Why Hello There.

I am in the thick of what feels like the craziest, most stressful season of life I can recall.  I am so grateful to be able to tell you that we have in fact moved into our new house, but seeing that we still lack a fully functioning kitchen and I'm surrounded by boxes everywhere, to call it a "home," well that still feels like a bit of a stretch.  Granted, we are getting there, but progress is slow.  

Oh, and did I mention I am now full term with this little one?!  

Don't you just love my new fashion accessory--my maternity band that's supposed to help combat false labor contractions!  

Frankly, I think I may go into shock when this child is born.  How can it be that I am this close to having another baby?!  Shouldn't I have another good two to three months left?!  I feel very unprepared (in a number of ways!) to mother a newborn right now...suffice it to say, I welcome your prayers!  

There is so much I'd like to share, but my brain and my body feels capable of very little these days, so I will attempt to show you some pictures of our progress over the past month or so...

We took the wall down that divided the kitchen from the living room. This immediately opened up the space and everything just felt lighter and brighter!

The floors went down (and I am so happy with them!).  I love the shade of brown. 

What a difference it made to get that carpet up and give everything a seamless look with new flooring.  The flooring we chose is actually a "hardwood" laminate from Lumber Liquidators.  Being a Virginia girl who loves older homes with real hardwood floors, going with laminate was a bit hard for me to swallow at first.  However, it's just what people do out here, and with us planning to sell the house once our time here is through, it didn't make sense financially to pay for real hardwoods when the demand for them just isn't there. 

Philip sprayed the wood beam ceiling in the dining room with our new paint sprayer!  So much better!

Meanwhile, I debated paint colors and nearly lost my mind in the process.  

Not to worry, I protected the wee one in my belly from any potential fumes.  (Breaking Bad, anyone?)

The kitchen prep was finished just in time and then the real madness hit when all of our things got delivered.

In the midst of the chaos, I have tried hard to balance my desire to unpack and get the least bit settled with spending time with my children.  Please don't assume I have done a great job at this.  I am trying though, as I realize things are really going to change when there is a third tiny person in our midst...

This sweet one will be my baby for only a little while longer!  

Moments of sibling joy that I cherish.

Also, there's this.

Just some good old fashioned Mother-of-the-Year material right there.  

I'd like to post some more updates to our kitchen soon, as it's coming together thanks to the hard work of my husband! (here's hoping this baby stays put for a while longer so I can find the time to do so!)  

In the spirit of ending on a pretty note, I'm really pleased I was able to pull together Wade and Holland's room, using things we already owned of course.  Those mirrors are the first things I've hung on the walls, and boy does it feel good to have one room nearly done (at least for now!)  My favorite things are their quilts--each was made by a great- and great-great grandmother of Wade and Holland--how special is that?!  

Shared Sibling Rooms

As I continue to think about what life will look like for our family if we live in a {relatively} smaller home, it seems pretty likely that Wade and Holland will need to share a room.  I'm thinking for the most part, the two of them will think this is pretty sweet.  And aside from the adjustment period that will almost certainly involve frustratingly long bedtime routines (who am I kidding?  we already have frustratingly long bedtime routines!), I'm hopeful that this could be a really good thing for them.

When it comes to decorating a room where both genders are involved, I feel like it's tougher than you might think!  Here are some rooms that are inspiring me as I think about how to make this work...

Source: nameisgrace.blogspot.com via Anne on Pinterest

A neutral space with a good dose of natural wood would work for both genders.  I love the pine (?) pieces in this room--they add such a sense of age and warmth.  White, cream, and some ticking stripe make for a classic combination.

Source: heybillie.com via Anne on Pinterest

The room above is also pretty clean and neutral, and while it would certainly work for a boy and a girl, I feel like it feels a bit masculine.  Everything is basically white + an interesting rug.    Note to self:  love the seagrass baskets tucked under the bunks!

Source: pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com via Anne on Pinterest

This room is obviously rather sparse (and therefore unrealistic for my purposes!) but I do like the idea of using buffalo check in a gender neutral color...

Source: belclairehouse.blogspot.com via Anne on Pinterest

I really like the light gray/blue/green wall color in the room above.  While the fabric on the windows is blue, I feel like the pattern (sort of floral?  hard to tell exactly) lends itself to being used for a little girl.

Source: finniansmooninteriors.com via Anne on Pinterest

This room is definitely cool, but it feels pretty boyish right?

Source: merrimentstyle.com via Anne on Pinterest

I have loved this room for a long time.  Such a fun, collected vibe with lots of color.

Source: kristenpanitchinteriors.com via Anne on Pinterest

That printed fabric looks super cute--does it have animals on it?!  The plaid blanket and the black and white stripes on the floor work so well too.

Source: withtwocats.com via Anne on Pinterest

Another colorful, collected space.  Stripes on the bed are cute.  And how about those individual bins? (for laundry? or toys?)

Source: abbyminteriorsblog.com via Anne on Pinterest

Finally, Abby posted a very timely design board on her blog.  I'm loving the green and blue color scheme and the cute watercolor art above the beds!

I'll keep you guys posted about my plans!