Thrifted Mirror Makeover

BEFORE

AFTER

I love craft days! Since I have had Peyton it is so much harder to start and finish projects. To be honest though, I just stuck him in the bumbo outside with me, I don't know what I am going to do when he can move around.
 
I found this mirror at a thrift store. It was originally $19.99, but I was able to talk her down to $14.99. I used a satin, antique white spray paint, and a fine sandpaper.

I loved how this turned out, but the one problem; Blake pointed out :) the antique white does not look good with the living room color on the wall. Bright whites look a lot better, so we are still trying to find a good place for it. We will probably put it in our bedroom for now.

It was a fun project to work on. Here is how I did it. . .

I started out by sanding the high spots. . .

Then I taped off the mirror part, so it would be easier to spray paint. . .

Then I spray painted, let it dry, and did another coat. . .

Here's a closer look. . .

I sanded the high spots again. . .

I dusted it off and cleaned the mirror. . .

And this is what the finished product looks like. (sorry for the crotch shot).

A Tour of Apt. 3

Blake and I have lived in 4 places since we've been married.
We love making our apartments our own. It seems as soon as I move into a new apartment all I can think about is how I am going to set it up/decorate it. I measure and sketch.

So feel free to take a guided tour of our living space (the bedrooms were too messy, so maybe another day :)) . . .

The pictures below illustrate the design process. . .

Stay tuned for our wall collage DIY. . .

Patience. . . Isn't that one of the virtues?

(this post was written at 4:30 in the morning. . . just a warning)

It was a rough night for the Davis clan. Blake came home from work feeling really sick. At apx. 10 pm he threw his guts up. I swear I have never seen someone puke so much. To top it off Peyton went to sleep at 9 and woke up every hour and a half. Then at three he decided he wanted to be awake for a while.  
 Peyton: "come on mom lets be happy and play!"
Me: "my bady aches my eyes are swollen shut, just please go to sleep so I don't pass out on you."

Finally after bouncing on the yoga ball for 45 min, and singing I am a Child of God who knows how many times at 4:03 he went to sleep. With a big exhale I fall back into bed. . . boing! I can't fall asleep, which was okay since woke back up at 5:00.

I am so thankful for these wonderful opportunities to learn patience. after seeing Blake be so sick I am so thankful for my health. Get better soon babe; so you can help me with P through the night, so we don't have to sleep in seperate beds, and mostly so I can kiss you on your lips again.

Family Pictures

Yesterday we got our family pictures taken. Peyton was so good he smiled in so many of them. Now I have so many great pictures I don't know which to choose for my wall. Jessica Briggs did my makeup and took all of these great photos. If you are interested check out her website here. She is so talented, I would recommend her to anyone!

A Birth Story

I started feeling constant contractions on Thursday, December 29 at around 3 am. They started about 7-10 minutes apart, and got closer and closer as the night went on. We went to Mom and Dad’s house for dinner, and decided to go to the hospital around 11 pm. It turned out I was only dilated to just under a 2 and 75% effaced. So I was sent home. I went through it all night and the next day, and they were getting intense enough that around 9 pm I went to the hospital again. I was only dilated to 2.5 and was 85% effaced. The nurse had me walk for two hours to see if I would progress at all. I made it to a 3, but I could only stay if I had made it to a 4. So, again I was sent home. The next day, New Years Eve, I was having really hard contractions, but they were coming every 15 to 20 minutes. That night we went to mom and dad’s to eat dinner and play games. I ended up taking 3 long baths that night in mom and dad’s big tub. Right after midnight, I was having really hard contractions every 7-10 minutes apart. They were so hard, they would bring me to tears, but I did not want to go to the hospital, just to be turned away again. Around 2 am I noticed blood, it took me about half an hour to decide I needed to go in. On our way over to the hospital my contractions stopped, or at least, completely eased up. I didn’t know if I should go home or what to do, so parked outside the hospital doors I called the nurse to see if we should come in. She said we might as well. We went in, and the nurse who checked me was looking at me like “really you again”. She checked me and gave me the great news that I had progressed to a 5 and effaced 100%, and they could finally admit me.

 Around 3 am they brought me in my room and hooked me up to an I.V.   Then the anesthesiologist came in and gave me the epidural. After that I was happy as a clam, I finally got to sleep. Around 11 am Dr. Evans came in and broke my water, and I had only progressed to a 7, so they put me on pit. I had only progressed to an 8 at 2 pm. Dr. Evans pushed the top of my stomach and could feel that Peyton was just not going into the birth canal. He explained that I was just too small, and if he was a 5 lb baby I might be able to fit him. He said I could either stay on pit for another hour to see if anything changes, or do the inevitable and get a C-section. I really did not want to get a c-section, but it seemed like that was the only way to get our little Peyton here without causing lots of damage to me and trauma to him.

They put me on more “numbing stuff” I don’t actually know what it was, and wheeled me to the surgery room. It was nice to have Blake in there holding my hand. I don’t remember much just the Doctor talking to me while he is popping out my baby. I remember thinking “should I be laughing while you are all in my stomach?” After Peyton came out everything happened so fast. Blake left to help bathe Peyton, and they ended up having to put me under to fix something. It took a little bit of time for me to wake up again, one thing I’ve learned is I am pretty loopy when I’m coming off of sleeping meds. 

Blake brought Peyton in to see me and it was the happiest moment I can remember. I just could not believe he was here and he was mine. It’s hard to explain but that half an hour of our family of three was so special.

Welcome

Baby Crafts

I made this little outfit for a baby shower gift, and it turned out so cute I had to make one for me.

This was my Halloween costume this year. I made it using an old black shirt, freezer paper, and craft paint.

 

I did not make these, I bought them at Mommy and me. I know I am going to have to go back and get a boy one for our little guy.

He's back

Last Tuesday was our 3 year anniversary. Blake had told me he was not coming home until Wednesday. So when there was a knock at the door at 11 am on Tuesday I had no idea it would be a bearded Blake.

 

We went to Idaho Falls and shopped for a bit. Got a cold stone. Came home and Blake slept for 4 hours. Then we went to dinner at the Pineapple Grill. It was nice to have him home for our anniversary and Thanksgiving. Life is so much better when you have someone to share it with.

Also. . . 

This is when Blake shaved his beard. 

Baby's room

Trial Run- Seeing color choices together.

Since Blake has been gone it's amazing how much I've been able to get done with baby stuff. 

Here's the break down:

My mom found the quilt at a garage sale for $2 - It was a light blue with bleach spots and I dyed it a more saturated blue. I decided to add the large rick rack ($6) for a little extra flare.

I used a brown corduroy for the bumper pad, ending up being $8.

Striped, pleated crib skirt. This was the jumping off point for my color choices. $12

I bought the rocking chair for $10 from a guy in my mom's ward. I decided to recover it in an off-white linen ($24). I made the striped pillow with the corduroy cording, as a pop of color for the chair.

I am almost done with the nursery. I'm still trying to figure out what I should do on the walls, and I bought fabric for drapery, just have to make it. It probably is cheaper to just buy a crib set, but it sure has been fun putting it all together.

 

Blake the trucker

Today, Blake has been gone for 3 weeks, driving in North Dakota. On Tuesday October 18 Blake took his driving test and received his commercial driver’s license. That day his brother called and asked if he wanted to leave for North Dakota that Thursday, October 20. Two and a half weeks sounded like forever, but we both decided it is what’s best for our family right now.

I had done it. . . only 3 days until Blake would come back. Then Friday, Nov. 4 we were talking that night like we did every night. Blake tells me that they had asked him to stay another two weeks. He was good and told them that he had to make sure I would be okay. Let me add that I had done a very good job at staying strong, but when he told me I could not do it, I had to cry. We discussed it for a while and I told him I would give him an answer by morning.

I was staying at my parent’s house that weekend, so when my mom came into my room and found me crying she was there to comfort me. She let me take a bath in her big jetted tub, where I listened to music and cried my eyes out. I went to sleep okay (probably from crying) but I woke up at 4 am and could not go back to sleep. After thinking about it and figuring everything out I just knew that logically, it only made sense that he stayed out there.

Luckily, Blake will be home November 21 (the day before our three year anniversary). Blake assured me it would be the best anniversary ever, because we will not have seen each other for a month. I have done a pretty good job at making this sob story about me. Blake is living in the back of a truck, eating who knows what, getting a small amount of sleep. I am so thankful for a husband who would sacrifice so much to provide for his family. This experience has made me really appreciate all that Blake does, and how important companionship is. 

 

Also. . . Blake has not shaved for 3 weeks, stay tuned for a picture. . .

9 weeks to go. . .

 

This pregnancy has felt like it has gone by so fast. I'm getting to that point where I ask myself if I am ready. Am I ready to be a mom? Am I ready to give birth? Whenever I get scared I just go into the baby’s room rock in the rocking chair; starring at the crib, pulling little clothes out and imagining what our little one will look like.