4 months with Baby Jax

Here is our monthly post again.  4 months with our baby boy and I'm realizing more and more each day that when people say "it goes by fast," they are right.  It goes by so fast.  I'm really trying to learn to savor every moment; even the moments of waking up at 2am because baby boy is hungry.  He is only going to be this little once.

So today, March 4th, we are actually celebrating two things.  Of course, Jaxson is turning 4 months, but also one year and one day ago, we found out about our little guy with a positive test.  A year ago, we were overwhelmed with gratefulness to the Lord for blessing us yet again with a baby, and couldn't stop imaging what our life would be like when he/she arrived.  Well, now we are still overwhelmed with that same gratefulness, and thank the Lord that we get to live every day with our baby boy as a part of our family.

Here's to 4 months Bubby!

Your monthly highlights:

• You have a doctor's appointment coming up where we will find out your exact height and weight, but I'm thinking you are at least 15 pounds by now.  I just love your chunky thighs and your belly rolls.
• Your wardrobe is all 3-6 month stuff, but I have noticed some of the 6 month sleepers are getting a bit too short.
• Continuing to lighten up, your hair is almost the same color as mama's, and your eyes are such a pretty blue.
• As far as sleeping through the night, you are not doing so well.  But that's ok.  You give us about one 4-5 hour stretch and then wake up every 2-3 hours to eat or be soothed.  You have gotten very good at going to bed and taking naps, so that makes up for your 2am wake-ups.  We usually start your bedtime routine around 8pm, and then you go to sleep by 8:30pm. You still love to sleep on your side.
• The floor gym at our house is becoming kind of boring to you, but you love the new one that Mi-mi bought you.  You have started grabbing things, so now you can hold toys and love to put them in your mouth.
• You enjoy tummy time much more now and can easily roll from tummy to back.  You have been trying hard to roll from back to tummy, and can do it with a little help.  Standing up, with help, is definitely one of your favorite things to do.
• You are still a little chatter box, although we have noticed it takes you a little while to warm up around new people and places.  Once you feel comfortable you start talking up a storm.
• We love seeing you smile and love hearing your little laugh, which has become a more regular occurrence.

Jaxson, it has been so fun to see your personality blossoming.  You are really laid back, just like your mama, and definitely a night owl, just like your daddy.  We are grateful to have you a part of our family.

3 months with Baby Jax

Another month down.  Seems my blogging is following a monthly post trend.  It may be like that for a while, because the only "project" we are working on right now is Baby Jax.  I do have a few house projects on the horizon, so once we start those I will have something else to blog about ;)

Can't believe you are already 3 months sweet boy.  I really do believe every month gets better with having you a part of our family.  You already bring us so much joy and we can't get over this feeling of just wanting to squish you (can other parents relate?).

Here are your monthly highlights:

• At your 2 month check-up on January 13th, you weighed in at 12.4 lbs.  This put you between the 25th and 50th percentile for weight.  You are in the 75th percentile for height at 23 1/4 inches long.
• You are wearing all 3-6 months clothes now and some of the 3 month onsies are getting snug.
• Everyone keeps noticing how you hair is getting lighter and lighter.  Your eyes are still such a pretty gray-blue.
• Sometime mid-January you began consistently sleeping 8 hours at night.  Mama was so excited you were finally in that routine.  Unfortunately you decided we shouldn't get too comfortable with that schedule and have started waking up again in the middle of the night.  I'm hoping you are just going through a growth spurt.
• You still love you floor gym and will play there independently for a long time.  
• Another first for you: your first snows. We spent a few minutes outside and you simply thought it was too bright and too cold on your face.
• On January 18th, you gave mama and daddy quite a scare.  You weren't eating well and just wanted to sleep all day.  When you woke up from your nap laughing hysterically we definitely knew something was not right.  Your temperature was 101.4 (a high-temp for your age and size). Per doctor's orders we had to take you to the ER where you went through several tests (like a champ!) and they decided you were fighting something viral.  You ran a low-grade fever for a couple days, but quickly returned to your usual self.  We are praising God for restoring your health.
• You have become quite the talker.  We are convinced you can say "I love you," which we practice every day. 
• You really love to be around a lot of activity and still don't mind being passed around at parties and other events.
• Your hands and feet have just recently become very interesting to you.  

Jaxson you are such a sweet, patient, and happy (as long as you have a full tummy!) baby, and we are so thankful for you.  You are truly a blessing to our family.

2 months with Baby Jax

Babies sure do take up a lot of time.  But really, I don't mind at all.  I could spend all day staring at my little guy.  So when I'm not staring at Baby Jax, doing laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, or learning how to be a wife and a mom, I'm finding a little time to write a blog post (but only once a month, it seems).
*update: this post has taken me almost 3 days to write

Baby Jax we love you more and more every day.  You are truly a gift from the Lord.  A small part of me wants you to grow up, because experiencing all your "firsts" is just so fun; but a very big part of me desperately wants your growing up to slow down because I know your sweet baby coos, chunky thighs, and gummy smiles will be gone before I know it.  It is so amazing to watch you grow and learn, and I am trying to savor all of it.

You have certainly been busy during your second month of life outside the womb.  Here is bit of what you have been up to:

• We recently weighed you at home and the scale read close to 11.5 lbs.  You seem to be getting really long too.  We will know for sure how much you have grown at your upcoming 2 month appointment.
• There is no way I can squeeze you into your newborn clothes anymore.  My heart ached just a bit when I put you in a 6 month sleeper and it didn't swallow you whole.
• Your hair seems to be lightening up.  We are wondering if someday soon we might have a blue-eyed blondie.
• You are doing better with sleeping at night, usually waking up every 4 hours to eat.  One night you gave us a 6 hour stretch.  I keep hoping that will become more regular :)
• You now sleep in your own room at night.  Some of your naps are in your crib or in the mamaRoo, which you love.
• Your new favorite toy is your floor gym.  You will happily play there for at nearly 15 minutes at a time.
• Just the other day you laughed when Mama was tickling you.  You have definitely become more interactive this month and love to "chat" and smile with Mama and Daddy while laying on your changing pad.
• Your grandparents have already started spoiling you, and even though you didn't really know what was going on, you received tons of gifts for your very first Christmas.

Baby Jax, we love you and have absolutely loved this second month with you in our lives.

1 month with Baby Jax

People aren't lying when they say how fast time flies with a baby.  I really can't believe an entire month has gone by since Jaxson joined our family.  It has certainly been a life-changing, tiring, and sometimes stressful but overall truly amazing month with our little guy.  We just can't stop staring at him and marveling that he is ours.  He is truly a good gift from the Lord and we fall more in love with him every day.

Here is a little bit of what you have been up to lately, Baby Jax:

• At your two week appointment you weighed 7lbs 13oz.  You have continued to chub up and we think you are closer to 8.5lbs now.
• You have outgrown some of your newborn clothes, but some 0-3 months is still too big.  I'm sure it won't be long before you fill those out!
• You love to eat (a lot!!).
• You have TONS of light brown hair and dark blue eyes.
• As far as sleeping at night goes, you have good days and bad days.  More recently you have started to give us a few 5 hour stretches at night.
• You still sleep in the cradle at night, but have started taking naps during the day in your crib.
• You are very vocal and like to squeak and grunt.
• You enjoy being held.  We can pass you around at family gatherings without ever waking you up.
• Car rides are a guaranteed way to get you to sleep.
• Your first outing was to the doctor, but since then you have been to church, the grocery store, the mall, a couple restaurants, and your grandparents' houses.
• You have certainly had a lot of "firsts" this month, but some of the most memorable might be your First Thanksgiving and your first Christmas tree shopping trip.
• Ever since you were 6 days old you have proved to be super strong, by lifting up your head while laying on Daddy's chest.   You is still a bit wobbly, but definitely getting more control.
• At 3 weeks daddy laid your tummy on the bed, and you rolled over to your back.  You did it 3 times in a row!
• You smile a lot during your sleep.  We like to think you are smiling at us.

We love you Jaxson and are so glad God decided to let us be your parents.  We couldn't imagine life without you!  Happy one month baby boy!

Plumbing pipe curtain rods

When deciding on curtain rods for Jaxson's room, I just couldn't find anything that really caught my eye.  I knew I wanted something different, but also didn't want to spend a fortune.  This is where Pinterest came in handy (yet again!) and I stumbled across how to make curtain rods out of plumbing pipe fittings.  Drew Babe thought my idea was a little crazy, but he said I could give it a try (he always puts up with all my crazy ideas!....best husband ever!).

I somewhat followed this tutorial with a few modifications.  Everything, except the floor flanges were found in the plumbing section at Home Depot.

Here are the supplies I used:

• 4- 1/2" floor flanges (I ordered these on Ebay for just over $3 a piece.  This was tons better than paying $9.95 per piece at Home Depot or Lowe's.)
• 4- 1/2" x 3 1/2" nipples
• 4- 1/2" 90 degree elbows
• 1- 1/2" 10 ft long galvanized pipe (Home Depot cut it in half for me for free.)
• 4 packs of curtain ring clips

This is definitely a two person job, because after all the pieces are together, the curtain rod is quite heavy.  

We put the entire rod together, along with the curtain ring clips, and then mounted it on the wall.  Because Drew is much more of a perfectionist than I am, he did all the measuring and leveling.  I think Drew used anchors with the screws, just to make sure there wasn't any chance of the rod falling out of the wall.

We like to hang our curtains and blinds "high and wide."  It definitely gives the illusion of a much larger window and taller ceilings.

The last time we went on our annual Ikea trip, we purchased these simple white curtains for the nursery.  After the rod was installed, we simply had to clip on the curtains.

This was definitely one of the easier projects (thank goodness!...if only every DIY home project could go exactly as planned) in the nursery, and we love the modern-industrial look of the curtain rod.

DIY chalk paint

I first heard of chalk paint while visiting my extended family in Memphis, TN, where it has become a very popular design trend.  After learning more about this new-to-me painting technique, I learned it was perfect for me (a somewhat lazy DIY-er, who doesn't like to spend a long time on projects).  The whole concept behind chalk paint is, it's easy to work with, requires minimal prep work, and looks amazing when you are finished.

As we were putting together the nursery, we decided the rocking chair needed a little side table.  We debated buying a brand new table, but just didn't want to spend more money.  My mom recently got a beautiful new bedroom furniture suite, and I thought one of her old nightstands might be just the thing for our side table.

Of course, the 80's Queen Anne style didn't quite fit into our fresh and somewhat-modern nursery.

I decided to give chalk paint a try.  Instead of buying the more expensive Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I simply researched Pinterest and the internet for recipes on how to make my own.  We already had the paint from the stripes on Jaxson's wall.

Here is the recipe I used from this blog:
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup plaster of paris (I just used some that I found in the craft section at Walmart- $4/box)
Mix together until dissolved.
Add 1 cup of paint

I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but the chalk paint covers so well it goes a LONG way.

No stripping.  No sanding.  Pretty much no prep work.  I just got right to work, and here is what it looked like after one coat.

The first coat looked very streaky, but the second coat filled everything in.

I ended up doing 4 coats, just to be sure everything was well covered.  After the piece dried for a couple hours, I started sanding off the grit and distressing the edges a bit.  If I wanted some of the dark wood to show through, I simply sanded a little bit more in that area.  This is where you can really make the piece your own by deciding on how much distressing you want to do.

To cure everything, I applied one layer of Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.  I put a very small amount on a soft, lint-free cloth and buffed it over the entire piece.

Once I finished the table, we picked out some new hardware to replace the old, flashy, brass drawer pulls.

We went with a brushed nickel pull.  Because of the size and spacing of the holes on the drawer, there were only a few pulls to choose from at Home Depot.  Thankfully we really liked the hardware that would fit the original holes.

Both of us love how the nightstand turned out, and I can't wait to mix up another batch of chalk paint to try on something else!  I really love when things can completely transform in just a few hours of work.

Jaxson's Nursery

Today is your lucky day.

Since I have been lazy about posting regular nursery updates, I am simply going to jump ahead to the grand reveal.  When If I get around to it, I will post more details about the specific projects that went into our little guy's room.

So without further ado, Jaxson's nursery, aka, my new favorite room in our house.

Drew is planning to build a custom wood frame around a mirror to go above the dresser, but that project might have to wait until after Jaxson is born.

I am planning to do a complete source list for everything in his nursery.