Nursery in progress.

Time marches on. And as it does, the little bedroom in the back corner of our house slowly transforms into a beautiful space encompassed by soft shades of blue and pink. As the old and the new come together to create an environment worthy of our sweet little girl, we daydream of the life that we will soon live.

Want to peek inside Little's room?

Shoes.

 Thermometer, Aspirator, Lotion, Nail Clippers, Butt Paste - next to the changing pad.

 Prefolds borrowed from one of my wonderful sisters-in-law, Brii.

Pocket Diapers and Covers.

The Diaper Bag.

 

The Justin-made table to be placed next to the rocking chair.

Twin Bed.

Baskets full of little pants, burp cloths, swaddling/receiving blankets, and socks.

 Adorable sheep purchased at an antique shop by some of our very good friends, Kristen and Landon.

Little booties.

Ode to Fall.

 Time to bring out the scented candles and adorn front porches with plump pumpkins and decorative wreaths. The season that has been intensely anticipated around this household is finally here! Fall's wonderful and unique qualities of college football, colorful leaves, and cooler weather all combine to make my spirits soar, senses heighten, and allow me to come to the conclusion that this really is the the most wonderful time of the year.

To celebrate the first day of fall, I opened a can of pumpkin, brought out the spices, and flipped through my recipe books to find the perfect "first day of fall" concoction: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Although they look a little rough around the edges and just thrown together without much care, let me assure you, the flavors work together wonderfully to give you the relaxed, inviting feeling of fall!

 Fall is here! Fall is here!  

Pregnancy: Week 32

 This past week passed by extremely fast and not much has changed in pregnancy land - still fascinated by the squirming that goes on inside of me and still completely entranced by the thought of having a daughter in a couple months.

  Although it has happened on occasion throughout my pregnant life, this week has really triggered my imagination and curiosity. Every time I feel her kick, with every movement she makes, my heart starts racing and my imagination runs wild. From all of the hopes and dreams that we hold for her to what she's going to look like and who's nose she will have, she captivates my thoughts completely.

 When Justin places his hand on my belly and gets that certain sweet look in his eyes, the one that is reserved for the times when he is thinking of only her, my life is perfect, my heart expands, and I am completely consumed by more love than I could ever imagine. Seeing the sheer adoration for his unborn child written across my husband's face makes every step along this journey precious.

 So, I close my eyes to take it all in. It will be over before we know it, and the precious movements I feel now will be just a distant memory. So, as much as I look forward to holding this little girl in my arms and covering her with kisses, I embrace this time and enjoy the closeness.

Pregnancy: Week 31

Two months to Little. 

  Yesterday marked exactly two months until my estimated due date, November 15. Which leaves me thinking: How prepared are we to have a baby? I mean, I've read close to a million magazines and books from cover to cover trying to absorb as much advice as possible, Googled every thought that has half way crossed my mind, and freaked out over every big and small thing imaginable ever since we found out, but when it comes down to it I feel just as clueless as when I started. 

  Researching everything from shots to swaddling, cloth diapering to genetic screenings, colic to kegels - it's all a bit overwhelming. And to be honest, all I feel like doing is photocopying the highlighted pages in all of these baby books and posting them to the walls around the house for quick reference in my time of need. (If I frame the articles it wouldn't look quite so tacky, would it?)

  Anyway, I guess I'm trying to say: it's crunch time. My baby knowledge absorption needs to be kicked into high gear, and quick.  

  As of Tuesday (which is when I was technically 31 weeks) I had gained 12 lbs. My blood test to determine iron levels came back perfect, and my fundal measurement is right on target. I have not yet been plagued with swelling of any kind, but fatigue and frequent restroom breaks have once again entered my daily routine.

  Little is putting all of her weight behind her kicks and squirms now. Her breathtaking movements can be seen from across the room as my belly shakes from side to side as she practices her dancing (I think she's secretly trying to choreograph her Aunt Brii's Christmas Concert. :) ) 

  My short torso leaves a very small amount of room for Little to get comfortable without it feeling as if she's trying to bust her way out through my belly button. When this happens I simply try to calmly persuade her into staying in mommy's incubator just a couple more months, as it would be best for her survival that way.  I think we've already tried to bribe her with lots of hugs and kisses, and maybe even a horse, if she would kindly quit leaving bruises on my ribs. She still causes aches and pains, but she will still receive a million of those hugs and kisses we've promised, just don't tell her that yet. :)  

  Nine weeks to go. 

AND.

Lately, in the still of the morning, just after Justin leaves for work, I’ve been spending the first moments of my day thinking - just thinking - about how the word AND has come into my life and how beautiful its coming has been.

For so long, it was just me. I was Casie. Making decisions on what to cook for dinner, weekend plans, and what the next paycheck would be spent on without having to consult anyone else.

And then I met Justin. And with Justin came my first AND.

Now instead of just Casie, I was Casie AND Justin. There was now someone else to consider. I now cared so deeply for someone else I could hardly stand it. There was more weight to every decision, more motivation behind every action, and more love enclosed in every thought.

Lately, I've been thinking, as I rub my ever expanding belly and prepare for the next big AND to enter my life.

Casie, Justin AND Little.

In two months time, our hearts will expand more than they already have, our family will grow, and we will be transformed into a precious unit of three. We'll have another person to fill our home, our hearts, and our spirits with love and laughter as we continue through this journey acquiring these beautiful ANDs.

The beauty of life is sharing it with others. I'm thrilled, excited, and amazed at this wonderful opportunity I have been given to open my life, yet again, to another individual - to add another AND behind my name. To give my heart away daily, place these wonderful people before myself, and love beyond my wildest dreams is my desire. Such a beautiful desire. 

A Walk in the Woods {via Pictures}

At 7 months pregnant, the most hiking I was willing to endure in the thinner air of the high altitude mountains of Colorado was a mere 3.6 mile trek up to beautiful waterfalls lined by quaking aspens and Engelmann spruces. Sadly the sound of the rushing water awoke my bladder and made the hike back down the mountain a little more grueling than the adventure up. All in all, it was relaxing and enjoyable as it was quite different from the Appalachian trails with which we have grown familiar. 

Enjoy the walk with us:

 

(We do always seem to feature hungry critters after we picnic on a hike, don't we?) 

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We started the day off early with our hike, so we still had plenty of time to explore other parts of the park and relax as we saw fit. The next part of our day consisted of finding a secluded spot to hang our hammocks and resting a bit while enjoying the unique sounds of nature. Once we were up for more exploring we hopped in our Kia Soul (that, for the majority of the trip, we cleverly named "The Soul Train") and headed for the west side of the park.

We ventured to Milner Pass, the spot of the continental divide...

 

And then headed into Estes Park for the night to invade a restaurant for the next three hours as we cheered on the Georgia Bulldogs and enjoyed the first not-cooked-over-a-campfire meal of our trip.

Beautiful day.

Things I'm Loving...

  As summer creeps to an end and fall starts to show signs of its approaching sweetness, my spirit is left feeling refreshed and renewed. This front porch sitting time of the year always brings a giant smile to my face as Saturdays are filled with college football and the air smells beautifully of delicate spices and pumpkin pies.

  Although there are still a few days left before this delightful season arrives, our house and attitudes are already beginning to prepare for its coming.

We're loving:

- These 80 degree days!

-The color of fall flowers as they adorn our front porch!

- Our very happy for the cooler weather, Paisley!

- (Decaf) Pumpkin Spice lattes!

-Store bought flowers that seem to last forever!

A Rocky Mountain Babymoon - Day 2

Our second day began early, since we were both eager to explore the area. Justin looked at the map and planned out a long loop through the heart of the park. We first took a little gravel road called Old Fall River Road up to the alpine visitor center. The road was mostly wooded as we steadily climbed in elevation to over 12,000 feet. Brief glimpses through the tree gave us a hint to the views that awaited us at the top. When we finally cleared the treeline, it was almost like entering another world. The forests gave way to vast meadows that afforded unobstructed views of the still-snowy crags in the distance. We marveled at the view from the visitor's center for a while before heading back to the campsite on Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge turned out to be, quite possibly, the most beautiful road that either of us have ever traveled. It winds through the mountains above the treeline for several miles before beginning its slow descent to the valley floor, and it seemed that every vista we passed along the way was more spectacular than the last. We took our time on the way back, stopping at nearly every pull-off to marvel at the view. We made it back to the valley floor in time for a late lunch beside a crystal clear river, followed by a lazy afternoon in the hammocks.

 The Alluvial Fan - A series of waterfalls and rapids as a river exited the mountains onto the valley floor

Craggy peaks along Old Fall River Road

 A spruce-lined mountain brook

A marmot - with a view!

Justin getting a panoramic shot

 The view along Trail Ridge Road

Our lunch spot!

A hungry visitor.

A Rocky Mountain Babymoon - Day 1

Last Thursday began with a buzzing alarm clock at 3:00 a.m. We needed to leave the house by 3:30 to make it to the airport in New Orleans a comfortable 2 hours before our flight left for Denver. It wasn't as difficult to pull ourselves out of bed as we expected, and after an uneventful drive to the airport and flight to Colorado, we found our way through the maze in Denver to retrieve our baggage and rental car by 10:30 a.m. We made it to Boulder, CO before our stomachs could take it no longer and we had to stop for lunch. We also dropped by the local Wal-Mart to pick up the supplies that we didn't have room for on the plane.

Finally, around 3:00 p.m., we found our way to our campsite at Moraine Park Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful site - the most secluded in the whole campground - located in the middle of an expansive meadow scattered with ancient ponderosa pines, with views of the mountains in all directions. Three trees stood 50 yards away on hillside, the perfect spot for us to hang our hammocks and gaze at Longs Peak (the highest mountain in the park at 14,259 feet) in the distance. As Justin began setting up the tent, though, all I could think of were the words of the park ranger as we checked in. She strongly encouraged us to keep our food in one of the "bear boxes" located throughout the campground, because there had been bears active in the area all week, and they had been known to break into cars to get to the delectable goodies. I, however, was more worried about a bear breaking into our tent than our car. Luckily, we never did see any bears in our campsite, but we encountered mule deer constantly on our many treks to the bathhouse.

As cozy as our little tent looked in the middle of our big, grassy meadow, our first night turned out to be a bit more restless than we had anticipated. Our thick sleeping bags and sleeping pads that we normally camp in were a bit to bulky to fit in our luggage, so we were left to sleep on our gravelly pad with temperatures dipping into the low 40s in a much-too-thin summertime sleeping bag (it didn't help that I haven't been able to make it through the night without using the restroom in about 5 months). At around 3:30 a.m. that night, I finally asked Justin - who had been tossing and turning for the last couple of hours as well - if he would accompany me to the bath house, since I couldn't possibly go alone (bears, remember?). We decided to drive our rental car the several hundred yards to the bath house, and we immediately realized that the soft seats were much more comfortable than our thin sleeping bags...so, we decided to spend the rest of the night in the car...and each night thereafter! A least our tent did provide a convenient storage facility for all of our gear :)

Our secluded campsite.

The perfect spot to hang out!

Our unexpected home away from home. (A Kia Soul)

Our tent storage facility, with Longs Peak in the background.

The path.

 

Our campground companions.