Miss Catherine Stone

Our sweet Catherine Stone arrived on Thursday September 15th at 9:07pm by successful VBAC! She was 7lbs 12oz and 20.5 inches long. She is happy, healthy, and an absolute dream come true. More details and pictures to come!

An Introduction!

No, I am STILL not introducing my sweet Catherine to the world because she is apparently very content on not making her appearance quite yet! I am introducing something else though that is very near and dear to my heart. I have started a new website/blog "The Creative Chronicles". It has been something I have wanted to do for a long time but just never had the courage or motivation to do. After my mom got sick I decided that I would finally begin the journey. I want this space to inspire people to live each moment to its fullest potential. I'll be chronicling the creative inspiration I find every day in cooking, baking, crafting and home design and how they truly promote individual satisfaction and family connection and togetherness! I would love for you to come on over!

PS Shameless Bribe Alert: The first 25 members will be automatically entered to win a $25 Target Giftcard :)

Weekly Wrap Up

Honestly the only thing I can say about this week is that we are STILL waiting on Catherine! I can't believe it. Everything else seems to be a jumbled mess in my very pregnant brain :) Really though we havent done much. We've laid low and waited on our sweet girl. On Friday a few friends and I went on a picnic to the Marin Art and Garden Center. It was beautiful and the kids had a great time. If you live in Marin County you have to visit. The center is truly beautiful and the perfect place for a weekday picnic.

On Saturday morning we woke up to find out sweet Jack lying on the living room floor instead of on the couch as normal. I put him by the front door to go out and he wouldn't walk down the stairs. He has been lethargic and walking poorly since then. We are concerned he has been bit by a spider. He'll be going to the vet this week if he doesn't get better on his own. 

(This has always been my favorite picture of Jack. He was always looking in the crib waiting for Caroline to be born!)

We spent the rest of the day watching football and running some errands. We are so fun. I also got to talk to my mom for a bit. She missed chemo this week because her white blood cell count was too low to handle it. We are praying specifically that her blood cell count increases. She is going back to the doctor for a reimaging scan tomorrow. We are also praying specifically that the cancer has decreased and there are no new tumors. To be honest, I am scared to death to hear the outcome. 

Kim and I took Caroline to the Fall Fair at her school/parish. We had a good time and I got to eat a hot dog which, lets get serious, actually made it a great time. I've been watching ID for hours and will be spending the rest of the night reading about natural ways to induce labor :)

Etsys Friday Finds: Fall Onesies

Another set of absolutely adorable Etsy finds

PetiteFleurCreations

lilbows

PolkaDotBabyBowtique

LilLaineyBug

EllaGracesCloset

LilyBellasBoutique

I may just need one of each :)

Updates!

Update on my previous post: I don't think the pictures of those gorgeous cowls were showing up. Thats been fixed if you want to see them!

Update on my Catherine: Apparently this sweet girl is as stubborn as her mama. We had a doctors appointment yesterday and she has made NO progress. I had had about two hours of contractions the night before and you better believe that I almost cried when they suddenly stopped. Still I was sure they were a sign of SOMETHING! Damn you Braxton Hicks! I went ahead and scheduled a C-Section for a few days past my due date. The day I scheduled to have it will bring me home the day that my parents arrive so that will work out perfectly. Lets just pray that she decides to arrive before that though! I'm also in the process of getting my babysitters in order to help when we don't have family in town.

Update on my Mama: I finally got to talk to my Mom on Thursday. She was in great spirits and is SO excited to come and visit (which completely solidified my choice to schedule the c section a few days earlier than I needed to. I want to be home and settled by the time they arrive so she can spend as much time with Catherine as possible! I would definitely sacrifice a natural birth for that.) She's lost alot of weight and all her hair. She is sleeping a good amount but overall I think the chemo is doing some serious work on the cancer which is fantastic!! She started to cry at the end and said that sometimes she doesn't like to talk to anyone because she knows how emotional she is going to get and feels like she is letting everyone down by being sick. I just can't stand that she feels that way! It breaks my heart. I tried my best to reassure her. I hope I got through, even a little. Can't wait to see her :)

Fabulous Finds: Etsy Edition

I love Etsy. I could spend hours and hours scouring through the beautifulness that people have the talent to make with their own two hands. Their creativity is simply amazing. And who doesn't want to support small, homemade business. My latest Etsy obsession is the cowl. I don't believe there is another piece of Fall clothing that adds more class or stlye to a simple outfit. I'd love to be wearing one drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte right this moment ( OR be lying in a hospital bed with Catherine but, hey, whos keeping track!) Here are my favorite Etsy cowl finds:

swakdesigns

Happiknits

WarmMeUp

Shelby1998

Love, Love, Love.

W-A-I-T-I-N-G

We are STILL awaiting Catherines arrival! About twenty times I day I get convinced that I am going into labor though, obviously, I'm pulling at straws :) Thankfully we've been keeping busy in the meantime...

Clint became a BOARD CERTIFIED UROLOGIST! Woohoo! We are so proud of him!

Here he is when I asked him to look "studious" with his congratulatory letter...

 So Happy!

Caroline wore her FIRST pair of pigtails...

And has started to use EVERYTHING as a phone

We spent some time at the creek with friends

  And got broken hearted about some serious cheerio stealing that was happening

We watched the FIRST College Game Day of the season and saw UT WIN!

Personally, my new crock pot and chili recipe were the best parts of the day!

1 LB Ground Beef

2 (small) cans Tomato Sauce with Italian Seasoning

1 Can of Kidney Beans

2 cans of Italian Style Diced Tomatoes (1 drained completely & 1 partially drained)

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning 

Salt & Pepper to taste

Simply brown the ground beef and put into the crock pot along with the other ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours. Top with shredded cheese and serve with corn muffins.

L-O-V-E

(No pictures since my camera is packed in my hospital bag...just waiting patiently like the rest of us)

We started a nannyshare with a friend so Labor Day Clint and I went to lunch and had some final "alone" time before the baby!

And here are Catherine and I at 38 weeks!

I've been having horrible heartburn and have been sleeping in a chair in the living room. She can't get here soon enough :)