Tiny Dancer {Twelve Months}

Happy Happy Birthday Evie!!!

Our sweet little munchkin is a YEAR OLD! 

This makes me both very happy and very sad that you're growing so fast.

We had a fun little birthday party for you this past Saturday, while your grandparents were in town for Thanksgiving. It was so much fun but definitely wore you out! 

A few things you've been up to lately...

Chatting it up. You love to talk, have lots to say and keep us very entertained. :)

You made up your own sign language for the word "more"! Your Grandmommy has done it a few times with you, but she wasn't sure she had the right motion (she didn't, at first), and then you just started doing your own version! When you want more of something,  you put your right pointer finger into the palm of your left hand repeatedly. My girl, you are SO SMART! And I'm perfectly fine with your own special sign language :)

You continue to melt our hearts with how sweet and loving you are. I could not have imagined such a sweet baby! You got a little baby doll for your birthday, and you immediately held her and rocked her and tried to feed her a bottle. This simply amazes me, since you've never really seen anyone feed another baby.. !

You've also been extra cuddly with us lately. I think you're growing and maybe having some teething pain, though we haven't seen any more teeth yet. But your daddy and I are not complaining when you want to snuggle with us. 

You love to dance around the room with us and on your own.

You still love books more than anything!  

When we ask you what a lion says you do this little growl that is just adorable.

You know where your nose, eyes, lips, fingers, piggies (toes), head, hair and tummy are.

You like to sneak up on Duke and grab or pet him so he jumps. This cracks you up hysterically. :)

You like for us to "get you" and come after you to tickle you. When you want to play this game, you'll turn and give us a certain look with a little gleam in you eye and then start speed crawling away.

And finally... 

You are WALKING!

 

You've taken a step or two in the past month, but you still liked to hold our hands or use your push toy or cruise around furniture. Well, on Sunday you were playing with your Grandpa and Grandma, and you walked FOUR STEPS to your Grandma!! I could not believe my eyes! Since then you've taken more steps more often and I think your timing is just perfect. You little stinker! :)

Happy Birthday to the most precious daughter. 

We love you so SO much and are thankful beyond words that you came into our world and arms one year ago today. 

We love you Evangeline!

One year ago today...

 

... we were getting ready to head to the hospital and meet our sweet baby girl. 

I can still remember it so clearly. Wandering around Target, crying on the phone to my friend Sarah and my mom, excited to finally meet her and scared about having to be induced. And finally, my hubby coming home from work to hold me and reassure me that everything would work out just right.

And it sure did. 

Party Time {Evie's 1st Birthday}

This weekend we celebrated Tiny Dancer's 1st Birthday with a little party!

We just had family and some close friends and it was perfect!

Evie's "cake" :)

Just a few festive decorations..

A monthly pics banner:

Some fun garland

In all the craziness I didn't manage to get a picture of the full table with cake and food! Oh well. 

Evie's first taste of sugar! 

Not quite sure what to think at first...

That's more like it. Mmmmm!

Happy Birthday baby girl!! We love you!!

xoxo

Christmas Countdown {DIY Advent Calendar}

I'm so excited for the first Christmas that Evie will (hopefully) remember. She's so much fun right now and I can't wait to start all sorts of fun traditions with her. An Advent Calendar was definitely on my list to make to kick things off. 

After scouring Pinterest for ideas, here's the one I made:

What do you think? I kind of love it. 

Here are some quick and easy steps on how I did it. But it was so easy, I think it's pretty self-explanatory :)

First up, buy a canvas or repurpose an old one laying around your house, like I did. This one had the alphabet painted on it in a range of blue hues. A pre-pregnancy nursery project that never quite made the cut. 

Find some fabric or wrapping paper you like and attach it to your canvas. I snagged some metallic linen in the remnant bin at JoAnn's a while back that was perfect for this. I just stapled it to the wooden frame of the canvas. You probably wouldn't want to staple wrapping paper.. would you? I don't know. It might rip. But your trusty glue gun would probably do the trick.

Make some little paper envelopes for each of the 25 days. I used some craft paper that I found underneath a roll of wrapping paper! But you could use card stock in any color you like. I used tacky glue to hold the envelope together.

*Make sure you do a little measuring before you make these, to see how big they should be. Mine were around 2 x 2.5 inches, which worked with the size of my canvas. 

Next, grab a sharpie and get to numbering!

After I had all my envelopes numbered, I laid them out to see how they looked. Fan-flippin-tastic. 

I like things to be lined up correctly, so I did some more measuring and used some painters tape as a guide when I started gluing these to my fabric (more tacky glue). I seriously would have had to throw this out or rip them off and start all over if they ended up crooked. But I'm weird like that.

Put some heavy books on top while they're drying, then start on your activities! 

As I've mentioned before, I didn't want to do presents for each day. I really want to create memories with Evie, so I came up with things that we can do together and for others. 

I used tags that we use to price items in our booth, so half my work was already done. These are tea or coffee stained (thanks Mom!), which gives them an aged look that I really like.

And finally, I just tied some twine on each tag! Easy peasy. I wish I had some fun red bakers twine, so that may get switched out down the line.. 

What do you think? I didn't do any extra embellishments or anything, because I want to use this for years, and don't want it to start looking dated (though I'm sure that's inevitable). Plus, I'm a simple kinda gal and this look really appeals to me. So there.

Will you be making an Advent Calendar this year??

Linking up:

** I'll be sharing this project on a local morning show on December 1 for those of you that know me in real life! Mom- remind me and I'll send you a link to see it when it airs! :) 

Thankful Thursday {My Babies}

No, I'm not pregnant...

This is my first baby. My first little girl.

I think about her a lot. Not every day, but nearly. This time of year especially. I'm not the type to dwell on days or specific dates.. but seasons of life get to me. Smells, the air, music, feelings. And all of these have been bringing her up in my mind and heart recently.

I am so thankful to have carried her, even for such a short time. Her life has forever changed mine. And what I'm so excited for- what I cannot wait for- is to meet her and hold her in heaven. Because I know that I know that I will have that precious opportunity one day.

Have you read Heaven is For Real? I haven't, actually, but want to. I need to borrow it from one of the many people I know who have it! But I have heard more than a few stories from the book, one of which is how the little boy met his sister in heaven. The sister who had been miscarried.. the sister he had never heard about before. I want to cry just thinking about it.

I know everyone grieves differently, and sadly, too many of us have to grieve for the loss of a child these days. For me, it's healing to think about her, to miss her, to long for her. I don't even need to talk about her- but just to hold those feelings inside of me and cry for her sometimes. My child. My baby.. who was not a mistake, not a misstep.. who was not flawed or broken. Who was stolen from my arms. She is perfect and beautiful and whole in heaven and I cannot wait to meet her. I am so thankful for her. 

        ♥      ♥      ♥

Today I am also thankful for this little one. My girl.

 
She is the light of my life.  

This sweet baby has brought more joy, love and happiness than I've ever known. Our lives have been forever changed with the addition of hers and there's nothing I wouldn't do for her. It's hard to put into words how thankful I am for my Evie. How blessed I feel to be her mama. I'm so thankful to be able to hold her every day. To kiss her and snuggle her and love her. To breathe her in. It makes my heart ache thinking about how much I love her.

Thank you Jesus for my precious girl.