Friday I'm In Love with a Pop of Color

Friday I'm in Love is back - and I'm feeling quite ambitious today!  Baby is settling in, so I thought I would venture out and hit the community yard sale in my neighborhood this morning.  I'm hoping to find some cheap baby stuff to eliminate some pricey items off of my "still need" list.  Then, I have a disaster of a house to clean, a baby to feed (and feed, and feed...) - and last but not least - this post. 

Everywhere I turn I am seeing brights - from clothing to decor - you name it.  In my "spare time" this week, I managed to find a few projects in the blogosphere that caught my eye.  So, without delay - here are my picks for this week!

The first project is this Awesome dresser redo from Jenn at My Fabuless Life.  I seriously never would have thought to paint something watermelon pink - but this totally works!  I LOVE the color!  You have to check out the before and after transformation on her blog.

I heart all of the pops of color in Chrissy's dining room makeover over at Hoot Designs.  This space looks so relaxed.  I could totally see myself hanging out with friends over some wine.  I just love this look!

 The $2 shelves look so perfect in Jamie's nursery!  She shares the tutorial on how she made the shelves over at The Letter 4.  How cute is this little vignette?  LOVE!

I think I may need to be picking up a new skill - needlepoint!  How adorable is this Embroidery Hoop Name Art made by Jennifer at The Brilliant Crafty Type?  I love the use of different fonts, and of course the bright colors!  Yup - I think I need to learn how to do this!

And finally - the ruffles on this T-shirt that Jamie made for her daughter are so cute!  Such a great way to turn a plain white T into adorable!  She shares the full tutorial over at Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, and also shares the matching shorts and skirt that she made to go with it!

I hope you enjoyed my favorites this week!  If you were featured, feel free to grab a button from my sidebar.  Have a wonderful weekend - enjoy this spring weather we have been having!!

XOXO

Sweet Baby Boy

The past week has been such a blur.  Little man was 5lbs 9oz at birth, and is already up to 6lbs!  We are so proud of our little guy, but let me tell you - mama is T-I-R-E-D from all of the late night feedings!  This guy eats almost every two hours during the night and sleeps all day.  We need to fix that.  But, when I see the baby fat starting to form it makes me so happy to know that he is healthy, and it's all worth it.

Exhaustion aside, I'm starting to feel somewhat like myself again.  I know I've been neglecting the blog a bit - but hopefully I can squeeze in some writing in between feedings and naps.  The nursery was unfinished due to his early arrival, but I will be sharing it with you all very soon (I'm kind of in love with it!).

The hospital had a photographer come in and take some professional photos of little Morgan.  They came out great, but I wish they would have told me that I would make an appearance in one of them.  I had no makeup and greasy hair - oh well!!

This one is my favorite!!

Love this shot with Daddy!!

My little old man...

I know I should be a model.  I AM the picture of beauty here let me tell you! I already have Harper's Bazaar beating down my door!  Who could blame them with my snazzy hospital gown I'm wearing?

I have missed you guys!!  More to come!!

XOXO

Announcing Morgan Salvatore Hayes

Baby Morgan arrived on Tuesday, March 6 at 12:23pm!  We weren't expecting him so soon - he was 3 1/2 weeks early!

Long story short, Monday night after dinner I had a pretty bad headache, and noticed that my vision was kind of blurry - all signs that my blood pressure was high.  So, for about an hour and a half, I took my blood pressure, and it kept getting worse.  By the time I finally decided to call the doctor's office, it was 184/104. They told me to go ahead and come down to the hospital again (I just spent the night there last week).  This time, I was prepared - I packed extra clothes and some snacks so I didn't get stuck having to wear my hospital gown the whole time and would have plenty of food to eat (I was starving last time).

Once I arrived at the hospital, they told me they would monitor me overnight, just like last time.  My assumption was that everything would be fine, and they would send me home the next day.  Hubby, on the other hand, had a funny feeling that we wouldn't be coming home without a baby.  I thought he was nuts!

So, everything was looking good Tuesday morning, my blood pressure had gone down, and we were just waiting on some lab work to come back.  As a precaution, they rolled me down to get an ultrasound.  Last week everything looked great, so I had no doubt in my mind that everything would be the same.  To my surprise, after the tech finished with the ultrasound, the doctor came in to look at everything.  He informed me that my fluids were low, and that the baby hadn't really grown in the past week.  That, combined with my high BP, and potential preclampsia - he told me his recommendation was to go ahead and take the baby out.

Whoa - what?!?  "Like in a few days...next week?", I asked.

"Or today" he said.  "I am going to call your OB and we'll come up with a plan".

I was floored - this was really happening.  My baby boy was 3 1/2 weeks early, almost full term, but I was still a little scared.  About an hour went by, and I was waiting for the doc to come in and give me the plan.  Instead my nurse came in and took some blood.  Then she said, "So, you're getting a C-Section?  They told me to start prepping you."

WHAT???  "Prepping me?" I asked.

"Yes" she said, "You're having a C-Section at noon".  NOON!!

"Like 2 1/2 hours from now noon?"  holy moly.  I needed to call hubby!  He had gone home late the night before and he was going to have to book it down to the hospital.  I needed him to hold my hand during the epidural!!

Hubby made it, and before I knew it they were wheeling me down to surgery.  Everything went well, and once I heard that tiny little cry, I knew the baby was ok.  He was so small - only 5lbs, 9oz.  Almost a full three pounds less than Addie had been.

He is doing great, and we are all so in love with him.  We finally get to go home tomorrow - can't wait!!

Here are some pics of the family.  I will post more once we get home and I can edit them.  YAY!  Baby Morgan is here!!!

I won't be able to post my Friday I'm In Love favorites tomorrow.  I will be enjoying my new love instead!!

XOXO

Jenn

Showered With Love

I need to start out by saying that I feel so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life!  This past Saturday my Sisters In Law and friend Ginger (from the Savvy Shanty) threw me a baby shower at Ginger's house. 

OMG - Ginger seriously did an amazing job with the decor and food.  She picked up the 70s Vintage theme from Baby H's room and totally ran with it. The whole shower was a 1977 theme (for the year I was born).  It was so colorful and just perfect - right down to the food.  She even served my favorite (fish sticks and macaroni and cheese)...yes you heard that correctly!  LOL.  I love them! 

Please forgive me for posting so many pics - I just can't help but share EVERYTHING - it was so awesome! 

OK - so before I go on, I neglected to tell you all last week that I spent about 24 hours in the hospital.  Not to worry, everything is fine, but when I went in for my regular check up, my blood pressure was high...so the doc sent me down to be monitored.  Needless to say, they ran tests and released me, but not before they proceeded to give me like 4 bags of IV fluid.  Now, I am a swollen nightmare.  This whole pregnancy I have managed to escape the swelling, until now.  Now my face and body look like a water balloon.  Oh well - only 2 1/2 weeks to go!

 This was a fun 1977 trivia game we played.  I didn't win, boo!

Me with my hostesses, Addie and Miss Priss (Ginger's Daughter). 

Thank you to Ashleigh, Brooke and Ginger for throwing me an amazing shower!  Thank you also to all of the friends and family who attended.  Baby H is coming into this world with so many people who love him!!

XOXO

Friday I'm In Love - St. Patty's Day Style

I am in full-on nesting mode, getting things ready for this baby boy to arrive (in three short weeks)!  This year, the St. Patty' Day decor has taken the backseat.  BUT - that's doesn't mean that I don't drool over and appreciate all of the fun stuff that everyone else is working on!  I love all of the green I'm seeing out there - reminds me that spring-is-a-coming!

So, let's get started!

I loved this easy DIY hurricane tutorial by Chelsea at Two Twenty One.  Using Dollar Store and Goodwill finds, she created this fun and inexpensive collection!  LOVE that she filled them with dried peas for that pop of green!

Any time I see a wreath made with real greenery I'm in awe.  For some reason, this always seems like such a hard task, and I'm a little apprehensive to try it.  BUT - Jenn over at Blue Sky Confections made it seem so easy in her Four Leaf Clover Door Wreath tutorial.  She made this with her shrubbery clippings!  I have lots of those!!  I may need to attempt a wreath this year.  Yes, I am inspired to push my limits!

My brain always goes to green and clovers for St. Patricks Day, but I LOVE the rainbow that Landee incorporated into her mantle display!  How adorable is this?  And a chevron sign?  Oh yes - super cute!  Check out the full display over at Landee See Landee Do.

 What a great idea to paint the inside of some bottles?!  I love the simplicity of these - yet they look so adorable!  The craft paper hang tags are such a cute addition!  Leanne from Organize & Decorate Everything shares a tutorial on how to make these cuties!

And finally - I couldn't resist these Chocolate Mint Brownies made by Lila at Sweet and Lovely Crafts.  OMG - these look amazing!!!  Chocolate and mint is by far my favorite flavor combo.  Put it this way - we went through a box of thin mint cookies in like a 24 hour period (my daughter shares my love for chocolate mint).  I am so making these (maybe even this weekend)!

I hope you enjoyed my favorites this week!  Feel free to grab a button from my sidebar if you were featured.  Have a great weekend!!

xoxo