The nursery (the first one)

So this is a little late, and I posted it awhile back with no real info, but I figured I should get up the details of Ruth's nursery (which was decorated with us not knowing if it would be a boy or girl) before I start on the next little one's nursery.

I LOVE Ruth's room. It is such a sanctuary and is just pure joy. Maybe it is the colors, maybe it is the dresser, maybe the rug, or maybe just what the room represents. Either way, it delights my soul and I think the room truly matches our little doll so well.

Here is the budget/what we spent as well as the commentary for anyone wondering what to do:

Total Spent: $480

(Thanks to my parents, otherwise you could add $200 onto that)

Paint: $40.   This included paint for the walls and the dresser. The yellow and mint were both Martha Stewart from Home Depot and while I like Martha, her paint is not that great (especially on the dresser).

And PS: our house was built in the 60s so we used the indentations on the wood paneling and that made it quite easy to do the stripes :)

Curtains and pullbacks: $40 from Target-since then we had to add black out curtains so the adorable look is gone.

Dresser/changing table: $150    This was a gem of a find on craigslist. It was seriously in perfect condition-and for you wood lovers, I apologize, because I sanded and painted it :) I searched for "antique buffet." This one was made in the 1950s.

Crib/mattress: $225  (but this was a gift from my amazing parents).  Crib is found here. I am in love.

Shelves in closet and on wall: $52 Ikea. Here and here.  The Antonius baskets were bought on a super sale for $10 each instead of the regular $19.99.

Chair: $69.  Ikea Poang chair with natural colored cushion.  I love the comfort of this chair although I wish it had higher arms (to rest on when you have been up 6 times a night).  Trust me-they may be ugly but Lazy-boys make a lot of sense for a nursing chair.

Nightstand table: $0 (found at a garage sale years ago).

Lamp on dresser and mirror: $0 (found at a garage sale years ago)

Sheepskin rug: $129, Costco (and seriously the best rug EVER). They charge quite a bit for shipping so it is best to find it at a local Costco (they are seasonal).

Lamp on nightstand, mobile and switchplate cover: All Matt's from when he was little :)

Let me know if you have any questions! 

Love, Anna N

Top 10 things about baby

I thought I would follow along with Amanda over at Marshalls Abroad (she is purely perfect-highly recommend reading her blog) regarding some things/updates on this pregnancy!

Here we go!

1. How Far Along: 14.5 weeks! Our little one is about the size of an apple (or pick a similar fruit).  Everything looks super-duper healthy! Hallelujah. Barely showing, only at night, and haven't gained any weight (yet).  

2. Different with another little one:  I am quite sure the lack of weight gain is due to the fact that Ruth would like to eat all of my food. Every time I go to eat anything she says, "Num!". Which is her way of saying, "Please, mommy."  Also, there isn't a lot of downtime with a 13 month old so I often forget I am pregnant.

3. Cravings/Aversions: Strangely, nothing.  Last time I didn't want Mexican food/Chipotle for the first trimester (which is shocking given we had Chipotle at our wedding because I love it that much...and now I think I just talked myself into ordering it for lunch).  

4. Symptoms:  The only real pregnancy symptom I get is going to the bathroom between 5-7 times during the middle of the night...I will take it in place of nausea and sickness and I am so sorry to anyone who gets those symptoms.

5. What I miss: wine :) That's about it.

6. Clothing changes: Nothing maternity yet although I can feel the "thickening" and the jeans getting a smidgeon tighter. I have been on a maxi-skirt kick and hoping it lasts into the summer (I tend to get chubby feet at the end and would rather them be hidden)

7. Sleep: The first trimester was full of mid-morning naps but thankfully that crazy fatigue period is over.

8. Emotions: I think I am still in recovery mode for how different marriage was/is with children.  Marriage is such an amazing thing but only becomes amazing with tons of work and compromise. So yes, so I don't keep dodging the question, my emotions have been a little high and I cry quite easily but nothing too dramatic (don't ask Matt:)).  

9. Boy or Girl? I really don't seem to care! I would love to have another girl so Ruth could have a sister but I am totally in for whatever Jesus has in the works. And yes, we are finding out this time!!!  We didn't with Ruth and it was AMAZING.  Everyone, aside from three people, thought it would be a boy.  I carried high, only out in front, she moved a TON, and I had great skin...and then out pops a little girl!

10. Names? We do have names picked out but will wait to release until we find out who this little one truly is (in regards to boy or girl)

Love, Anna

Pardon the dust...

I am attempting to re-do my blog...the operative word being "attempting."  SEriously-what in the world is "html???" And I never knew all of the shift buttons meant so much (and altered things so greatly).  So please, stand-by. The likelihood rests high in the fact that I will call in professional reinforcements.

In the mean time, please enjoy these few pictures from Ruthie's first trip to the zoo. She was rather unimpressed but at least she almost stayed in her stroller (well for 15 minutes) and seemed to enjoy all of the scenery-although not all that impressed with the animals. One day, baby girl!

PS: How handsome is my husband? I think he is quite.
PPS: Please ignore my momentary lapse of judgement with the brunette hair in the last pic. My senses came to me and after a month I went back to blonde.

Upcoming features will be: a house tour (before/after), nursery budgets and design, and our trip to Disneyland!

Bloglovin'!

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Love Letter to the Ladies: a Repost

{Yes, this is a repost.  It is taking some time for me to get my writing brain back up and in gear.  Although-I just reread this and I feel like this is something we/I always need to hear. Hope it encourages you or someone you know, today.}

Dear lovelies:

This is my love letter to all of you. I want and know in my heart that some of you need to hear part of my story.  It is not one of tragedy by any stretch but it is laced with choices that were not wise and were compounded with an insatiable desire to be known.

If you are woman, you know what I am talking about.

We all want to be known.  And sadly, nearly all of us at one point were/are willing to do just about anything to be known, if even being "known"is only for a few minutes, hours, days, etc.  I had that desire from the time I was about 17 to about 27-a decade of my life filled with my soul on the altar of being desired.

Some of my dearest friends know some of my stories.  I won't go into a ton of detail but let's just say there were many nights where I don't remember how I got to where I was, many mornings where I didn't know who I had hung out with the night before, YEARS of staring at my phone/computer waiting for one person or another to call/text/etc/acknowledge me, times of driving under the influence that I don't even remember, etc.

I was telling one of my amazing girlfriends some of these stories.  She has a crazy story and a ton of brokenness from her father and her life growing up.  We were talking about how I felt like I had a hedge of protection around me for all those years.  Because, the interesting thing about my story is: that I somehow remained a virgin until I was married (any of my friends who were with me during this period of time would say aside from the mighty hand of God that would've been impossible-I mean IMPOSSIBLE), never got arrested, never got pursued by the men that I wanted to be pursued by (until my husband), and literally made it through ten straining years somewhat unscathed.

This same girlfriend recently went through a crazy experience where someone she knew ended up taking their own life and all of this stuff came out after (laden with nothing good: I mean affairs, multiple partners within two marriages, affairs with men/women, etc). She could never figure out why this one particular guy would never really pursue her, especially physically. He pursued everyone else and seemed to always keep her at arms distance in a quite respectful way. And trust me, this friend of mine is drop-dead-gorgeous and she could literally get asked out ten times a day.

It was after she was telling me this whilst sitting on my couch that she with tears said, "I know now exactly what you were talking about when you said there was a hedge of protection around you. Could you have imagined my life if I would've gotten involved with him?"

So please-I write you because I don't want ANY of you to pine after someone/something that God did not intend for you.  It will destroy you in many instances and you will be left striving for your value not from your Maker but from another broken person.  You will forget, quite easily, that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Satan tends to be an expert at telling lies regarding such.

Stop waiting for that boy to text or call.  Stop trying to get drunk just to get the nerves to act a little bit "looser" so maybe more boys will pay attention.  Stop saying to yourself, "if just this guy liked me."

I did all of this. This is from my heart.

And start living. Pick up a Bible and learn who Jesus is and why you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Volunteer.  A lot (one of the best seasons of my life).  Serve others.  Really start thinking about the purpose for this life and realize in that, who God made you to be and how much you are cherished.

And don't be me in the "lost" decade.  God had SO MUCH GRACE on me and not only did I get an amazing husband, I also got a beautiful daughter who's soul just delights anyone around her.  My heart also can now soar because, "she who has been forgiven much, loves much."  And because I know that grace was poured out on me, it helps me to realize the beauty of what can be and what often really is all around us.

So again, please don't use alcohol to lose yourself (because yourself is pretty awesome), please don't throw yourself at boys because I promise you...only ONE is worth your heart and I doubt it is the same one you will throw yourself at, and please, don't have a lost decade like I did.

I love you.  I really do.  And if you are local-I like coffee dates and hearing peoples' stories.  My schedule is just a little cray-cray these days :)

Love, Anna N

Oh, and here is a post from awhile ago on "waiting."

Pure joy.

I am so undeserving of this little doll I get to spend my days with.  I finally uploaded pictures from our point and shoot (I think I was three months overdue on this)- and it is laden with pictures of her beaming smile.

God is so good. I don't deserve to have this little joyful, energetic, friendly (she says "Hi" to everyone in the stores), little miracle. But I certainly will take it and enjoy her!

I was thinking of the verse: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23. I am so excited for Ruth to get to know Jesus and from His love outpour all of these things.  And for the record, her momma thinks that these things are so hard sometimes...

And here is some joy for your Monday. Seriously, look at that grin!

Vacation? Something like that?

So I guess you could say I "vacated" the blog world for awhile. I must say, it was quite lovely. Of course, I was still slightly in love with perusing Instagram and pinterest so my attempt at removing myself from media was not that valiant by any stretch.

Nonetheless, I am back!  I ran out of picture space after my last post-and let's be honest, what are posts without pictures??? Especially without pictures of our little girl?  But somehow, after finally logging back on after over three months, I have discovered that somehow more picture space became available in the blogging land (which I understand nothing about).

I have had so many things on my heart, most of which come out a year that to say the least, wasn't that easy on me. Not because of circumstances per se, but because of my drab ability to see a glass half full and stop being so selfish (yuck-I for certain thought I would arrive someday with this self-I-me thing!).

And I know I want to share so many things. So many things that haven't been put on my heart just to stay in my head and then die a slow synaptic death (or maybe it's fast...axons/dendrites/who knows).  I have had a real year with faith: one that has truly tested what I believe, what I choose to believe, and made me realize how much I am not good at faithfulness when things aren't easy-peasy. Another "yuck-I am really 32" moment.

And in news...we are expecting another little bundle of sheer joy in September!!! Seriously. I know.  Not exactly what we were thinking but last I checked, my plans for my life weren't that excellent and God's plans so far have blown my itty bitty ones out of the water. Look at my husband...and our daughter named Ruth. Way better than my dreams.

Please let me know if there is anything you would love for me to write about and I will do my best.  This will be a slow start back up but hopefully it will be all for Jesus and all for His glory.  I know I am not supposed to stop writing-it wasn't good for me to stop and thus, my heart is answering the call to what God has so clearly placed in my life.

Blabbering done.  Here are two pictures of Ruth.  There aren't enough words to describe her. She is pure joy: I have never seen anything like it. She says "hi" to EVERYONE and smiles with everything in her (and her ELEVEN teeth).  I hope she brings joy to your soul today.

And it's blurry, because she never, ever stops moving (except when asleep). And yes, we did purchase a super-duper nice professional camera but at the rate this bean moves, it is nigh impossible to bust that camera out and get a pic of her.