Last year of my twenties…

Wow! This has been an amazing almost decade in my twenties. It’s hard to believe today marks the first day, of my last year in my twenties!  My twenties have been incredible years. Lots of friend-making, roll changing, growing (both personally and professionally), family time and lots and lots of learning! 

I am so thankful for where I am in my life. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, great career, loving husband, amazing friends and now, the gift of a child. 

I look forward to finishing up my twenties this year and going out with a bang!

Birthday Mystery..

Dear Baby B,

We went to the doctor to check up on you today and see what you've been up to.... it appears you are quite comfy in your little home and have no strong desire to come out to meet us just yet. The good news is you are staying head down to make it easier on me.

We get to see you on the big screen again tomorrow for the first time since our 20 week ultra sound. I guess this is the next best thing if I can't see you in person just yet! Your dad is so anxious! It's been funny to watch his eagerness of your arrival develop. He cannot wait for the big event. Sometimes I think he is even more ready than me.

We are getting several tests done tomorrow to make sure you are still doing okay and trying to delay induction as long as possible so you can come out on your own... Your heart beat was great today at 125 and you seem to be doing just fine.... You sure are teaching me to be more patient!

I would love it if we shared a birthday tomorrow on the 31st, but something is telling me you want to be a June baby like your cousin, Emery. Maybe you will be born on your Mamaw's birthday, June 6th. Only time will tell little one!

Patiently waiting,
Momma

Year one in review

Happy anniversary to my loving solid rock husband, Joel! We have had quiet an amazing year!

In the past 365 days we have managed to have our dream wedding, take a breath-taking 11 day honeymoon, excellently train our beautiful dog, Bella, get pregnant , experience Boston for the first time, celebrate our first Christmas at home with just the two of us (and Bella, of course), see manatees and dolphins in the same day, enjoy Sanibel Island, take one last “baby moon” trip to the beach and have countless date nights, but of all these things... my favorite thing we accomplish on a daily basis is simply enjoying one another's company.

No big trip needs to be planned; we don’t have to be sitting at a fancy restaurant, or partaking in a major adventure… because every day has been an eye-opening journey that has unfolded into laughs, love, growth, forgiveness, playfulness and pure good times! We are the perfect match for one another. To quote the Song of Solomon 3:4, “I have found the one whom my soul loves.”

Since the 1^st Anniversary milestone is paper, I made a photo book of year 1 in review.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Visit Shutterfly.com to create your own personalized photobook.

I love you Joel. Thank you for being an amazingly supportive and grounded husband. God perfectly matched us together. I look forward to continuing to celebrate our love on a daily basis and the amazing journey we are about to embark with the birth of our daughter.

Love,

Cassie

Sharing is caring...

I’m so in love with this quote I found on pinterest! So in love, that my girlfriend Kristen and I decided we needed to frame it for our nurseries! She whipped this up in photoshop. It says, "No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all. you're the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside." 

I also gave one to my mom on Mother’s day.

Kristen is one of my best friends and she is expecting too! We have known each other for nearly 4 years now and our friendship has grown so much! Her little bundle of joy is due the second week of July. It’s been such a blessing and awesome experience to be going through the same things at the same time and just to have someone to share all of our experiences with. Even though Kristen lives 4 hours away, we talk almost daily and I feel so close to her. She is expecting a girl too, so that makes it even more fun!

I look forward to our scheduled play dates once the girls arrive. Hopefully, we can meet in Asheville later this year for a mommy/daughter day. I just know they are going to be best friends like their mommies!

Roller-coaster…

This past week has been a roller-coaster of emotions. According to my charts, I was 40 weeks yesterday. I was told by my doctor last week that I was progressing well and was already 1cm dilated and effacing. At our visit this week, a new doctor advised I wasn’t dilated or effaced. 

Needless to say I was a little more than frustrated.  At our current practice, I rotate each visit and see a different doctor and/or midwife. There are 6 doctors and 6-8 midwives. We’ve found we prefer some over others and are hoping once the time is actually here one of the doctors we really like is on call. It’s just a guessing game at this point. 

While we’re both on pins and needles waiting for baby’s arrival, I just have to keep reminding myself that God already has the perfect day picked out for her sweet birthday. Our next visit is scheduled on my birthday, May 31st. If she has not graced us with her presence by then, we have to have a stress test done, 20 minutes of heart rate monitoring and an ultra sound. 

Please pray for us that our little girl decides to come out into this world on her own with no induction or interventions.

DIY Fabric Flower Art

I’m thrilled that we finally finished our nursery this week and just in time before Sarah from mcchillinphotography.com comes over to take some snap shots of it! I can’t wait to reveal the finished space. 

Although it’s very small, we utilized every inch of it and it is all the space we really need. I would have loved to have had more space to decorate, but it’s probably a good thing we don’t because I would have spent more money!

We ended up getting everything in the space for under $350 (including the crib, mattress, bedding, glider and ottoman, changing table, black-out curtains, rug, pillows and decorative pieces). 

I either made or repurposed several pieces in the nursery including the changing table, toy box storage crate, Bible verse nursery art and most recently these fabric flower wall pieces. I was inspired by a post on pinterest of course, and decided to take the idea and make it my own. 

I had originally purchased the main background fabric from Joann's to make a memo board, but decided it would work well for this project too. I loved the pop of raspberry pink on the brown and the leaves tied in so nicely with our other pieces. 

I purchased 2, 8x8 artist canvases from Joanns (my new favorite store) and covered the canvas with the fabric using a staple gun (thanks for your help with this Bobby & Alexas).

I also bought 4 yards of cream ruffled quilt binding from Joanns and divided it in half. I shaped the ruffle fabric into a flower and pinned it onto the fabric covered canvas using straight pins until I had it just right. 

Since I was making 2 art pieces, I shaped the flowers at the same time so that they would look as identical as possible. I then used my glue gun to adhere the flower to the canvas. I simply flipped the flowers over, while still pinned, put hot glue on the bottom, flipped them back over and then placed them onto the fabric covered canvas. 

I then made pink rosettes for the center of the flowers. I used a glue gun to create the rosettes and stick them in the center. Below is the finished product. They look so great hanging in the nursery along with our baby girl’s name sign. Can’t wait to show you the finished space soon!

 

I didn't end up using the button in the center, but you can change it up any way you would like and add your own twist!

 

Here are the two pieces side by side. 

Crocheting for baby

So excited to put our little pumpkin in these darling outfits with the hats and headbands that my sister-in-law Alexas made! She is so talented!

I used to know how to crochet when I was younger. Maybe it will be like riding a bike and just come back to me. Hopefully, Alexas can reteach me over the summer and I will make more adorable things for our little one.

 

Daddy-to-be is ready!

This weekend Joel suggested we try not to say the word "contractions" because some refer to them negatively or associate them with pain. In my hypno-birth cds, they refer to them as surges which I like as well.  So when I asked Joel what word we should use... he replied, “Do you like banana pudding?” 

Of course, I said, yes! He then said, "Well, then that’s what we’ll call them."

So we've been saying things like, “Oh, I had some banana pudding again”... or “When is the last time you had any banana pudding?”

I thought it was such a cute and sweet suggestion from the daddy-to-be. I'll probably never look at banana pudding the same again, but it will definitely help to keep us laughing for a while during labor.

We had our weekly check up today and I’m 1cm dilated. Very exciting, but still could mean we’re a week or so away from meeting our baby girl. The great news is, it’s one cm less that I have to dilate in true labor! Our midwife predicted she could come in the next 3-4 days. So only time will tell.

Joel is getting so excited and ready more than ever. He has been asking me to go on long walks and trying to feed me spicy foods... which I despise anything spicy! He was also in nesting mode this weekend finishing up projects, starting new ones, getting the house in order and being super attentive.

It's so wonderful to see him settling into his new role! I love my super supportive hubby!

Patiently waiting...

Dear baby girl,

We had our 38 week check up this week and you are doing so well. We just need you to scoot down a little more. You like to be up and snuggle underneath my ribs on the right side. It’s been your sweet spot for the past 6 months and my pain spot, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

According to our visit this week, you are approximately 6lbs and they don’t think you will be much more 7lbs by your birthday. We are both healthy and happy right now which is all your dad and I ever wanted. 

This week we finished putting your pack and play together for the living room, put together your swing and are finishing up the artwork for your nursery. I made almost all the decorative pieces in your nursery and can’t wait to share pictures once we reveal your sweet name to the rest of the world!

This weekend is mother’s day and how special it would be if you choose to grace us with your presence this weekend! Only time will tell. It’s up to you now sweetness. 

Patiently waiting,

Momma

Almost there!

Dear Baby B,

We’re getting so close to your arrival! I could feel you settling down and getting ready for your big day all weekend. The anticipation continues to build and we can’t wait to see you! To see if you will have curly hair like your momma, beautiful eyes like your daddy and just to see your sweet face!

We have your very own little back pack packed that your cousins Macie and Emery got for you with your soon to be favorite cuddly rabbit and of course several stylish outfits for your photo shoot at the hospital.  

We’re ready to see you and just waiting on you to decide when you’re ready to see us!

Love,

Momma

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my dad's 50th birthday and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such a loving father. 

My dad and I have always had a very special bond. I know he would go to the ends of the earth for me.  Some would even say I’m a daddy’s girl. I think daughters always hold a special place in their father’s hearts and I look forward to seeing our baby girl have the same bond with Joel as I have with my dad. 

He can melt my heart with just a few words of endearment and make me shed a tear at the slightest thought of ever disappointing him. In a few words, he means the world to me. 

My brother and I are so fortunate to have such amazing parents who instilled values in us that helped shaped us to be the people we are today. I am so proud of my dad and pray for 50+ more birthdays with him. 

Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you!

ps. Stop working so hard....  ;)

Deals, deals, deals!

As most of you know, I love getting daily deals. Even if I don't pull the trigger and purchase them, I love to see the latest trends and ponder..."Can I make that?"

Recently, some mom's and expecting moms have shared some sites I've become obsessed with, so I wanted to share the obsession and pass along to you!

Each day I get email updates on the latest deals. Some deals only last for a day, some only last until sold out (which could only be a few hours) and others, give you more time to consider your purchase, sometimes up to a week.

Let's start with Pick Your Plum. First of all, I love the name of this site! So brilliant! To date, I've ordered twice from this site and loved both items. This is definitely a deals site that is targeted towards the DIYers. Every day they share a new deal. It can be anything from polka-dot cupcake liners to hand carved signs. I ordered a hand carved sign of our baby girl's name and the cutest romper ever for her Halloween costume. (Yes, I am already planning that far ahead!) Their deals are great and sell out quick, so you have to be fast! I try to check their deals first thing in the morning every morning. This site only has one deal a day.

BabySteals.com is another site that has limited daily deals; obviously all targeted around babies - hence the domain name. They have two deals a day from 9am - 9pm. I haven't purchased anything from the site as of yet, but it has taken some willpower to resist. 

Zulily is a more well-known deals site that is targeted towards mothers and baby items. One great perk this site offers is a $15 credit for inviting your friends. My sister-in-law received her credit after I made my first purchase from the site. Zulily's deals range from baby clothes to maternity clothes to even furniture and shoes. They offer a much broader range of deals that last for a longer period of time, so if you miss a day, you still have time to score a great deal. I have ordered 3 things from this site. The one downside I have noticed is a delay in shipping. It does take much longer to get your purchased items. In my case, I haven't minded as I didn't need the items right away, but if you are in a hurry consider this before purchasing.

My most recent obsession is Very Jane. My friend Jodi shared this boutique deals site with me over the weekend and I fell in love. They have so many unique deals and also their items spark a lot of DIY ideas! I also love this site's variety of deals and I especially love the prices! I haven't purchased anything as of yet, but I'll keep you posted because I'm sure I will!

I'm sure there are a ton of deal sites out there that are great, so if you have any to share, please do so!