It takes a beating!

My heart, that is.

Isabella is still fighting sleep at night. I am more addicted than ever to taking pictures of her sleeping little angel-face since it's easier now that she has taken to sleeping with the lights on. It breaks my heart wide open...her little stuffed eagle tucked up under her arm (every night without fail it's a big production locating that dang bird) does little to aid in said breaking.

Another bleeding heart moment: Frustrated and at my wits end, school assignments coming out my ears and desperately needing a break from my offspring...I went to do some homework and saw this.

Oh my.

How can such a simple little gesture make my heart swell so big?

...please?

I am so glad that I snap pictures of Isabella whenever she is actually sleeping soundly. It is a nice reminder of the good ole days.
When she actually used to sleep.

But lately? Lately sleep has been something of a commodity.

She fights.

She plays.

She comes out of her room a LOT.

It's discouraging...especially when you know you have things to do, and bedtime is the only time you get to yourself. Sometimes I just get so frustrated....and then I feel guilty as soon as I see her sleepy cheeks.

But you want to know the hardest part of all? As soon as she IS asleep...I just want to go get her. Hold her, smell her, snuggle her.

If that is my only plight...I suppose I'm doing pretty well.

But my oh my...just sleep for momma like you used to...please?

I love.

Today was hectic. Isabella had to be dropped off, and picked up from school, she had a doctors appointment, I had loose ends to tie up before MY school starts back on Thursday, paperwork to pick up, Bella's prescription to drop off, insurance is no longer accepted at Walgreens so new pharmacy to find-ugh!

But tonight was simple. Pizza. Home. Family.

Oh, how I love simple. It is my very most favorite of all.

Isabella received a late Christmas gift...princess bingo! Oh and let me just say, we love princess bingo. Our sweet feller played too, of course. It's so much fun to listen to children talk while they're playing a game. They like to make up rules.

As usual, Jasper also joined in. He always has his snout in the middle of everything. I love this dog. If you don't pet him, he becomes most displeased and will waggle his muzzle even harder under your hand or into your leg. It works like a charm. Could not resist it even if I tried, and I don't ;-)

My man and I sported similar mu-mu pants...he showed up at the house in his mu-mu...isn't that the greatest thing? I love it when he does that. I love that he loves to come over just to lounge around with Isabella and me and play princess bingo. It's just another one of the little ways he shows me he loves spending time with us.

The littlest things can mean so much, can't they?

Littlest doesn't look like correct spelling when you type it out.

Isabella battled and fought her bedtime for three hours tonight. Three. Hours.

I am exhausted.

I am lucky.

I also love, that just now, out of the blue, he sent me a goodnight e-mail telling me how much he loves my creepy and socially awkward trick I do where I make it look like I'm sewing up my lip, and my Billy-Bob Thornton face, and my Ugliest-Face-Trick-Of-All: The Lipless Wonder

That these things have not 'done runned dat man clean off' is a wonder.

That was the best e-mail of all.

Perhaps, maybe, it probably just might be the best night of all.

Just a bunch of dribble.

Holy moly it's 2012! I really hope those Mayans were wrong, because I have plans for this year, ya know?

I love January. I really do (I also love Mondays) It's a new month in a new year, it's fresh, clean and unscathed. It's the perfect time for me take stock and align things for the coming year...meanwhile God is laughing and shaking His head at me. I'll never learn.

Even though I am excited for what's in store this year, I'm rather sad to see 2011 come to an end. We bonded, ole '11 and I. So many wonderful things happened to me this year and it is one that I will hold dear to my heart, alongside 2007, the year I became a mother. But 2012 is going to be a doozy, I can just feel it...something in the wind when it blows suggests a hint of change mixed with milestones. It's both terrifying and exhilarating but mostly it's just life, and boy how I love it when it's not being a big ole stinker.

I am downsizing lately and have been going through all of my moving boxes. I am proud to say that I am parting with more than I am keeping...although my collections of vintage pyrex would suggest otherwise. The dreary weather of late has put me in the full-fledged nesting mode. Today I behaved as if I were a 90-year-old grandma and I began organinzing my needlework station. I just hated myself a little as I typed that out.

But watching my slow transformation as my tangled mess goes from this...


...to this, makes me feel productive and stirs my creative juices. Something about seeing things in order just really gets me...I just wish I could keep those things in order, ya know what I'm sayin'?

I just had to take a break and go shnuggle Isabella. Something woke her, so she came padding into the room and you know? There is nothing more lovable than a sleepy tot. Her hair was all messy and her cheeks were rosy from sleep. She asked me to "cuddle her a little bit" and who in the world could refuse a request so sweet? I don't think there is anything I love more than snuggling her at night and smelling her clean little toddler head and kissing her sweet little sleepy cheeks. But when I was wrassling myself into her tiny little bed, I noticed the hoot owl I attempted to make last week. I was experimenting and the result was a clumsy little fellow that I ended up giving to Isabella to play with...when I gave it to her she exclaimed very loudly that I was the sweetest mommy in the world and that she loved this beautiful hoot owl. I guess she does love it...because it's already missing an eye.

Update!

Since my last blog post I have:

Turned 25.

Survived mid-terms.

Broken a rib.

Made lots of things.

Opened an Etsy shop that I never post products in because school owns me.

Gone on a couple of fun trips with my sweet fella who I love more than cake with buttercream frosting and stilletto heels.

Developed an unhealthy addiction to Pintrest.

Written about 35 katrillion things down for grades on subjects that I don't like.

Realized that it's 4 weeks until finals.

Chewed all my nails off after realization set in.

Then cried.

Rinse and repeat.

Isabella has:

Completed her first entire season of soccer.

Went trick-or-treating as the most adorable Cinderella I have ever seen.

Made lots of things.

Won a trophy that she loves to hold up in the air.

Changed her mind about soccer and wants to be a musician.

Contracted some creepy bumps from being around other children at preschool. (supposedly this is normal?!)

Got them burned off.

Got more creepy bumps.

Was briefly traumatized.

Is fine now, watching Wow Wow Wubzy in my bed and has really dirty feet.

There's more, a whole lot more...but for some reason I'm having trouble remembering much beyond my full name right now, and considering how long my name is, that feels like an accomplishment.

We have definitely been busy little bees...and now that it is November it's about to get even busier! We have officially started our holiday crafting. So bring on the fingernails coated in glitter and glue, the paint on my jeans, and the modge-podge in my hair. I'm so ready. Bring it on. BRING IT ON I TELL YA! Erm..sorry, I have an awkward tendency to get overly excited about anything regarding Christmas.

It's tradition, every year I make handprint turkeys with my gal. This year though, Isabella did everything herself . She's very proud of signing her name, though, I guess we need to work on writing the 's' in the right direction. These cute little gobblers will soon be winging their way to family members as a little Thanksgiving greeting.

This is today, this very afternoon. She broke my heart because she didn't want me to go to school, so I promised her that when I got home we would do a craft, and as soon as I walked in the door, she was ready :) I have been saving her shoeboxes to make "treasure chests" and today seemed like the perfect day to break 'em out and get 'em started. She concentrated very hard and has decided to give them as gifts which broke my heart wide open again because this little girl just loves to give things to people. Oh, notice the red on her cheek? Yeah. Markers. Not such a great idea.

I can't wait to get started on CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!!!! Erm...sorry again. I can't seem to curb this urge to yell when it comes to the mere mention of Christmas. I guess some things you just never grow out of.

More shtuff

Some more ''shtuff'' that I have been crafting. Earrings that I fashioned out of those 97 cent buttons! I just cut the shank off the back of the button, then used a heavy duty jewelry glue and glued it to an earring post...and voila! I love these earrings. I love how easy it is to make them and I love how vintage they look.

Special thanks to my girlfriend for lending an ear for these photos...HA! I crack myself up.

I'm really trying to get my craft on right now...School starts back in less than two weeks and I'm carrying 19 hours this semester. Something tells me I won't have time to make much of anything unless it's graded.

Just stuff

I've been lazy lately, which typically would suit me just fine...but I've been feeling a pressing need to be productive before school starts back. I have been working hard to try and improve my applique skills. This is a practice shirt I made the other day...I take a picture every time to document my progress...but boy howdy I wasn't prepared for how much my baby's face ages and changes in just short weeks :(

She has completely lost her baby face and is morphing into full-on kid phase :( I'm just not ready. I just birthed her...she just learned to sit up on her own! This just can't be happening.

Being a mommy is a cruel kind of blessing. It hurts and feels good all at the same time.

Lately it seems like a big ole storm cloud of Tremendous Life Stress has been hovering over me. I've done well to shoulder it, and I've always been rather proud of handling things on my own...but slowly and surely my sweet fella has stepped in to be of assistance. He knew better than to swoop in and play hero. My stubborn nature would have immediately balked at that...but he has slowly been inching in and shouldering some of my worries, taking care of little things here and there because he said he didn't want me to go through things on my own. He has patiently and steadily dealt with my insecurities and loved me through it all. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

But that's a whole other blog post :)