Road Trip!!

Okay, we only traveled a few hours, just to Sioux City, but those of you who have traveled with an infant know what I'm talking about- that's a long trip to make!

This trip was made to see my mom's mom, my Grandma Ann. She and her husband Ron made the trip out to Iowa from Ohio, so we thought while she was in town it would be nice to get Cailyn baptized- we were planning on getting that done soon anyway. We waited until after Jerod's fantasy football draft was over, on Friday night, before we left. My sister and her boyfriend, Will, made the trek with us (I was very grateful that she drove on Friday night so I could attempt to get some kind of sleep) and we got in to Sioux City around 2am....ugh.

Saturday was spent hanging out, eating, and Jerod and I even got to escape for a little shopping, just the two of us- it was nice, but I still missed my little baby. That evening we joined my Uncle Mike to celebrate his 50th birthday and were able to see many family members- little Miss Cailyn was pooped after such a long day! Sunday was the baptism and Jerod's family and mine gathered at Sacred Heart church to celebrate together. It was a really special ceremony with my dad doing the honors, and we just hope everyone knows how much it meant to us for you all to be there!

Grandma Jacque with our spoiled little chunky butt

Jerod's brother, Nick, and his dad, Bret, in the church hall before the baptism

Looking so pretty in her baptismal gown :) It's the one my mom made for me when I was baptized.

Our first family photo since the one in the hospital- I didn't post that one because I look like a whale.....seriously, I did. Happy to say that's not the case anymore ;)

Yay! One beautiful baptized baby.

My Grandma Mary had her smiling for a good few minutes, and this was the result. So. stinking. cute.

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Drab to Fab: A Dresser Transformation

So part of being a working parent is having to pay for child care. Lucky for us, my sister, Amanda, needed somewhere to live while she continues taking classes at DMACC. The deal is she watches Cailyn for us 2 days a week and she can stay here rent free. This seems to have everyone coming out on top because we only have to pay for part-time child care and my sister gets to spend time with her new niece (although I'm pretty sure with grocery and utility costs included, my sister is getting the better end of the stick). So her room in the basement is done being constructed, painted, and carpeted and we were looking for new furniture to put in there. My mom happened to have a small dresser they weren't using at their place anymore- as she put it, "It needs some work, but it's functional."

I love a challenge, and I especially love free stuff so I asked her to have my dad haul it out when he had a chance (which thanks to his wonderful self was the next day). And so begins the transformation of a beat up, markered-on bureau....

I wish I had a taken a picture of the ugly gold/white handles that were originally features on these drawers- but here is my canvas. Each drawer and the dresser itself were sanded lightly, primed, and repainted with white spray paint. Also painted were some 8 foot lengths of pre-finished molding, but they were sprayed a nice turquoise-y color.

Do not think for one second that I spent time stenciling anything on these drawers- this was accomplished with wallpaper, my friends. It was so easy because the adhesive is already on the back- it's water activated. So after cutting each piece to my liking (a job my sister got to help with since this whole thing is for HER room) it was as simple as rolling up each piece lightly, dipping them in water for 10 seconds and smoothing onto each drawer front. If you ever try this and notice that it still looks bumpy even after you've gotten all the air bubbles out, have no fear- is just the adhesive, and it smooths itself out as it dries.

With the help of a miter saw (thanks Dad), I was able to make perfect 45 degree cuts to build frames for each drawer out of the molding. The new handles were about 2 bucks each at Menards.

The beautiful final product- I usually don't like to toot my own horn, but in this case: "HONK, HONK!"

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Chunky Monkey

Life has certainly been amazing since Cailyn arrived- and who can believe her sweet little self has been on this earth for a whole month?! She has changed so much in these short few weeks and I find myself forgetting what she looked like when she was a newborn. For this reason, I secretly love to see her face when she gets REALLY mad because it scrunches all up just like it did in the hospital when she cried.

She is getting so chubby and is more alert every day- and is becoming a pro at holding her head up! Some things have changed in her habits, too. She no longer sleeps in her car seat- she bunks with us, more specifically by me and I get squished in the middle between her and Jerod. When we put her down in her pack n' play she wakes up after about 5 minutes, and to us it's just not worth the fight- she sleeps through the night when she sleeps with us and that's all that matters to us......if anyone disagrees they are welcome to be awake with her when she wakes up in the middle of the night :)

Here's our lady at 1 month!

She reminds me of a little kitten in this picture, you know when they can barely walk and they're all wobbly? :)

Trying to nap a bit at the Jolley Softball Tourney last weekend- we were unsuccessful, by the way- but that meant a good long car nap on the way home

Happy 1 month to Cailyn! I told Jerod I'm going to sing her that every month until she turns 1 year old :) I love these crocheted head bands with the little clips you can change on them and am currently learning how to make them myself as they are too expensive to buy from other people! How cute is she?!

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Workin' those muscles

I can't believe how fast time goes- our baby is almost 4 weeks old (Jerod says that's basically a month, but Jamie and I agree that one month only counts on the number of day that the baby was born, for Cailyn the 11th of each month- it makes us feel better as mommies, like our babies aren't growing up quite so fast). Anyway, I'm so excited to witness the beginning of her milestones- she's getting quite good at holding her head up, though she sometimes still looks like a bobble head when doing so :)

I'll find any excuse to share more pictures of my sweetie pie, so enjoy!

I helped her a little in this one, she was doing so well- but then I took too long getting the camera to work, silly mom!

One of her fave past times: crawling up my or Jerod's chest.

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