The small things.

I was up late last night. So late, in fact, that when Chloe walked into our room at 8:46 am this morning, I shot out of bed, looked at the clock, and did an insane sprint trying to get her ready, her lunch packed and myself somewhat decent all to get her to school by 9 am. Fail. We rolled in about 9:15. You're just gonna have some of that... ;)


Pregnancy does a crazy thing to sleep patterns. It wrecks havoc. However, I am convinced, not quite the havoc that is going to be wrecked in a few weeks when a precious angel takes up those sleeping hours. As I was awake through the wee hours of the night, I was reading through blogs and flipping through online photo albums of Sean and I, and this journey we started together years ago. I was overcome with such emotion. Such joy. Such thankfulness. So blessed that the Lord knew just the man to complete my heart. The Lord had him hand-picked all along to be my partner. My husband. My best friend. I felt like a school girl looking through pictures and smiling at the memories that brought us here... Just weeks away from welcoming our little girl to this world.


We had been friends only a short time in the picture below... Who would have known this would be the man I would walk the rest of my days with.

Life is not perfect, but man, is it awesome. The little things that fill up the days and make it all worthwhile. The things like my husband walking in from work with a little fall bouquet of flowers that added just the perfect touch to the fall/halloween decorations I had been working on just hours before. It was the icing on my cupcake last night. It made me smile. The apple pie we stuck in the oven late, the perfect compliment to the cool rain falling outside and the fall candle I have been burning for weeks... trying my darndest to bring fall to SC.

These smiles are the ones I want to remember. The little things. The laughs. The hugs. This is what makes our life magnificent and ordinary at the same time. 

He makes me smile. 

Every single day. In the midst of the chaos, the running, the things that make up our life, he makes me smile. Life, I'm certain, is made of the small things. And I am thankful. Thankful for him. For our life. For the small things.

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony."
-- William Henry Channing (1810-1884), American Unitarian clergyman, writer and philosopher 

And this is my prayer. Our symphony. We find joy in our life. Our love story. That we may find joy in the small things. 

34 weeks

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and Saylor is looking great! She is head down and we are hoping she stays that way. They did some kind of strep test and a few other checks, and everything went well. I even lost 4 pounds since my last visit. Woohoooo! :) It must have been water weight and extra fluid from all the heat, so I am glad to have gotten rid of some of that (for the time being, at least).  I go back in 2 weeks and they will check my cervix to see how much I have dilated, etc and to hopefully get a good idea when baby girl will make her appearance. This is all so SURREAL! Cue happy dance. Cue freak out. Cue excitement. Cue fear. Ha. I can't believe how close we are now. Just last night, Sean was talking about me getting my bag packed and ready for the hospital. Holy cow. This is real! Ha. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Lost 4 pounds this week, so I am at 16 pounds total gain

Maternity Clothes: blech. I'm over maternity clothes, ha. Glad for fall so I can atleast wear jeans!

Best Moment this week: Our shower in Greensboro thrown by the Covington's and continuing to get the nursery together.

Gender: It's a girl - Saylor Alden Branch

Movement: feeling her move all the time... seeing my belly pop up in places when she pokes her arm or foot!

Food Craving: apple pie ALWAYS sounds good these days, but I try to resist.

What I miss: fitting into my regular clothes and sleeping all night

Sleep: Good nights and bad nights

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery completed!

Belly Button: In

Stretch Marks: None yet. Yikes.

Symptoms: Nausea still hanging around. Being so big.... is that a symptom? ha.

Mama

With the impending arrival of my little girl, I have found myself so thankful to have a mother who has loved me through everything, who has been my biggest fan and my best friend. I pray that I will teach my girls all the joys of this life, just as my mother has taught me... I pray they find laughter, love, tears and experience the beauty of this great, big world. I pray they follow our sweet Lord, they trust and give their all in everything they do. My heart is so full as I reflect on the past 28 years with my own Mama and how I took her words and her heart with me every where I went... I pray I can be half the mother she has been to me. Thank you Mama.

Carrie Underwood - Mama's Song

Mama, you taught me to do the right things

So now you have to let your baby fly

You've given me everything that I will need

To make it through this crazy thing called life

And I know you watched me grow up

And only want what's best for me

And I think I found the answer to your prayers

And he is good, so good

He treats your little girl like a real man should

He is good, so good

He makes promises he keeps

No he's never gonna leave

So don't you worry about me

Don't you worry about me

Mama there's no way you'll ever lose me

Giving me away is not goodbye

As you watch me walk down to my future

I hope tears of joy are in your eyes

'Cause he is good, so good

And he treats your little girl like a real man should

He is good, so good

He makes promises he keeps

No he's never gonna leave

So don't you worry about me

Don't you worry about me

And when I watch my baby grow up

I'll only want what's best for her

And I hope she'll find the answer to my prayers

And that she'll say

He is good, so good

And he treats your little girl like a real man should

He is good, so good

He makes promises he keeps

No he's never gonna leave

So don't you worry about me

Don't you worry about me

Mama don't you worry about me

Don't you worry about me

Saylor's shower @ Melody's

A baby girl...one of the most beautiful miracles in life, one of the greatest joys we can ever know, and one of the reasons why there is a little extra sunshine, laughter and happiness in your world today. 

This past weekend my sweet Charlotte fam hosted a fabulous baby shower. Melody and her girls (and her sweet husband) are all so precious and Saylor and I are so blessed they did this for us. It was a wonderful day, filled with laughs and fun, all things pink and precious little bunnies. I had such a great time getting to see family and friends, and sharing this special time with them!

Here are the fabulous hosts:

The whole group:

The darling decor:

The yummmmmy cakes (love for a prego, ha!):

Opening all things pink... (little girl things are just precious!)

Sweet friends and family...

Thank you so much to sweet Melody, Lauren and Eve for opening your home to us and throwing such a precious baby shower. I cant wait for Saylor to meet yall :) :)! I love yall so much.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." -Marcel Proust 

Labor of love

This past weekend, my mom, dad, bro and husband worked their fannies off to get Saylor's nursery ready to roll. My brother happens to be quite the handy man (thank goodness), and brought his truck loaded with molding, paint, etc.  Here he is on day 1, getting started....

As Jake worked on the molding, mom and dad got started painting Chloe's room. They made quite a team and had her room pink and striped in no time. Jake was finished putting up all the molding, etc, so they moved on to Saylor's room for paint. My dad is quite the detailed painter...

I was pretty good at running errands for more paint and supplies, making lunch, making dinner... being staff. Ha. They worked all weekend, and here is the end result...

I am beyond THRILLED! It turned out so beautiful! We still have prints and the chandelier to hang, window treatments to put up and a glider to be covered, but we are well on our way. Thank you, thank you, thank you to my dad, brother, mom and husband for a weekend full of laboring for Saylor!

"...for this child we prayed" - 1 Samuel 1:27

33 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 20 pounds, yikes.

Maternity Clothes: blech. I'm over maternity clothes, ha. Glad for fall so I can atleast wear jeans!

Best Moment this week: The nursery is almost complete! My hubs, dad and bro worked on it all weekend... so precious. We also had a wonderful baby shower in Charlotte. Saylor and I are so blessed.

Gender: It's a girl - Saylor Alden Branch

Movement: feeling her move all the time... seeing my belly pop up in places when she pokes her arm or foot!

Food Craving: cheese and crackers, oranges

What I miss: fitting into my regular clothes and sleeping all night

Sleep: Not so good anymore. 

What I am looking forward to: Our couple's shower in Greensboro this weekend!

Belly Button: In

Stretch Marks: None yet. Yikes.

Symptoms: Nausea still hanging around. Being so big.... is that a symptom? ha.

32 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 14 pounds (definitely more, will find out on Thursday at the doctor)

Maternity Clothes: blech. I'm over maternity clothes, ha. Glad for fall so I can atleast wear jeans!

Best Moment this week: Watching Saylor squirm all over in my belly! Her crib bedding came in and starting to get the nursery together

Gender: It's a girl - Saylor Alden Branch

Movement: feeling her move all the time... seeing my belly pop up in places when she pokes her arm or foot!

Food Craving: pickles, biscuits, honey mustard salad dressing.

What I miss: fitting into my regular clothes and sleeping all night

Sleep: Not so good anymore. 

What I am looking forward to: My bro and dad coming this weekend to paint and put the waynes coating up in the nursery

Belly Button: In

Stretch Marks: None yet. Yikes.

Symptoms: Back pain. Holy back pain.

Here is baby girl at 32 weeks (according to babycenter) She weighs almost 4 pounds:

Life.

via

31 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 31 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 14 pounds (probably more, will find out next week at my dr's appt... this little girly is growing a mile a minute these days!)

Maternity Clothes: blech. I'm over maternity clothes, ha. Glad for fall so I can atleast wear jeans!

Best Moment this week: Saylor's crib being delivered today!

Gender: It's a girl - Saylor Alden Branch

Movement: feeling her move all the time... seeing my belly pop up in places when she pokes her arm or foot!

Food Craving: cereal, toast, biscuits. CARBS.

What I miss: fitting into my regular clothes

Sleep: Not so good anymore. 

What I am looking forward to: Getting the crib today and getting the nursery painted!

Belly Button: In

Stretch Marks: None yet. Yikes.

Symptoms: Nausea. Nausea. Nausea. Back pain like crazy. These remaining weeks are not for sissys. ha.

To my sweet little girl...

Saylor,

I can't believe in less than 10 weeks I will finally get to meet you. Oh how I have dreamed of this day. What you will look like. What your first cry will sound like. How my heart will burst out of my chest the very second I meet you. How your daddy's eyes will light up the first time he holds you.

It is getting so close now. You are so active in my belly, I feel as though you are constantly reminding me how close we are. We are busy getting everything ready for your arrival around the house. We had a baby shower weekend before last with all my sweet girlfriends, and have 2 my showers in the next few weeks. You are one loved little girl, and I am blessed beyond measure to get to be your mommy. Your nursery is being filled with all things girly... bows, shoes, dresses. It is just wonderful. Your crib is being delivered on Tuesday and my dad, your g-bake, and my brother, your uncle Jake, are coming in 2 weekends to put up the waynes coating and paint your nursery. I am so excited and thankful they are coming to do this for you!

You are such a miracle. Me and your daddy love each other so much. We are the very best of friends, and upon your arrival, will share an even deeper love. A precious love for our new little girl. A precious love for each other. Thank you for that sweet gift. 

I had no idea I could love you so much already, but I do. I think about you all day. I rub my hand across my belly, just to say hello. I talk to you constantly. I can't wait to see your sweet face.

Please know, baby girl, that you are loved. You are special. You are a gift from our sweet Father.

"Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God."

-Psalm 43:4

I love you, 

Mommy