Elena's First Year: Week 10

Double digits, baby!

Before and After: The Dining Room

We've been living in our Knoxville house for over three months now, but it seems like we've been here a lot longer than that. A lot has happened in three short months! 

{Quick recap: We left our jobs in Nashville, rented our lovely Nashville townhouse, Jonathan started a new job in Knoxville, we found a house in Knoxville, we cleaned and painted every surface inside the new house (with a lot of assistance from our worker bees awesome family), and then we had a baby. Well, technically, I had a baby. But who's keeping score?}

Anyway, you may recall the original house tour and my ridiculously long to-do list for every room. I still don't know how we completed most of the tasks before Elena arrived in May. Oh wait. I do know. We were able to get it all done because we had a ton of help from our crazy family. (Apparently they love us a lot, cause we certainly put them through hell to get the house in order!)

Clearly, the before/after pictures are long overdue. What can I say? I've been busy lately. Before/after photos haven't exactly been a priority. However, I promised some non baby-related posts, so here ya go!

Let's start with the dining room (mostly because it is the cleanest room in the house so it was easy to snap a few "after" pictures while Elena napped yesterday!).

Before:

 After:

Painted all of the trim and crown molding (glossy white) and walls ("Pensive Sky" by Behr). The color reads a little weird in this photo. It looks sort of minty, but it's actually a light gray with blue undertones. We also replaced the light fixture with something a little more modern. And, of course added our furniture and artwork.

 Before:

 After:

 Before:

 After:

 Another view:

Not too bad, eh? I mean, we're certainly no John and Sherry (my heroes), but I think we did alright. And don't worry; there are plenty more "after" pics to come! Promise.

Summer Reading

Remember when you were a kid and you had summer reading lists to complete before the school year began? Those summer reading assignments seriously sucked. I do not like being told what to do, especially during my summer vacation. So annoying.

Most summers I completed my reading lists using books on tape or Cliffs Notes (embarrassing, but true). I think the only assigned book I ever completed was "Catcher in the Rye." No, wait. I think I read "To Kill A Mockingbird" too. I know. My lack of commitment to assigned summer reading is a shame. I probably missed out on a lot of great literature.

I'm making up for lost time though! Now that I am a stay-at-home mom I have more time (and more of a desire) to cultivate personal hobbies. Hobbies like reading. (Crazy. I know.)

Completed books:

If you haven't read this book, you should! I could not put it down.

I learned a lot from this book. However, the lack of organization and redundancy is very annoying.
Great resource for new parents though.

In progress:

Cannot. Stop. Reading.
I'm almost finished with this book, and I am quite literally on the edge of my seat.

In queue:

I am terrified to raise Elena in the modern girlie-girl (and, frankly, overly-sexy) culture. Hoping to learn a few parenting strategies from this one.

I cannot wait to read this book! I've heard so many good things about it.

From the book's website:
"The central premise of this book is that many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring – because key twists in the science have been overlooked." 
This should be interesting.

What are you reading this summer? What should I add to my reading list? (No vampires or wizards, please. Just not my thing.)

Elena's First Year: Week 9

My tiny girl is nine weeks old. Nine. That sounds like a lot. 

Baby Girl had her first round of vaccines this week during her two month doctor appointment, and I'm pretty sure the shots hurt me more than they hurt her. Poor Mama. And, she's growing! Little Miss Elena weighs eight pounds, two ounces. I won't even go there with percentiles and such. She's tiny, but she's healthy. Just a petite little thing. That's all.

P.S. I am working on some upcoming blog posts that aren't baby-related! Can you believe it? I know. Me neither. I'm trying not to become that annoying mom who liveseatsbreathes baby, baby, baby. It's harder than I thought, though. Since I live, eat and breathe baby, baby baby. =)

Pool Baby!

Baby Elena took her first dip in the pool last weekend. She's had her feet wet a couple of times, but this was her first plunge. She didn't exactly love it. But she didn't hate it either. Best part: she looked so stinkin' adorable in her newborn bathing suit!

I'm not so sure about this, mom!

Seriously?! This water is cold!

Still crying, but not as loud.

Starting to feel a little more comfortable in the water.

Mom, what are you doing? I don't know how to swim!

Trying to give her a little encouragement.

She looks super encouraged, huh?

Sweet girl! I love this calm, happy face!

Defunked

Remember last week when I was feeling funky and gunky? Well, I am officially defunked, y'all! And, man, oh man, it feels good to be back on top {for now, anyway}.

I spent the weekend with a few of my best friends, and their presence was exactly what I needed to help me feel like my old fun-loving self again. I thank God for those girls, because I need them in my life. They're the family I choose.

Pool day at my mom's house!

Elena and Aunt Brittany

Elena and Aunt Sheryl

Awww!

Elena and Aunt Rachel

They have a special bond. Elena just smiled and smiled at Aunt Rachel.

Elena and her other Aunt Brittany

Aunt Sheryl teaching Aunt Nikki how to burp a baby. So funny!

Hanging out at my house after dinner.

It was the perfect weekend with a few of my very best friends! Can't wait to get together again very, very soon!

Elena's First Year: Week 8

Elena is eight weeks old! Whoa!

Funk

I've been in one. A funk, that is. I mean, seriously, what the hell is wrong with me? 

At this moment, my life is pretty dang perfect. Beautiful baby girl, great husband, a crazy-abundance of love from our crazy families. Not bragging {promise}, but I kind of "have it all." Nonetheless, I've been in a funk. Funky mood. Funky behavior. Funky feeling. I hesitate to use the "D" word (as in the postpartum "D" word), but something has felt a bit off lately. Irritability, unexplained sadness, living like a friggin' hermit inside the house. And I've had it. 

I've had it up to here with myself. 

It's time to pick myself up and get happy.

And since everyone knows happiness begins with a new hairstyle (no, I am not serious), I'm headed to the salon for a cut and color tomorrow. Happiness, here I come!

In all seriousness, though, I am turning my frown upside down. Starting... now.

Elena's First Year: Week 7

Look who's seven weeks old! E and me have been through a lot together in her short little life... can't imagine a single day without her now that she's here!

Dang, she's cute!

Look Mom - I can kick!

4th of July Fun

Hello, friends! I hope you all enjoyed a fabulous, carefree 4th of July weekend. Ours was terrific! We spent quality time with family, lounging by the pool and eating barbecue. Here's a little photo re-cap...

Elena and me all dressed up for her first Independence Day!

Jonathan smoked the best barbecue... yum!

Alfie got to eat the bone!

Me, Elena and my mom looking rather patriotic.

...And the photo shoot continues...

Elena with MiMi and Papa

America! Yea!

Kerry and brother-bear, Billy

Uncle Nick and Elena

Pretty girls in the pool - Leah, Kerry, Kelsea and Emily

Sibs and Sigs (siblings and significant others) - Billy, Kerry, Nick, Jonathan, me

Elena looking cool in her sunglasses.

Party people

Mommy and baby chillin' in the shade.

Little Leah acting silly.

More party people

Elena looks a lot like her uncle Cameron!

Thomas and Victoria with Elena.

Cameron and Elena both wearing cool shades.

Happy summertime, y'all!