patterns, and so my mother-in-law made me some end pillows to dress up the crib! I still love the bumpers, but the pillows add something once the bum have to be removed for safety purposes!

A close up of the lettering above her bed

I bought this sheet at Babies R' Us when I was pregnant with Noah. It matched my "gender neutral" bedding and I saved in hopes that that bedding would one day be used by a girl!

And here is a close up of the beautiful pillows made by my mother-in-law.

The window side of the nursery

My mother-in-law made these basket liners too! I used them with the natural baskets in Noah's nursery and changed to the green baskets for Emily Kate!

Another staple in both nurseries... the coat tree.
It holds bags, jackets, and of course, Emily's (fake) Louie purse :)

A close up of the hair accessory organizer!

I waited 33 years to have a little girl's head to adorn with big hair bows!

And finally... the remaining side of the nursery

I love the "Smile for the Birdie" frames (can you tell?!).

The wording above the pictures says "I am a Child of God".

The glider in which I have spent countless hours rocking both of my babies.

My mother-in-law made the beautiful quilt for Emily AND the accent pillow for the chair!

The wall bookcase has always been a favorite of mine. I've read so many books while sitting in this chair. I hope to read many more in the same spot!

And there is the little pumpkin herself...

Sitting in the diaper drawer!

And Now...

A few pics of the same room when it was Noah's nursery!

(i.e. proof that I do have a bit of practicality in me!)

Same wall color, same furniture, same curtains, and yes...
same bedding!

Notice the natural baskets with the same liners?!

And there is my little (then) chubby bubby sittin' in his nursery!

Next Up... Noah's Big Boy Room

When we moved Noah from the nursery into his "Big Boy Room", I spent lots of time looking at bedding sets that were themed.... farm animals, sports themes, construction, etc.

Call me practical (ha!), but I decided against a theme in favor of a traditional plaid that could be (gasp!) used for a longer period of time! Oh my goodness... maybe I am more practical than I thought I was :)

We chose traditional boy colors that could "grow" with Noah as his accessories change to reflect his growing taste. Today, his room still has touches of "baby" in it. But now that he is four, he is starting to outgrow some of the "baby-ness" and I know it will soon be time to find a few new "grown up" accessories to replace the baby ones!

Here is where Noah sleeps...

Views from the hallway looking in...

A great purchase was the canvas storage bin from Pottery Barn... you can throw everything in it for a quick room clean up!

Noah's favorite part of his Big Boy room (and mine) are the 3 bookshelves above his bed! It makes for easy access reading (especially when he is sopposed to be napping!). Above each bookcase is a frame with a birthday picture inside. I got the frames before he was even born... they have a 1, 2, and 3 on them for each birthday. I love seeing how he has changed!

Noah's room is small... very small. And because of the large window, it has a difficult configuration for furniture. I had a hard time finding a bed short enough to fit in his room! I finally found this platform bed and it has worked out very well. It has 3 large storage drawers at the bottom... perfect for housing games and toys!

I love the large picture window that takes up almost one whole wall in Noah's room.

I added the tall bookcases to either side of the window for extra storage.

Above each tall bookcase, there is a star with his initials in it. I ordered them from Uppercase Living and I love how they turned out! You can see a few "baby" accessories are still adorning the bookcase shelves!

Noah's chronological Shutterfly books!

Noah's dresser top... I recently added some "bigger boy" frames to replace a few of the baby frames (tear). Noah is really in to sports, so I suspect I will soon be adding more sports-themed accessories to his room! I'd like to find a neat shelf to go over the dresser... after all, he now has a trophy (from his first ever soccer season) and is in need of a suitable display location :)

And finally...

Noah's coat rack! The empty frame is a fun thing too. It fits a 8 1/2 * 11 paper, so I change it out to display Noah's school art work. It's empty now because I was scanning in the artwork to make his preschool Shutterfly photo book!

I couldn't resist...

This is Noah on the very first night he ever slept in his "Big Boy Room"!

Thanks for stoppy by & Happy Home touring!

Heart"felt" Prayers for Zachary

Update at the bottom of post...

Before my friend, Michelle, had a baby born with a congenital heart defect, my knowledge of congenital heart defects was nominal, at best.

The only knowledge I had about congenital heart defects related to a condition that I had when I was pregnant with my Noah. I had a "two vessel cord" and one of the things it could have been indicative of was a "congenital heart defect" or a "chromosomal abnormality". I will never forget the feeling that overcame me when I heard those words. I was nothing short of terrified.

I spent the majority of that pregnancy on strict bedrest (for several reasons) and while I did my level best to trust the Lord with my unborn son, I was literally terrified that he would be born with a complication.

I went to a perinatologist who did high level ultrasounds of Noah on a frequent basis. I remember him telling me at one appointment... "the heart looks normal and I don't see any holes in it. But of course, there are still things that we can't see on ultrasound." Again, worry and fear engulfed me and I spent days and days in my bed at home praying for my unborn son to be born whole and healthy.

But the bottom line is that I was just plain scared.

Noah's delivery was full of complications and we ultimately ended up in the operating room. When he was finally born, the very first words I said to my OB (who knew how terrified I was) were...

"Is he...."

She didn't let me finish the sentence. She finished it for me when she said...

"He is chromosomally normal."

Momentarily, my fears were calmed, only to feel that overwhelming feeling again seconds later when a man leaned down to look me in the face as I lay on the operating room table.

He said...

"My name is Dr. something and I'm a neonatologist. Your son is having some trouble breathing so we're going to take him to a stabilization room."

I got to hold my first born for a second or two before he was whisked away from me. The next time I saw him he was laying in a NICU bed hooked up to oxygen and making a horrifying "grunting" sound.

I was literally so scared I didn't even know how to handle it. I had to leave the room because my fear was so crippling.

I hate that feeling... crippling fear. I still feel it from time to time and it's absolutely the worst feeling in the world.

This post is not about me or Noah because in my story, Noah was ultimately released from the NICU, went home with us, and is healthy and whole.

But I still worry. I worry about my kids everyday.

As a parent, I don't think that we ever have the complete pleasure of not worrying about our kids. At least I haven't figured out how to do it yet. I'm working on it, but I have a long way to go! But I know that the answer to feeling peace rests in prayer and trusting in the Lord.

I share this story just to say that in a very, very, very small way, I understand the fear and anxiety associated with having a child with "health complications". I only understood those terrifying feelings for a short time and they in no way compare to what so many families experience on an ongoing basis... day after day after day.

As scared as I was during my pregnancy, I vividly remember the peace I felt when certain individuals would tell me that they were praying for my unborn son. There were certain people and groups of people whose prayers for my unborn son I literally "felt". I KNEW, really KNEW, that they were praying for him. And they were able to pray for him during the times when I felt too scared to pray. I "felt" those prayers and they calmed me. That is the one and only time in my life that I "felt" prayer in that way.

Other than my brief experience with that "crippling fear", I can't even begin to imagine what my friend, Michelle, must be feeling as she anticipates her son's 2nd open heart surgery that will take place in 1 month.

Zachary was born with a congenital heart defect... a serious one. He had open heart surgery only days after he was born. And he needs two more surgeries in order to fully "mend" his broken heart.

My knowledge of congenital heart defects is still very limited. I just now know that they do happen. And they happen to people that I know. And not everyone hears their perinatologist say the words... "the heart looks normal."

I have experienced, in a very small way, what it FEELS like to need the prayers of many. I have also experienced what it feels like to KNOW, really KNOW, that people are praying for my intention. And so I consider it a privilege to be able to pray for little Zachary and his "heart friends".

And I'd like to ask you to join me in praying for my friends, Steve, Michelle & Zachary Hagerott. They are exemplary examples of Christian parents and are wholeheartedly placing their trust in the Lord. I stand in awe of their courage and faith... and patience (they have FIVE boys!).

I received an email from Michelle this morning requesting prayer. Thank you in advance for praying for this dear family as they walk a path that so many of us can't even imagine being on. I know from a very limited firsthand experience that they "feel" the prayers being offered on their behalf. And it is carrying them through an otherwise daunting situation. Thank you!

From Michelle:

Friends and family,

One month from today our baby Zachary will undergo his second open heart surgery at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. Again our family will be separated, so we are asking for many prayers. Please pray that God guide the gentle hands of Zachy's surgeon, that the surgery is a success and that he recover without major complications. We also request prayers for our family...strength in these stressful circumstances, understanding during our time of separation, and comfort for big brothers while Mommy and Daddy are away. Big brothers' grandparents, aunts, and uncles in Wichita will need LOTS of prayers to keep their cool with four little boys under their roofs! Please pass this prayer request along to anyone who might take Zachy's intention to heart. You can follow his story at http://www.carepages.com/carepages/ZacharyJohn.

With heartfelt thanks,

Steve and Michelle

Updated (again):

This precious little girl is Bentley and her mother and I discovered we share a love of BIG BOWS, among other things! Bentley is having her first open heart surgery on Wednesday. Her mother is, as any mother would be, sad and scared for what lies ahead. As you pray for Zachary, please consider adding little Bentley to your prayers over the upcoming days! You can read more about this sweet "heart"at http://www.youandmeplusthree.com/.

The Dishes Can Wait... Girlyness Galore!

As a mother, sometimes I just feel exhausted with the day in and day out tasks that I feel are necessary to keep my home in good working order. You know, things like the dishes, laundry, picking up toys, baths, and so on.

While I am not a complete neat freak, I do feel like I am more relaxed when my house is in some sort of order. Therefore, I have a routine of always cleaning up the dinner mess and loading the dishwasher immediately after dinner is over. I don't play or do anything else until that task is accomplished.

And tonight that task just proved to be much too exhausting for me to tackle.

So, instead, I left the mess...

and indulged in "Girly Galore" with my sweet little Emmie Kate!

We took a bubble bath....

We roll brushed her hair and blew it out with the blow dryer....

We painted her toenails for the first time ever...

And for the grand finale of "girlyness"....

A Fashion Show in which Miss Priss modeled her new hand made clothes from Melissa, which are absolutely adorable, and a few of her new bows to boot!

Playing with her newly painted (and smudged!) toes

How precious is this little outfit?

Emmie is pointing to the "pretty" on her shirt!

How cute is that bow (which the outfit was made to match!)?

Now seriously... does it get any cuter than this?

Another adorable outfit from Melissa!

I think the model is tiring!

I had to post this one because today it was so windy... and it made me think of little Lindsay and the wind blowing through her hair!

Look at that bubble baby booty!

And as PRECIOUS as this dress is, my little model declared
"Fashion Show Over" and I didn't get a very good shot of it!

Anyway, I had so much fun playing with Sissy tonight while my kitchen sat unkept.

And you know what?

While I was playing and relishing in the time with my daughter, I didn't feel tired... at all.

I read blogs everyday that make me cry. I read stories about mothers who lose their babies and children. I read stories about babies who live in the hospital. I read stories about mothers who have to hand over their babies for very serious surgeries. I read stories everyday that make me cry.

And when I read them, I always vow to NOT allow myself to get caught up in the busyness of living life. I vow to cherish each moment with my children. I vow to be thankful for all of the frustrating moments that come with being a stay at home mom.

But I am human.

And try as I do, I still find myself feeling exhausted with the day in and day out tasks that I feel are necessary to keep my house in good working order.

And truth be told...

Sometimes I feel so exhausted that I don't feel like playing with my kids. And I feel guilty for feeling like that.

So tonight, when I turned my exhaustion into special moments with my daughter, it felt refreshing! And it made me realize what I know to be true, but so often forget.

There will always be dishes to clean and clothes to fold...

But there will only be a very brief time in which I can indulge in "Girlyness Galore" with my sweet as pie baby girl!

So tomorrow, even though I will do a lot of the same day in and day out tasks...

I now know that the dishes can wait!