Family Room Reveal

Here's a quick update on the almost finished product. It's taken a long time to take photos since the moments of the house being quasi-clean, having good lighting, and having the toddler entertained elsewhere are few and far between. It's like a split-second utopia.

Overall, we love the house. We still have some nesting to do, but it will come (right??). The big stuff is complete, and making it ours is a work-in-progress. We are getting there slowly but surely. But, here's where we are today...

the little rocking chair was left with the house. i painted it & B loves having his own "big boy" space in the family room.

Need a reminder of the before? (shield your eyes from the shag carpet!)

The inspiration behind the transformation...

Favorites in this room:

• The black windows. Replacing all of the aluminum-framed casement windows throughout the house wasn't in the budget. Painting them black gave them an INSTANT update and we love it, despite the pain it was to get the painters to finish the job correctly.
• Natural light
• Fireplace - hubs did an amazing job installing the wood cladding. 
• Fireplace surround
• Shelving update - a little trim on the shelf fronts and paint on the rear wall is another instant update
• B's play area isn't as pretty or contained as the Sarah Richardson in me would like, but I wouldn't trade having him a place to hang out for all the designer fabric in the world.

Details:

• Rug: One Kings Lane
• Bench: Antique
• Mantel: Custom reclaimed Douglas Fir
• Fireplace surround: Absolute Black granite, honed
• Fireplace cladding: Custom
• Armoire: Crate & Barrel
• Curtains: Ikea
• Wall hanging: vintage
• Paint colors: see here

Time flies...B's first birthday

It seems like just last week that we were headed to the hospital in hopes of soon meeting our babe. I would've never guessed I could love so much, yet love so much more every single day. And be exhausted at the same time. Today's Atlanta weather makes me oh-so-thankful we met him this time last year instead of 2014. 

While life for the Velmers is completely different than it was this time last year, it is most definitely all for the better. A "catastrophic" ice storm or "national emergency" wasn't gonna keep us from celebrating our favorite little fella.

After a blueberry pancake breakfast, we focused on some serious playtime while Dad tended to some work stuff. Someone was very happy when Dad emerged for fun time.

After a solid nap, it was party time.

And, for the cake? Lemon blueberry cake with blueberry jam filling and lemon buttercream frosting, topped with fresh blueberries, of course.

the poor little cake doesn't know what's coming

really dad, i can eat all of these blueberries? with no bib??

oh yeah. nom nom nom nom nom.

I think he would've been perfectly content to just eat the blueberries, but that wouldn't be as much fun. After removing some of the berries, we got down to business.

mmm. this stuff is tasty.

hey dad! there's BERRIES in here!!!!!

And, sometimes cake is so good you just want to sit in it.

Once the cake saw its demise by derriere, we cleaned up and got to some presents.

A dump truck, a swing, and a hammerin' bench - not a bad haul for the cutest one year old on the block. A few out-of-town gifts are held up due to Snowmaggedon, so it'll be the birthday that keeps on givin'. That's the best kind anyway.

Newborn Dad To-Do List

As a mama-to-be, my to-do list is constantly circling in my brain: pack hospital bag, wash baby clothes, organize nursery, buy diaper creme, give the dog plenty of attention, do we have enough diapers?, order waterproof mattress protector, and the list goes on. Between being uncomfortable, hormonal, and anxious, I think it's fair to say we have enough on our plate in those final weeks of pregnancy. Surely there are some things I can delegate...to the HUSBAND!!!

I'm fortunate to have a wonderful hubs who is always happy to help. If I give him a list, he's on it. Without a list, well, he just doesn't sometimes know where to start. We're working on that mind-reading thing, but we aren't there yet.

Here's my list of Daddy Duties for things Dad can take on in those first days after the babe arrives. Do you have anything to add to the list?

While in the hospital:

1. Family announcement. This is a right of passage for all new dads, right? The obligatory email with a few photos, birth stats, and "mom & baby are doing great" line. You guys may want to discuss who this email goes to in advance, and even start a draft. Chances are, he may not have your Aunt Suzy in his contacts, and we don't want to leave Aunt Suzy out!  If the notification list is overwhelming, you can always designate someone on both sides of the family to initiate a "baby's here" chain to pass along the good news once Dad sends it to them.
2. Add babe to health insurance. This may be a simple call, a form, or (as insurance is known to be) a ridiculously unnecessary complicated process. Either way, Dad should be able to make the call, fill out the form, or figure out what needs to be done. Even if Mom is the primary person on the account, he should be able to make some headway. He should be able to get the info from the back of the insurance card (which you'll obviously have with you at the hospital).
3. Order the breast pump. (see here for insurance coverage for breast pumps & why you have to wait until the babe arrives) Make sure he has the contact info on-hand.
4. Notify Mom's work. You need to get the maternity leave started, so whether that's through the office or a third party (or both), be sure to have the contact info ready for your husband so he can notify the right folks and "turn on" the benefits. If Dad gets paternity leave, start that ball rolling, too.
5. Notify pediatrician & schedule initial check-up. If the hospital doesn't do this for you, you'll need to call your pediatrician and let them know your baby has arrived. Some will visit in the hospital, others will not. Either way, you need to let the hospital know who your pediatrician will be prior to discharge. And, you'll need to set up an appointment within a few days of birth.  If you haven't already met with your pediatrician (we haven't), it's still a good idea to call them before the delivery date to make sure they are accepting new patients & your insurance. If, after the first appointment you don't love them, you can find someone else for the future appointments. If Dad has made that initial call, it's easy for him to follow up once baby is born.
6. Take photos, duh! Be sure someone else gets photos of the whole family, too. If there are any shots you really want, make sure he knows in advance. Or, if you really want to be blurred in the background during those first few shots, make sure he knows that too (and reads up on how to focus accordingly).
7. Of course, whatever Mom asks for during labor & recovery is a given - food, massage, the remote control, etc.

Once home from the hospital:

1. Stock the breastfeeding station. Make sure Mom has huge glass of water,  a snack, the Boppy, and anything else that will make her comfy...including the remote control or headphones. Dad, you can bond with the babe during this time, too. Tickling the feet to keep him awake & actively feeding, or singing songs during the nighttime feed.
2. Manage visitors. Talk with Mom to see how she's handling the rotating door of friends & family and manage accordingly.
3. Let mom nap/shower/etc. Bring out the baby sling and strap him to your chest for some quality father-son bonding time (skin-to-skin is best, even for dads). While you and babe are shirtlessly putting away dishes, vacuuming the rug, or preparing dinner, Mom can spend some time in the shower. (And hopefully she'll sneak a photo, because this is just too cute for words.)
4. Bathe the baby. If Mom is exhausted, let bath time be part of your duties. Hop in the shower with him for some extra skin-to-skin bonding time. Once he's clean, hand him off to Mom who is eagerly awaiting with the adorable hooded towel. 
5. Keep a list of needed grocery items. If a visitor calls and offers to pick up anything you need, it's a handy go-to for the staples you may run out of quickly!
6. Walk Fido. In those first few days, the dog may need some extra attention --give it to her. In the following days, maybe Mom wants to walk Fido while you and Baby have some alone time.

What other ways has your partner helped in those first few days of bringing home baby? Add your ideas in the comments below!

Miss Lily Moves In

In my family, we have a strange tradition.

Said tradition involves an atrociously green, seductively posed, ceramic pregnant frog with lily pads covering her lady parts. Miss Lily has been with the Ross family for several generations, and she travels in her own special globe-trotting case. Her case includes her history, her manifest, and a family tree of my Mom's side of the fam.

So how does one become graced with Miss Lily's presence, you ask?

Well, Miss Lily is passed along to expecting females in the Ross family tree. Her manifest requires that she be presented in an over-the-top manner, the more obnoxious the better. Her manifest also requires that Miss Lily remain on prominent display in the caretaker's home until it's time to pass her along to her next stop.

We pass along my grandmother's lingerie to brides-to-be, so why wouldn't we pass a long a pregnant chartreuse ceramic frog to moms-to-be?

Miss Lily lived with my aunt when she was pregnant with each of my cousins, and she lived with my parents while my sisters & I were on the way.

[my mom co-presenting Miss Lily at the Ross Reunion in 2008]

Miss Lily was confined to her traveling case for many years until about four years ago, when she was presented to my cousin at our family reunion. I think everyone had forgotten about the poor chartreuse frog until then. She's lived in Texas for the past four years, and I had to secretly extricate her from Houston to Atlanta with the help of my mom & cousin. I think the timing was just about right because my cousin's 4-year old had become very interested in getting a Miss Lily of her own! Yikes!!

[Uncle John presenting Miss Lily to my cousin, mom-to-be Erin]

[hot mama-to-be Erin in July 2008. the first keeper of Miss Lily of the new generation.]

Miss Lily seems to be acclimating well to her new abode. And Lula likes her, if a little too much.

[Lula getting to know our new roommate.]

As much as she clashes with our interior decor, we're more than thrilled to have her in our home. Mostly, because of what she represents for the start of our family.

That's right, the newest member of Team V will be making his or her debut in a few months, around February 9th, give or take. Mom & Dad are blessed to feeling great & starting this new chapter. We're especially blessed that our Baby V will have a Cousin V on the west coast very close in age. Cousin V is expected to make her arrival in late September & was celebrated by lots of friends yesterday. We can't wait to see what traditions we concoct for the next generation of the V side of the fam...especially since the chartreuse preggers frog bit is already taken.

You're bound to see a baby-related project or two over the coming months, and definitely more pictures of Lula & bacon recipes. Stay tuned to see where the adventure leads...