For the Love of Storage

When we bought our house, we were young.  We were the bright eyed, about to be newlywed, living the American Dream kind of home buyers.  Oh yeah, and we were stupid.  Okay, not stupid per se.  But definitely had our blinders on.  Our home was a foreclosure, so we looked at the big picture rather than in the details.  But now, as our sink fills up with bottles and pacifiers, I'm realizing that we have a MAJOR lack of storage in this joint.  Enter the greatness that is IKEA and the Hemnes cabinet.

Of course, I had to make it my own.  I dug around in my paint collection and grabbed my peacock blue that I used on the desk in the office.  A few coats later, I placed all of our white dishes in the upper glass portion.  The drawers are stuffed with bottles and a sanitizer and extra pacifiers.  Finally, we've got room for it all.

I found a great window-looking frame at Target and my JoAnn's pitcher to stick up top.  I have a couple of things I want to add, but here it is for now!  Oh, and it blends perfectly with my wall-o-shelves!

Anyone else trying to find a home for pacis and breast pump parts?!  No?  Just me?  And because I'm a new mom and I just can't help myself...

This little love of my life is already 6 weeks old!  Feeling blessed these days!

The Birth Story

At almost 6 weeks postpartum, I'm finally getting into the swing of things.  I'll start with some mushy  momma stuff since this little blog is the best journal ever.  I love the idea of Baby H going through and reading all about her entrance into this world.  Don't worry, we'll be back to decorating next post!  So we'll start here...Wednesday, March 13, 2013:

We got to the hospital at 4:45 a.m.  Checked in, got hooked up to my IV, answered a million questions about my pregnancy and family history, and then we waited.  I was two days passed my due date, so we decided to induce.  Dr. Sills (ah-MAZING Ob/Gyn if you are in NWA!) came in and broke my water at 8:20 a.m. and we got the party started!  I wanted to wait as long as possible before getting pitocin to give my body a chance to labor on its own.  I was 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced.

We watched GMA, I walked around the room, bounced on my birthing ball, and kept the hubby entertained for the majority of the morning.  Around 2 p.m. they checked me again and I had only progressed to 3 c.m., still 80% effaced.  They started me on pitocin and that's when things started moving.  Contractions were taking my breath away and I worked through the pain as much as possible.  My mother-in-law was a great coach and really helped me get through each contraction.

By 5 p.m., I was ready for my epidural.  I went natural as long as I could, but the contractions were 15-30 seconds apart and lasting 1-1 1/2 minutes and I was only at 4 cm. By the time the anesthesiologist arrived, it was 6:30 p.m. and I had been laboring naturally for 10 hours. I was finally able to rest and at 9:30 p.m. I knew it was time.  The nurse checked me and I was ready to push.  We did a couple of practice pushes and the nurse nearly had to catch Baby H herself!  Dr. Sills arrived and I gave a few good pushes and she was here!

Some parts of recovery were a bit rough...I had strained during delivery and could not move my neck for a few days.  I also had light chest pains that made it difficult to breath lying down.  The hubby was amazing and did all the diaper changes and brought her to me for each feeding.

The staff (and U of A nursing students) at Northwest were amazing both during labor/delivery and postpartum care.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience.  It has been so much fun to see the Mr. take on the role of Dad and I feel so blessed to be her Momma.

Welcome to the family Finlee Kate.  Born on 3/13/13 at 10:01 p.m..  Weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 inches long.  We love you more than you know.

My Life via Instagram

Why hello there!  Yes, I'm still alive.  And still pregnant.  However, I'm on the home stretch and can't wait to get back into my regularly scheduled blogging!  So I thought I would start today since I need to keep busy and my mind off the fact that I still have this bowling ball sized bump attached to my body.  AND, I've been working hard on lots of projects and can't wait to share them with you!  Here's my life for the last 6 months via instagram!

39 weeks and ready for her to make her appearance already!!

A sneak peek at the nursery!  This is the reading nook...I'll be sharing the rest of the room this week!

...and a few more shots of the room and my latest craving!

The feed sack is probably my favorite framed item in the room...a friend saw it and picked it up for me at a flea market (our last name is Hubbard!).  Thanks Ashley H.!

Here are a couple of projects that went into the room:

Our latest project got put together last night and I'll be working on filling it up/styling it today!

That's what we've been up to!  How about you?  Any great projects going on at your home?  Anyone else got a bun in the oven and finding it IMPOSSIBLE to keep up with everything?!

More nursery pics and a full shelving unit coming soon!!  You can find me on Instagram @mlhubbard03 !!

Making My List...

Eleven days of shopping left and I have purchased two, yes TWO, gifts!  Unfortunately, I feel like as I scour the web looking for gift inspiration, I end up coming up with my own list.  A few of these have shamelessly already been purchased by me (i.e. the Beatles onesie and Paige Ultra Skinny maternity jeans).  I have some serious lust for that flannel blazer and the Frye boots.  Oh, and have you seen the Neiman Marcus for Target section?!  Oh. My. Goodness.  I'm going to need those Tracy Reese gold trimmed dessert plates.  So, what's on your list?

1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Nursery update:  Stripes are painted, rocker has arrived, and pillows are taking over.  Hoping to finish up the painting this weekend and give you a little peek!  I know I'm ready to see some of the fruits of our labor!

New Additions

Good morning and Happy Tuesday!!  I'm editing Thanksgiving pictures today so I can post them for you later this week.  But for now, I have a few big purchases that are making their way to our doorstep over the next couple of months.  Remember the Franklin and Ben Mason crib from my inspiration board?

The weathered grey finish, silver cup pulls, and Restoration Hardware-like lines had me at hello.  I was originally looking for something a bit more modern, but this was the perfect compromise for my traditional husband.  The rocker, on the other hand, will be my favorite piece in the room.  Again, trying to marry my modern style with the hubby's love for all things traditional, I was on the hunt for a compromise.  And then I came across this beaut...

The classic, clean lines mixed with traditional tufting and wing-back elements make this rocker the perfect fit for our little family.  Hopefully it won't take the estimated 10-12 weeks for delivery so I can take pics and show these pieces off!  Our window seat will be built in the next couple of weeks and I'm off to paint some stripes in the nook.  Updates coming soon!

Anyone else get any great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals?  We just couldn't pass up saving 10-20%!