renniebird... three years

My precious Renniebird turned three yesterday.  We celebrated her over this last weekend as well as the evening of her actual birthday.  She is definitely loved by many sweet people, which makes my mama's heart so glad.

I set some time aside to take some pictures of her as well as do a small "interview".  I hope to do this every year with her and look forward to seeing how her answers change and develop in the future.

haven rose, two months

It is so crazy that this sweet, chunkalicious girl turned two months old yesterday!!!  Honestly, the time hasn't flown quite as fast as you'd think (with some health issues I've been having plus how bad my anxiety can be, some days are loooooooong), but Haven continues to be such a joy and comfort amidst the crazy. 

july favorites

haven rose, one month

renniebird... two years!

This morning my body woke me up at 6:30. Normally I would have sank back into our mess of blankets and pillows for some more shut-eye, but instead I stayed awake for exactly seventeen minutes to watch my baby turn two. In that time she rolled over in her sleep to wrap her arm around me, smushed her face against my arm, smiled and giggled in her sleep, and was by far the sweetest and dearest child in the world. 
So many times in the years before her existence I laid awake at night wondering if I would ever be a mom. I shed so many tears during that time. I prayed so hard and doubted so much. Yet later this morning I was greeted by deep blue eyes and a smile that reaches every inch of her face as she woke to her second birthday. I am so thankful for the sweet child who calls me mommy. These two years have been a time of enormous growth for me as a person and I would never trade them for anything! Happy birthday, sweet Renniebird. And thank you God for this gift.

--- yesterday on Facebook

little house on the alley... loft

I can't possibly choose a favorite room in my house.  But if there is one in particular that makes a grin spread across my face, its our loft-style bedroom.  I love the original gabled ceilings, the big window, the cozy feel.  I chose the same airy cream paint from the living room for the walls, but included warmer colors for the decor to compliment the small, but so-very-sweet space.

mamabird life {sixteen}

Well, hello August.  We haven't seen each other in a while.  I wasn't expecting you so soon.  You bring much-awaited fun, including a week-long family vacation and my daughter's second birthday.  Hopefully you won't be too overly warm.

Goodbye June/July (because you two completely ran together and I can't keep up!).  We had a good run this year.  You had some hot days but made beautifully breezy and cool apologies on others.  You held beautiful moments.  You were full of good mamabird life.

Including:


Much time spent outside.  On swings, at parks, down slides, with strollers.  It's been wonderful.

Many stained toddler clothes.  Rennie's growing might have slowed down quite a bit, but she's still going through clothes like crazy!

little house on the alley... master bedroom

Yes... that is Rennie putting on her shoes behind the dresser.  Such is taking pictures with a toddler in the house.  <3

I love this little bedroom.  It is a somewhat small space, so I've kept the decor simple and really love how relaxed I feel spending time here!  We have a big, lovely window above our king size bed (yep, our king fit with some room to spare!), peaceful light gray walls, and our closet doors are mirrors so as to add extra light (hopefully pictures of them don't confuse anyone on where pieces of furniture are since, you know, mirrors make things backwards)! 

mamabird life {fifteen}

It is almost mid-way through the last full month that I am the mommy of a one-year-old.  This second year with my sweet girl has gone faster than the first... maybe because I'm getting a bit more sleep now (still not full nights, but we'll get there).  I'm trying to lock away those memories that aren't being captured on camera... there are so many and I just want to hold onto them.  This motherhood thing ain't easy.  I've been pushed to my limits (and even beyond them to new limits some days).  My daughter is a strong-willed little person who doesn't respond to instruction so well... Reminds me of her parents a bit.  But this journey is also one I would never surrender for an easier me-centered existence.  Sure it would be nice to take a looooooong hot shower every day, but who needs clean hair?

So, here's some snippets of my mamabird life along with some of my favorite recent pictures... I will spare you the ones featuring my unwashed hair.  ;-)

lazy days of summer

little house on the alley... living space

from the loft doorway looking down

I think it is high time I introduce you all to our amazing new home.  <3 We have been living here a few months now and I continue to fall more and more in love with our little abode.

These pictures are of the combined living/kitchen/dining/office space that makes up the bulk of our home!  I will share more pictures of the bedrooms/laundry/bathroom spaces in a future post.

renniebird... 22 months {instagram}

autumn red... outfit post

renniebird... one year

This sweet button turned one a week and a half ago...  I lingered over her as the clock struck midnight on her special day, almost believing something would magically change, turning my baby into a little girl.  Thankfully change is more gradual than that and the *toddler* who woke that morning was my same, dear Serenity.

mamabird life {seven}

mamabird life {six}

seeing...  

my baby turn into a toddler.  she is waddling all over the place and it is the sweetest thing!!!  she is also starting to try to climb on things, which is a little less thrilling.  *wink*

renniebird... ten months

mamabird life {five}

seeing...  

rennie walk more and more.  she has made it across the room several times now!

of growing bumps, baby showers, goofy husbands, and nurseries

35 weeks!

Time is flying, my friends!  Maybe it's the fact that I've gone into the "nesting" stage of pregnancy and am constantly busying myself with projects... maybe it's all of the last-minute shopping for our birth and first few weeks with a brand new baby... maybe it's the fact that I am now officially full-term (OH MY HEAD!), but I can scarcely believe we are nearly halfway through August and only a few short weeks from Serenity's due date (if she behaves herself... right now she's measuring two weeks ahead!).

summer moments

It is hard to believe that these pictures are already two weeks old...  Today I am 35 weeks into this crazy-amazing pregnancy and I have spent my day in bed with a sore throat and cough (hence the lack of current bump pictures... hopefully tomorrow or Saturday I'll take some!).