N and E have been really enjoying each other's company lately.  It warms my heart to watch them growing to be good friends.  Jason and I were pretty skeptical when they asked if they could nap together.  We thought there was no way they would actually get any sleep.  But, they proved us wrong by sacking out in less than 10 minutes, with nary a peep!

 In other news of note...Eli recently decided that he didn't like sleeping in diapers (he's been going without them in the daytime for almost a year, but I'd been nervous about letting him go overnight), so we've been diaper (and accident) free for a little over a week now.  Free at last!! 

With his new-found transition into "big boy-dom", he has also begun trying to dress himself...

He still has a little bit of trouble telling the front from the back on his shorts...but I have to give him an "E" for effort.

(And please note his new "high and tight" corps cut.  Norah wasn't sure how she felt about his "almost bald in the back" hair cut...but after I showed her how soft it felt, she was sold.

N: "Buddy, I like your fuzzy bunny haircut!"
E: "Sank you, Norah."

Side note: Almost any time she compliments him, Eli will reply with a solemn and serious, "Sank you Norah.", coupled with a single nod of approval.  It is so cute.  I can already tell how much he values her opinion.

Another side note--the pillows in the background of the first photo of E are some the fruits of my latest sewing efforts.  I cranked out 10 new throw pillows for the couch, recliner and love seat last week using black and white fabrics, with a little bit of green as an accent.  The silhouette shown is Eli, and Norah's is on the other end of the couch.  The kids are pretty proud of them, and think they are "their" pillows.  I hope to finally banish the aqua vertical blinds (that came with the house) in favor of some damask drapes sometime in the near future.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Those who know me, know that Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the music. I love the decor. I don't even mind being bombarded by it as soon as the stores clear away the school supplies in September. I'd just as soon celebrate it all year long. (This was Norah's "First Christmas" photo taken last year by Jenny...I LOVE it, it is one of my all-time favorites!)




But this year...I've had a little more trouble getting into the mood. While I normally have to twist Jason's arm and beg him to tote our enormous tree down from the attic, this year, he volunteered before I asked. (And I am not entirely sure I would have asked him to do it at all, had he not done so) Then, the tree stood bare in our living room for an entire week before we decorated it (again, Jason finally moved the ritual along, by suggesting that we do it together as a family).



Now that every thing's up, I have to admit, I'm loving it! Norah, of course, makes it the most fun. We've been working on the word "ornament" since Thanksgiving, and she has it down, pat. She had a blast helping us decorate the tree (which resulted in a single, VERY ornament-laden branch in the lower, center portion of our tree), and she's inherited her mommy's love of Christmas music. (Especially "Pah-rum-puh-puh-pum", which she almost always sings along to).

We've been reading "The Nativity Story" together nearly every night for a few weeks now, so it was really fun putting our nativity ornaments on the tree, and naming each one together as they went up ("Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus...")--and no, the penguin's not one of them, that is her ornament from Uncle Grant and Aunt Paige this year.

As Norah grows older and understands more, I am beginning to realize how special it will be to share the true meaning of the "Christmas Season" with her (and baby brother, too!). I'm so thankful that Jason has helped get me "jump started" into our family traditions, because I can tell it will be a real blessing to see Christmas through the eyes of my child. I think i would have gotten there on my own eventually...maybe...but right now, I have to admit 'priority one' weighing on my mind is nesting and preparing for Baby Brother's arrival. I'm glad that Jason's looking out for Norah, too, so I don't jip her out of Christmas this year.

Room Reveal...Part One

Whether it be Norah's steady determination to make the big girl room her new residence, or my previously blogged mention of needing to finish the project, I made some serious headway (with the help of sweet Jason) on the "Big Girl Room" this weekend. I've decided to go ahead and reveal the progress so far, since all this redecorating takes time (and money) and I don't know how long (if ever) it will be before I get the room "just so".

Bed Corner (Before):
white walls & trim
eggshell switches and plate covers
not much else




Bed Corner (After)
weathered glass walls
fresh coat of white trim
white switches & plate covers





Closet Corner (Before)
brown, wood-panel bi-fold doors







Closet Corner (After)
new, white, panel bi-fold doors
wall shelf with hooks for hanging
toy chest (at foot of bed...not very visible)
Norah's step stool (one of my favorite pieces in the entire room), hand-painted by our good friend, Jamie, of Jamie B-tique.

This is a close-up of one of my best-loved things that Jason has built for our home, Norah's bookcase. He even measured her largest books and custom-made the shelves to accommodate them all. The sides of the bookcase have bead board panels (you can get a little better look at that in the "Bed Corner: After" photo)

Over the bookcase is the bow board I made a couple of months ago. I love that her bow collection adds even more color to the wall!



I love the framed "word art" given to Norah by her Aunt Paige. It is Norah's name in a scripture acrostic (each letter of her name has a Bible verse with it).


My most recent "finishing touch" was to cover a plain lampshade with some leftover fabric I had from Norah's duvet cover. It was my first time to recover a lampshade, and I had a lot of fun with the project (thanks to my mom, who helped me through and donated nearly all of necessary supplies from her stash so I didn't have to buy anything except the lamp base!). The lamp puts out the perfect amount of "bedtime light". We read our bedtime stories by it's glow, then all I have to do is reach up and turn it out before we say our prayers.

Future Projects:
hang photo collage wall above bedside
hang art over headboard (most likely a custom canvas via Jamie B-tique)
possibly paint scripture over closet doors
sew monogrammed patchwork throw/accent pillows
sew coordinating basket liners
hanging trio of framed homemade appliqué silhouette art
install ceiling fan (thankfully, it's cooling off, here!)
desk & dresser (we have them nearly ready, they just need to be painted to match)

I'll be sure to post an update if/when I make anything new happen! The greatest part is, whether I do anything else to her room or not, Norah loves it. She spends lots of time playing in there, and is more than happy to sleep in her big bed. She's even begun referring to the nursery as "baby's room" on occasion. (Speaking of which, I rearranged the nursery over the weekend and am really liking the way it looks. I may post some pics of it, as well! I guess you could say I'm officially "nesting")