This Christmas was different. It was the first time in our five years of marriage we wouldn't be spending it at our parents' and I was so excited. Mostly because I thought it would be less stressful without travel and fun in a new way.


Though we definitely had a great holiday at home I learned a couple things: when moms have been collecting Christmas stuff for literally years, their houses are more festive. The other thing is that it takes effort to make new traditions. I was kind of intimidated to start doing things not in my comfort zone and had plans to do more service-oriented things during the month.





But we still had a good holiday and had fun times with the Smiths on Christmas Eve and David's family Christmas Day. Family time is really what makes the holiday.





Being pregnant with a little boy made me think of Mary more this year. I was talking with my OB about what to anticipate with my second birth and she was telling me the labor and pushing should be much shorter and easier. I've been having braxton hicks like crazy which I never had at all with Scotty, meaning my body knows to get ready this time.

But Mary was having her first! And probably in pre-labor uncomfortableness during travel. And real labor during the inn search. And she didn't have her mom there. Just inexperienced Joseph who wasn't even the dad. I would be shaking my fist at God a bit at this point. She didn't even have an epidural to look forward to. I mean she was an absolute saint for doing what she did. I looked at Mary this year when I looked at those nativities and thought about how grateful I am for the role she played.


Now we're in that weird limbo of being sick with head colds and coughs while simultaneously
being together at home for a week. Everyone is gearing up for 2018 with resolutions but my expectation for 2018 is taking things slower. I can tell it's going to be slow and steady third trimester prep for my March man and then we'll have a couple months of newborn fog and adjustment time. And if David starts a masters program mid-year it'll be another adjustment for me to a more independent parent of two and David will basically have to balance two jobs for two years straight.



Basically I think 2018 will be all about giving ourselves grace. Home improvement projects might slow down, routines will completely change, I'll have to teach another infant how to sleep and continue to try to get a picky petite toddler to eat but it'll be really joyful. We'll get to learn how to thrive in new ways. So here's to new things!

David did demo on the mantle and surround the day after Christmas and has almost finished building the two side built-ins in the garage. He'll install those and then do the mantle itself. I'm so so so excited about this project, I'm seriously in love with how this room will come together. Basically, I got so stinking lucky to have married David, builder extraordinaire, it's not even funny.



Right now all the furniture is stuffed into the pretty front room that is finished but was unfurnished. So the house feels a bit off kilter, but it really worked out that we had another empty living space to just move everything too. If you want real time updates, check out my insta-stories, where David kindly lets me post his projects. He jokes that I owe all my content to him and he's right haha.

I'm slowly getting baby boy's room together. I had to pause because we budget and with David and I both doing projects, we hit our home improvement limit pretty early on in the month. So when you run out of paint and money... you clean out and organize your pantry and plan that future project out instead, ha.

Pantry Phase 1

I listened to a podcast and they had the girls from @thehomeedit on. They do celebrity pantries and make them gorgeous. The tips I applied were: 1. You have to actually take everything out of the pantry. 2. If you like a more clean, open look you've got to put less stuff in the pantry.

So here's us over midway through clearing out the pantry. I did not take an embarrassing before picture where it was overflowing with food.


BABY BOY ROOM

I'm at this exciting place where basically I need to follow through on getting the decor next month, wash all his little clothes (eek!) and we have a baby's room. Oh yeah, and somehow figure out my toddler's room because the crib and the recliner are moving to baby boy's room. Don't even get me started on the toddler bed vs. twin debate.

BEFORE




CURRENTLY - No hearts!!



David suggested ditching the blinds altogether and I'm actually happy to. I get kind of nervous hearing stories about kids getting strangled in blind cords. Scotty loves climbing up on the ledge and playing with the cord. I'd rather just do a curtain and if we need more light blocking then I can line the curtain or we can get a shade that rolls down.

I'm in love with these cute family illustrations you can do super cheap with Alexa Zurcher! Family Christmas card miracle :)

When Scotty was born and I went back to work full time I was unprepared, both mentally and experience-wise, and it was honestly really tough. A recent study found that moms who have a paid job and kids end up working 98 hours of the 166 hours a week and I believe it! It's hard to do so much and feel you're not completely successful in any area of your life (work, marriage, parenting, church, housework, friendship, etc. ...).