He's here!

Okay, so he's been here for a week and a half, but I haven't had 5 minutes to get on here since then. I finally gave in and bought myself a Moby wrap, which came today, so I can snuggle and carry our new little man and still have my hands free to do other stuff. What joy some fabric can bring! :)

So without further ado, I would like to introduce Hunter Ross, born April 17, 10lbs 2 oz, and 20.5 inches long.

It was pretty late when he finally decided to make his appearance, so we were all totally wiped out. They began the induction with a foley bulb on Monday night at about 10, and he was born a little over 24 hours later. I had a pretty smooth vbac, and I couldn't be happier! The whole birth was a totally different experience and the recovery has gone sooo much smoother. I'm really glad we decided to continue without a second c-section despite a question about his size.

Big brother was pretty confused and a little afraid of Hunter at the hospital, and it wasn't until we got home that he really showed an interest in him. Ever since he's often coming over to peek at his toes or see what he's doing. There has been a little bit of jealousy, but nothing too terrible.

So for now we're just enjoying our two sweet boys. I'm not sure when I'll be back to blogging regularly since we're still adjusting to everything, but I'll try not to stay away for too long. Thanks for any positive thoughts, prayers, and comments about our little guy. We're so happy he's FINALLY here. :)

41 weeks and STILL pregnant!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to stop in really quick and say hi. :)

I'm 41 weeks pregnant today and in a little bit we'll be heading to the hospital to be induced. Yay! I'm super excited! I was totally devastated when my due date came and went and I still hadn't had this baby yet. I never experienced labor with my first, so I'm a little nervous about the experience, but glad to almost be done. What a beautiful but trying experience pregnancy is. Can't wait to finally meet our little man! I'll still probably be away for a little while longer, but I'll come share pictures of our little munchkin once I'm feeling a little better. For now, here's some pictures of him still refusing to come out. ;)

{41 weeks minus a day... My mom would like to add I look way smaller here than in person. Haha.}

 {Xavier trying to push Hunter out :)}

I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring, and hopefully not to many allergy issues! See you on the other side. ;)

Time for some rest..

I've managed to disappear for a few days again. I got home Wednesday night feeling pretty icky, and I have a full blown cold. It's taken any energy the pregnancy hadn't already, and it's made me realize I need to slow down a little. After a very long and hard debate with myself, I've decided to take a break from here until after the baby is born. There just isn't enough in me to be here and with my family, and they're much more important. (Sorry!) Hopefully I'll be back here soon with some new found energy and lots of fresh perspective and new ideas. Until then, I hope you'll understand my temporary leave. Can't wait to get back! :)

We're getting Sealed today!!

I'm so super excited! By the time this posts, my sweet husband and I will have been sealed in the Portland LDS Temple! We celebrated our one year wedding anniversary over the weekend, and this moment has been long awaited. Unfortunately I didn't get to wear my wedding dress again because I'm ready to pop, so we got a cute outfit and will have to take some awesome maternity pictures instead. :)

Tomorrow is another doctor's appointment and I'm really hoping things will get moving along soon. Hopefully I'll be in the hospital having a baby and you won't hear from me again tomorrow, but I'm not going to count on that... Please pray that you won't. ;)

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your week! Just wanted to share the exciting new with you. I'll post pictures and a little more about the day soon. :)

"Yes, You Look Beautiful" {Printable}

Over the weekend I was cleaning out my jewelry box after my sweet boy had demolished it several times. Apparently he thought it was a toy box or something and had horribly tangled and mixed up everything. While I was sorting out the mess, I found a little magnet that I got with some sort of clothing order a long time ago. It's simple and sweet with a powerful message, "Yes, you look beautiful." It made me smile so I pulled it out where I could see it every day.

Looking at the magnet a few minutes later I realized how much we need the reminder sometimes that yes, we DO actually look beautiful no matter how much the world tries to tell us we don't. I wanted other women, and girls of all ages, to be able to have that power to say I am beautiful with a daily reminder to themselves too. So I created some simple and fun printables to share! Just print it off and tape it to the bathroom mirror or somewhere else you'll see it at least a day. :)

I think these would be an awesome handout for young women or even as a gift to a friend. Just laminate a page of them, cut 'em out, and spread the love. They'll last longer that way too. :)

I got the font for these cute printables from Kevin and Amanda! How awesome are they?







Linking to:
Destination: Craft ♡ Skip to my Lou ♡ Polly Want a Crafter ♡ Lines Across My Face ♡ Sumo's Sweet Stuff 

Food Friday: Pepperoni Meatball Sub Sandwiches

Did you notice that Subway recently introduced these as their newest sandwich? When I saw the commercial for them I kinda giggled to myself because my husband would always get the meatball sub and ask them to add pepperoni. He recently asked if I could make them for dinner, and they turned out super awesome! I'm not usually a big meatball fan, but these were great and super easy. Try the meatballs with spaghetti too, you won't be sorry. :)

Pepperoni Meatball Sub Sandwich

1 batch of meatballs sliced in half (recipe follows)
1 can of your favorite marinara sauce (or 2 cups of homemade sauce), heated
1-2 packages hoagie sandwich buns, or desired sandwich bread (french bread "subs" would be awesome!)*
1 package pre-cooked pepperoni
1 can sliced olives, optional
Parmesan cheese, optional

Begin assembling the sandwiches by placing a layer of pepperoni along the bottom piece of bread.
Add a layer of olives if desired.
Next, place as many meatball halves as will fit side by side (about 3 or 4 on a normal hoagie) on top of the pepperoni and olives if using.
Ladle the heated sauce over the meatballs.
Sprinkle on some parmesan or shredded mozzarella, and top with the top piece of bread.
Now EAT!

*If you like your bread toasted, spread some butter on the insides and place under the broiler for a few minutes before assembling your sandwich.

Italian Meatballs
Recipe Adapted from Big Jim's Meatballs on Food Network.com

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 TB garlic powder
1 1/2 TB Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with hands until well mixed. Shape the mixture into meatballs about the size of golfballs. Place in a greased baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and check to make sure they're thoroughly cooked. Return to the oven uncovered for another 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and allow the meatballs to rest (sit on the counter/stove) for 15 minutes. Drain remaining grease and serve as desired.



Have a fantastic weekend! :)

Boy's Play Area Ideas

Is it really already Wednesday? It's hard to believe this week is already half over. I spent a few hours in the ER on Sunday. I still was feeling awful on Monday and exhausted from the late night, but I'm feeling much better after a few days of medicine.

Yesterday we had an ultrasound and doctor appointment to check on our little guy's weight. 36 weeks and he's already an estimated 7 pounds and 11 ounces! I was terrified that might be a little too big, but I get to continue to try for a VBAC. Yay! (My first was a cesarean and weighed 11 pounds, 5 ounces. I make big babies..) Hopefully he'll either come a little early or not grow too quickly in the next few weeks. I really don't want to go through another c-section and the long recovery that follows.

As many of you can imagine, I'm starting to feel the effects of late pregnancy and tire quickly, so I haven't done a lot of projects lately. I've got a few to share in the next few weeks, I just need to get everything put together. Right now we're trying to get a reading and play area set up for Xavier, and I think it's going to be awesome. My hubby is working on making a reclaimed wood bookshelf from old decking. I really can't wait to see the end result and share that with you too! I've been trying to find some inspiration for the decor at local thrift stores with little luck. Instead I turned to blogland and my favorite stores to inspire me with your brilliance. Here's some of my favorites. :)

{Dollar Store DIY from Ashely @ Little Miss Momma}

{DIY Giant "Canvas" Print from Michell @ Girl in Air}

{Framed Kite Art from Nat and Holly @ My Sister's Suitcase}

{Fabric Storage Boxes from Ashley @ Make it and Love it}

{Happy Day Garland from Dana @ MADE}

{Pinwheel tutorial from Victoria @ A Subtle Revelry}

{Mini Paper Lanterns @ Polka Dot Market}

{Choose the Right printable from Kristyn @ Lil' Luna}

{Mission Printable from Tami @ The Family: A Proclamation to the World}

I've got all my creative juices really flowing on this one! You are all so full of awesome ideas, and it's going to be hard for me to narrow it down and pinpoint exactly what I want to use for his fun corner. Hopefully we'll have a house soon and then I can really go nuts on an entire room. Until then, hopefully you can find some inspiration from my collection for your little guy (or gal!) too. :)

Have a wonderful day! Spring is just around the corner and it's time for me to get out and play a little. Enjoy the sun if you're lucky enough to have it too. :)