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12 July 2012

Goodbye and Hello!

As the saying goes, one when chapter ends another begins. I have had loads of fun blogging about art and life here at Cider & Faun but I believe it was time to start anew with the old! As odd as that sounds, it's my effort to consolidate and simplify so please come visit me over at my new blog, http://hellolittlebighead.blogspot.com!

16 March 2012

Welcome home Finn!

 Our baby boy is finally here! Finn Chesterton Gutierrez was born on the magical day of Leap Year, February 29th, 2012 at 12:28 p.m. God's grace and mercy was definitely upon us as labor and delivery was very different this time than with our daughter. My water broke at 4:45 am and I was already at 4 cm with very minimal contractions (I felt like I had tiny cramps). The contractions finally kicked in at 6:30 in the morning and by the time they really began to kick my butt, it was already about 9:30. I was relieved with a bit of medication through the IV but that only lasted so long. The pain became intense and the body was ready to push! Once the Doctor had arrived, I only pushed a handful of times before our beautiful baby boy emerged.

We are so happy to finally have him here, to see his face, to look into his eyes and to hold in our arms. I am so thankful for this tremendously blessing of life that has been given to us and look forward to the new journey of having him in our lives!









25 February 2012

while we wait for baby brother...

Scenes from everyday life while we wait for our little bundle to come (tomorrow I'll be 39 weeks and we are all so very eager for him)!











A very belated valentine's post

Thanks to Pinterest, Nat and I came up with the perfect valentines for her classmates this year. Handmade is always the best and I love to see that she wants to make something for her class. Last year we made paper valentine hearts  she gave out but this year I wanted to step it up a notch. I found some ideas online and gathered them onto my We Heart It Pinterest Board. Finally I found two projects that I mashed together and had the idea to make Pencil Valentine Arrows.  It did take awhile cutting out all the pieces and gluing them together but we were so proud of our valentines. They were a big hit with Natalie (which of course, makes me feel awesome) and with her friends as well.

To be honest, I can't wait to make more arrows and they don't even have to be for Valentine's Day either!




19 January 2012

gearing up and getting ready...

I am almost eight and half months pregnant and I am definitely beginning to feel the weight of all of it (and I don't just mean the physical part of it, which of course, goes without saying)! I am feeling the need to clean up, clear out, minimize and nest for our new little one. Thankfully I have had support in doing this when my body is not feeling at it's optimum. Last week, my friend generously gave of her time to help me put a new shelf in Nettle's room and to tidy up what had become a pig's pen in the last few months.
The girl still has a lot of things (try as I may to consolidate!) but at least it is looking orderly and organized now. It makes a huge difference to be able to breathe when I enter her room and not feel overwhelmed by it all.
Her room is not the only room that needed addressing. This week I've been going through my own things in effort to make room for our boy. I've had to buckle down and really ask myself what I can give away or throw out. I have a tendency to hold on to all sorts of things 'just in case' whether it's smaller size clothes or crafting material. I'm trying to understand that if I truly need something, it will be provided for and sometimes it is okay to go out and get just what you need so you don't become a bit of a hoarder. In clearing out some drawers and boxes, I did manage to find a few peculiar items (well, not peculiar to me but maybe for others). I found a handful of little dried ginger roots (which I now call ginger bones), cut out paper bunnies instead of dust bunnies, a family of ghost rocks and other assorted stones and old drawings.


Another blessing I've had this week is some really cool hand me downs from another friend of mine. As I was sorting through the clothes and stuff, it really began to hit me that this is real. This little boy of mine, that loves to move about and aggressively remind me that he is in there will be arriving soon!

As I also prepare for him, I wanted to do the best with what we have. Most of you know that we are currently cohabiting with my parents. We have two rooms, ours (Rick and I) and the Nettle's. Like before, our room will now also host the baby (along with already being our bedroom, family room, craft and art space and office). I know it's not the 'ideal' place for a nursery but I still want to make his 'space' nice and intentionally his. I finally finished my first flag bunting for him which I am particularly fond of because it has some sentimental value to it. The denim and white floral flags are actually cut out of an old pair of jeans and a top that was Nettle's when she was younger. It's a small way of including her into what will be his and I truly like that idea. I also made his first initial with buttons and cloth leaves (also from an old top of Nettle's) on an embroidery hoop to add to his 'wall'.




I also did promise Nettles I would make her a flag bunting and an initial hoop for her room as well. I have the triangles all cut out and ready to go! Her flags also include her former white floral top as well as black floral print that once was an old skirt of mine. Again, passing along things that once were ours into something new.
There is still much to do but I am happy of the progress that is being made. The countdown has begun!