Whaaaat, two weeks in a row?

I know, for those of you who actually check this, I'm sure you were thinking, "there's not a chance she'll post two weeks in a row, but I'll just waste the 2.7 seconds it takes to type the link..."  Lucky you.   And yes, I stayed up an extra 14 minutes just so I could post this on Tuesday.

Making Christmas goodies for a sweet little baby is super contagious.  It feels like you have one shot to do all of these things that your child will pay attention to forever.  I remember checking our Christmas tree every year from age 4 - probably too old to see if my "Baby's First Christmas" ornament had been carefully placed.  It was such a comforting sight, creating a sense of feeling loved, celebrated, and belonging.  I don't know if boys operate the same way (are there any boys who read this who want to weigh in?), but on the slight chance that they do I wanted to be prepared.

A quick search for Baby's First Christmas ornaments on pinterest and there's no way you won't find this one.  It appeared to be quick, easy, and relatively non-invasive for a 6 month old.  All of those things were true, and with a lot of help from Dad we were able to knock this out in a few (maybe a few plus a few) minutes.  Our version required a few changes (our local Michael's didn't have transparent ornaments), but the final product is very similar.  Here's the original pin and our result (apologies for the dark pic - our townhouse makes finding good lighting a real struggle).  Love it.  Hope Davis does too!

Tis the Season

ANDDDDDDD, two months later we finally have another post.  It's been a crazy few months, mostly since we've been in five different states in 5 weeks!  Glad to be back at home for a week or two.  So on to this week's PinTest...

I love making handmade goodies for our son, so of course I was thrilled to try to make a Christmas stocking.  I found some great options on Pinterest, and combined two different pins to make Davis' stocking exactly what I wanted.  Here's what I came up with and where it came from...

Started with the stocking itself - this PIN tutorial is very detailed, easy to follow, and produces a beautiful end product.  I wasn't sure how to create Davis' name, as I don't have an embroidery machine and it's surprisingly difficult to find an embroidery shop in PA, so I decided to attempt my first applique.  Thankfully, this PIN provided a wonderful starting place. 

Here's the vision I started with, and the final product.  So pleased!  And applique is totally the way to go!  Can't wait for our sweet little man to enjoy this on Christmas Day!  

And if the stocking wasn't enough to get you excited about Christmas being only 14 days away, take a look at these cute shots, courtesy of my super talented husband!

A Cake Worth Celebrating!

Little known secret (known only to my husband, Mom, and sister before this) - I LOVE Tastykake Tasty-Klair pies.  They're terrible for me, but something about them 1) tastes so good and 2) reminds me of sweet childhood times.  If you haven't ever had one, try it.  You'll thank me later.  And I feel like I fit in Philadelphia when I eat them, given that TastyKake is headquartered here.  It really might be the only thing that makes me feel like a Philadelphian...

Now I don't just love Tasty-Klairs, but I generally enjoy anything with a Boston creme pie taste (enter Krispy Kreme donuts, eclairs, etc).  And two weeks ago I wanted to bake a birthday cake for a friend (Happy Birthday, Barb!), so I was looking for something tasty and easy.  Enter my latest pinspiration - Plain Chicken's Chocolate Eclair Cake.  It's a super simple recipe, you only have to have the foresight to let it sit in the fridge for 12 hours. 

And the verdict is...Pin WIN!  Tasted great, was simple and inexpensive, and enjoyed by many.  Seriously, either they were pumping my ego, dishing out a lot of false flattery, or everyone really loved it and oooooo'ed over how scrumptious it was.  Don't try to kid yourself about this being in any way good for you, just revel in it's yummy boston creme goodness. 

Oh, and use toothpicks to protect your chocolate layer (mine got stuck on the aluminum foil in transit to the birthday bash). 

Up, Up, and Away!

When Davis was around 2 months old we started to notice his love of watching things above him, namely the ceiling fan!  Thinking about how boring that must be, I figured it was time to find a mobile for his crib.  All of the mobiles I saw in stores and online looked like cheesy advertisements for the latest cartoon show or children's book (not my style at all).  I wanted something that was creative, bright, and beautiful.  And when you can't buy what you want, you gotta make what you want. 

I set out to find the coolest mobile tutorials on pinterest, and after sorting through a few good options (including some really fun pinwheels), Robert and I decided on HOT AIR BALLOONS!  Not only did they meet the creative, bright, and beautiful criteria, but they reminded us of a sweet date we had a few years ago at a hot air balloon launch in Lexington, VA.  It also gave me a chance to practice my sewing skills, which is always a good thing.  Here's the pinspiration and my creation...

Verdict:  PinTESTED and APPROVED!

Although it took a few weeks and trips to JoAnn's (Tara and Kelly may have suffered through one of these), between feedings and playtimes, a few naps later, and voila!   I absolutely love the finished product, and Davis doesn't seem to mind it too much either.  Could make a fantastic baby shower gift for those new moms who you know will be thinking the same thing in 2 short months.  Enjoy the photos, including my adorable little model.  Attire selected by Daddy - apparently you can never go wrong with the sweater vest (Thanks Laurel and Adam!)

Should've Known Better...

Nickel Creek is one of the disbanded groups I miss most.  They wrote great music, were amazing musicians, had beautiful melodies, and put on fantastic shows (I'll never forget Chris Thile singing Britney Spear's Toxic).  Even though they're gone, they're not lost forever.  Their catchy tunes live on in my mind.  Starting with...

Should've Known Better.  I'm confident they weren't thinking of a Paula Deen recipe when they wrote the song, but trust me, it's appropriate.  It's time to debut my first PinTEST Tuesday, and I think it's pretty clear where I'm landing on this recipe. 

PIN: Paula Deen's Mexican Chicken
RECOMMENDATION: BURY IT!

Now ya'll, I love me a good Paula Deen recipe, but I should have been suspect when this recipe had not even ONE stick of BUTTER.  Everyone has their wheelhouse, and we know Paula's involves butter.  All that to say, the Pin gets buried because it looked unappetizing, tasted unappetizing, and had virtually no nutritional value (tomatoes, 3 types of unsavory soups, flour tortillas, and cheese).  I can ignore no nutritional value here and there if something tastes like a party in my mouth.  Let's just say this was more siesta than fiesta.  

In the future I'll have pictures of my tests, but this dish was just so ugly I couldn't bring myself to photograph it. 

PinTEST Tuesdays!

Like most women (and some dudes; I won't be sexist in assessing pinterest addictions) my age, I love spending time on Pinterest.  I have boards and boards of ideas I want to try, but there's always a little part of me that wonders if said pin (which other pinners often promise will change my life) will really stand up to the test and be worth my time.  And I'm guessing many other friends wonder the same thing.

Well wonder no more!  That's exactly what PinTEST Tuesday is all about - I try a pin so that you don't have to!  Now I'm making no promises that I'll actually be posting every Tuesday, because that's a lot of commitment.  Check back next week for my first PinTEST - Paula Deen's Mexican Chicken Recipe...

Anniversaries

I'm really not one for random holidays and celebrations.  I have never celebrated Secretary's Day (which I don't even think is PC anymore) and barely wear green for St. Patrick's Day.  Christmas, Easter, and birthdays, that's about it for me.  But when Robert and I got married we wanted to be intentional to celebrate our anniversary.  We said that gifts for other holidays throughout the year should be low key, and we'd save up to celebrate our anniversary in style every May.  We had planned to go to the Olympics in London this summer to celebrate our fifth anniversary - instead, we welcomed our beautiful son.  Robert still thought we could pull off the transcontinental trip with a 6 week old, but instead we decided to move.  I think that was enough transition for one summer for one little boy (and his tired parents!).

All that being said, I pay a lot more attention to anniversaries than I used to, and tomorrow we celebrate one.  Robert and I were joking the other day and in response to something trivial I'd done for him, he said it was the best day of his life.  Of course I responded saying that it better not be, and he clarified that our wedding day, then Davis' birthday, were the best two days of his life.  Then he thought for a moment, and clarified again - the day we FOUND OUT we were having Davis was the best day of his life - September 11, 2011!  Now, Robert didn't actually remember the date, but that's what my steel trap of a mind is for (at least it was before having a baby, now I think it's mostly malleable).

As I celebrate, I reflect. Something we haven't mentioned on here is that we had a bit of difficulty getting pregnant.  Not to go into too many details, but it wasn't easy and involved years, not months.  And as a friend once told me, "people should know better than to ask if you want children when you've been married for over five years and don't have one yet, because the answer is usually sad, hard, and painful."  At this time last year the season of "trying" had made me weary and brought many questions, mostly ones about God and his will that were difficult to reconcile between my head and my heart.  It also brought me to a place of brokenness where I was finally admitting that as much as I wanted to control having a baby, the timing, the gender, health, etc., truth was that I wasn't in control of any of it.  Nor should I be.  I kept repeating this silly acronym, first to remind myself it wasn't my gig, but more importantly, that God Is God and Sovereign (GIGS...cheesy I know).  Weary and broken, this time last year was a time where my faith grew - mostly because it had to.  It was necessary for survival.  

This week I celebrate September 11, because it was a glorious day where the fog of weariness lifted for a moment and I had a graced experience.   God showed me that what I knew the be true about his faithfulness could be felt and believed.  I'm positive there will be many more seasons of weary and broken, but during those times I'll remember September 11, because that's what graced experiences are all about (see The Signature of Jesus, Brennan Manning). 

Davis is now just over three months old and we have some pictures to share (please don't steal them and sell them to crazy marketers online, or even claim them as your own.  Feel free to comment/contact me if you want a digital copy).  He is a precious, sweet gift, who loves silly faces, silly noises, his pacifier, and being naked. We missed the two month pictures because we had just moved and while unpacking I strategically placed the wooden numbers in a place where I'd remember them.  Like that ever plays out the way you think it will.

One Month Old!!

Check me out - I'm one month old!  I celebrated by partying it up at the Phillie's game on Monday.  Totally picked up soooo many chics.  I was the talk of the Boeing box, that's for sure.  

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye...

I love Virginia.  I really think it's one of the best places to live, and admit that I'm totally biased.  Now, of course, after growing up in the Shenandoah Valley, I consider Northern Virginia to be Virginia, part II, but it's still my state (err, commonwealth).  To be honest, I can't say I ever imagined living anywhere else when I was younger, partly because I love it so much, but mostly because our family didn't really venture out past the Valley.  But, after 31 and 3/4 wonderful years, it's time to share our parting words.

We're moving to another commonwealth - Pennsylvania.  I once heard a friend call it an outpost of the South, but I'm thinking that she wasn't talking about the part we're moving to (suburbs of Philadelphia).  Long story short - Robert's employer (Boeing) gave him the option to transfer to Philly or Seattle in mid-April.  After visiting Seattle to give it a fair shake, lovely as it was, the 5 hour flight just felt like too much.  And the job opportunity in Philly seemed more promising for Robert.  He started working there on April 23, and thanks to the generosity of our friends the Dunns, has been living there during the week since then.  We decided it was best for me to stay in Arlington, have the baby here with our current doctors, insurance, and community, then move after having some time to acclimate to being a mother.  Apparently I'm acclimated.  Didn't get that memo...

So on July 7th our new family adventure begins.  Still seems surreal, but I'm sure that eventually we'll look back on this 6 months of life and laugh at the ridiculous amount of transition we experienced.  As for now, we're taking it one feeding at a time. 

Could very easily make a list of things I'm excited/not excited for, but given that the top of the "not excited" list includes getting a PA drivers license and license plate, I'll spare you.  I will, however, tell you that I'm thrilled to be embarking on an adventure as a family of three, and counting on many experiences that draw us closer together, force us to depend on each other, and push us to depend upon God in new ways.

Haven't really taken a ton of nice photos of the little man, but here are a few iphone pics to whet your appetite.

That. Just. Happened.

Yes, it's true.  My husband referenced Talladega Nights when announcing our son's birth to the world via facebook.  He's pretty awesome.  Speaking of awesome - meet our son - Davis Micah Clifford.  To steal from some of my favorite girls and reference back to Goat Week 2011, he's TINY AND AWESOME! 

So yeah, we've been a little busy taking care of the little man.  He's acquired a number of nicknames thus far, mostly from our friend Katie, but I'm guessing that "Run DMC" will be the one to stick.  We think he's amazing, and want to tell you more, but also think that sleep is more important right now.  For his sake and ours. 

5 Years...

We'll start first with...MARRIAGE. Just so that you know what it is this post is all about. Today Robert and I celebrated 5 years of marriage - we've joked that we're going to name our son London so that he always knows that his arrival was the nail in the coffin for our trip to see the Olympics during the summer of 2012. Guess we'll see how we feel on arrival day...

But in all seriousness, we're thrilled that we are being blessed with a son, even if it means we don't get to go to the Olympics. Although the thought of it all was kind of perfect - 5 year anniversary, going back to one of the places we honeymooned, checking something off of Robert's bucket list. I think we'll pass on Russia for the winter Olympics in 2014, but there's always Rio! And in case you haven't seen it, here's a pic from our honeymoon way back in 2007.

Celebrating anniversaries tends to make you think about marriage. Not to mention the fact that I'm currently reading The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller. In reading the other morning I came across a quote that reminded me of something Robert used to say when we were dating. To be honest, I never really knew whether I should be honored or insulted by this statement, and often waxed between the two. Of course, now that his sentiments are reflected in a Keller book, I'm of course honored. I know, it's hilarious how much I value the expert's opinion. Anyway, Robert seemed to know very early on in our dating relationship that he wanted to be together. Me, on the other hand, took a little longer to come around to the idea. I remember asking him, how do you know you want to marry me? And he would respond by saying, "Because when difficult things arise between us, you're the only person I've ever wanted to stay to work through it with. And that keeps happening over and over again, no matter how hard our conversations are or how much I disagree with you. I have never wanted to stay, and with you I do." I certainly did not give Robert the credit he deserved when saying that, but have since told him that I am so grateful for his wisdom 6 years ago. As Keller puts it:  

"Many people have asked me, 'How can you tell whether you've got a friendship on which you can base a marriage?' The answer that Kathy and I have always given is this. When you see the problems in each other, do you just want to run away, or do you find a desire to work on them together?"

How stinking lucky am I to have been called to marry the guy who preempted Tim Keller's advice? Kidding. But I do know that it is God's wisdom that He gave Robert, and it's just a gift that I understood it years later so that I could affirm Robert's spiritual leadership. All that to say, I have spent this weekend with my sweet boy feeling richly blessed. We were able to spend some time in Annapolis yesterday, and had an amazing dinner at Founding Farmers this afternoon. Highly recommended. AND I'm pretty relieved that our son decided not to arrive today. I know it's selfish, but I was having a hard time thinking about sharing our anniversary with him. As if we won't be sharing everything with him soon enough.

Speaking of our son, nursery is ready to go. Lots of people have done their part to pitch in - in fact, I started listing them out and realized that when I got to over a dozen there were way too many people to thank. So know, family and friends, we are grateful for you and the pieces you've added to making our son's room a sweet place! Unfortunately, he still has to share the tiny space with me, as the room is double functioning as my office/his nursery. I don't think he'll mind. I know some of you have been looking forward to these, so take a look at the collage...

Other than that, we're between 38-39 weeks with no signs of our son gracing us with his presence anytime soon. Still feeling pretty good - no trouble sleeping and just dealing with swollen feet. It's pretty much the only time in my life I've not been excited about buying shoes, which my Mom, Tara, and our friend Vickie will tell you is nothing short of a miracle. Thanks for checking in - we'll keep you updated on our progress!

A Work in Progress...

But it's progress, all the same! Our nursery/office has been a huge question mark in this process of preparing for Baby C. First we weren't sure if we were going to be living here, then it was the question of for how long, then we decided to stay for the baby to be born, but all the while knowing that this room still needed to function as an office for me.

So basically I've been trying to figure out how to make that happen. A few weeks ago my friend Kelly and I painted the room a beautiful cobalt blue color (don't worry, VOC free paint), and Robert assembled our crib. Then two weeks ago I painted a cabinet from Robert's Aunt Lily's house white and am using it for tons of storage. No final pics now (again, because it's a work in progress), but wanted to give you a glimpse of what's to come. This past weekend I decided to take an unused canvas I had leftover from Christmas and paint one of my favorite baby-thinking verses. Just hung it up this morning, so wanted to share. Pretty excited about how it turned out. I have two more completed canvases waiting to be hung, but they require determining final resting places for furniture, which is a job that employs Robert these days. Don't worry, there will be pictures soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy...

Seasons

Many of you know, I love me some Dave Barnes. His new album came out a few weeks ago, and there are two songs on the album that I'm particularly fond of right now. And yes, I'm going with a cheesy lyric posting to tell you about them...

Mine to Love -
You’re mine to love
We have all been waitin’ on you
You’re mine to love
Come into these open arms
It took some time to wait it out
But I see it now, you’re worth all the dreaming of
You’re mine to love

Love Will Be Enough for Us -
Build a little cabin on a little tall hill
plan a little garden, pray for every meal
and we'll grow, and we'll grow
take a little nap in the butterfly grass
just you and I and the clouds a pass
and we're close, so close

we'll be living out where the river bends
where the grass gets green and the highway ends
living easy, easy
you and me baby and the daffodils the kids growing up in the rolling hills
and love will be enough for us

Yes, I realize that loving these songs make me sappy and a hopeless romantic. And yet, I'm not sorry about it. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, or the ways that the Lord has been convincing me that He's enough for us, but I'm really not sorry. I love the pictures of hope and joy and peace that come with those lyrics. They literally help me envision the story the Lord is writing for our family, and that brings me great joy.

The funny part about all of this is that as a family we are in more transition than we've ever been, with more details up in the air than any two people should be dealing with at once. And yet, it's a season that I'm grateful for. And yet, it's a season where I'm seeing God at work more so than many others. And yet, it draws Robert and I together into a place of dependence and trust. And that, my friends, is a good season.

Today we're 34 weeks along - as some friends reminded us last night, that means Baby C could come at any time! Let's just say we're praying he waits a little while...

This feels pretty real, now.

Hello Week 32 (even though the picture is from Week 31). Feeling pretty pregnant, although incredibly grateful for the sweet nurses at my doctor's office who thought I was only 5-6 months along. Quick update - we have a nursery color (cobalt blueish), an assembled crib (thanks Dad for the crib, and Robert for the assembly), the beginnings of nursery decor (still have some sewing and painting to do), car seat in the box, and lots of adorable little man clothes. Yeah, we have a lot of work to do to really be ready for this little man to join us. Excitement is starting to transition to nervous thoughts, but I figure that's pretty normal.

Pretty boring post, but it's all we have for now.

You're Kidding Me...We're Already Hitting the Home Stretch??

I've never been a runner. In fact, there have been very few times in my life that I've even committed to running consistently. Most of the time, they were a result of a very bad experience that could have been avoided, had I only went running for a few weeks. (ie, that time in college where I didn't train for basketball all summer and we started our pre-season workouts by running a 5K. I may have made it to the finish line and literally puked while crossing it. Maybe because I was too competitive and thought I could/should keep up with my teammates who had trained all summer.) All that to say -- I know what hitting the homestretch means -- the end is in sight, you've rounded that final turn and pick up your speed to finish strong. Don't know if it was my disdain for running or the fact that I always start too fast and never have energy left (you wish I could post the home video from our 5th grade class races...I surged ahead of the field, but before I could pass the baton to my teammate I tumbled head first as a result of my hefty stride, but that's neither here nor there), but I have pretty much always hated the homestretch. And here we are.

Before you're pregnant people tell you that 9 months will last forever and they are this great time of preparation, etc, blah blah. I disagree. Maybe that's true at certain stages of life, but I'm gonna go ahead and say I'm not there.

As of yesterday Team Clifford hit the 27 week mark - officially the beginning of the THIRD Trimester. In other words, Happy Valentine's Day, this will be the last low key one of the next two decades. It's funny, because somewhere around week 23, I started to actually look pregnant. But it wasn't until this week that I really started to feel pregnant - more frequent visits to the superbowl, waking up between 3:26 and 4:47 every morning, feeling like I have a gymboree class permanently visiting my inner-abdominal area. And this is when I'm supposed to start transitioning?! It just feels surreal. I'm guessing that most first time moms say this kind of stuff, but I'm still saying it because it's still my first time.

And truth is, I'm a nester. I'd be nesting up a storm, even if I weren't pregnant, because it's what I do. And yet, we can't be there, because it's that stage in life where we figure out what's next, and we are really struggling with knowing how to get there. That crazy place where you're trying to trust that the Lord has great plans and you just can't seem to figure them out. That crazy place where you want to be pro-active instead of reactive, and yet, you have no idea what direction to go. Maybe other families don't experience this, or maybe they do. It just seems crazy that we feel like the only ones so often.

Yet, in the middle of what feels like extreme chaos and limbo, God has given me the mind to understand that He is good and sovereign, and provides. Last year this time was filled with a terrifying question - would we be able to have children in the way we'd always wanted and planned? So as short as 9 months feels right now, I'm grateful that we're experiencing them during this stage of chaos - 9 months of looking down every day and remembering that God is faithful. God answers prayers. God knows our heart. And God provides. Guess that means I'm nesting mentally on those truths instead of physically in our non-existent nursery. And right now, I'm okay with that. And when I'm not (more often than you may think), I'm busy reminding myself that I can be.

Sorry for the lack of pictures - here's one from last week.