Friday Randoms

1- We are blessing Holland this weekend at our church.  As such, we have family in town.  A lot of family that's not usually here.  I can't begin to say how excited I am to hang out with my brothers and their familes again.  And see Ben's dad again (so soon!).  And get so many of our dear friends and local family together in one place.

There will be lots of cleaning and cooking over the next few days, but we have some of our favorite kitchen friends in town, so it will be FUN!

2- I am in love with Pinterest. 

 Like, obsessively in love with it.  It combines my love of pretty things with my need to ORGANIZE.  Especially in a digital sense.  I am really hoping it helps to inspire me to finish a few of those unfinished projects I've had bookmarked forever.

3- A few photos of life in our house this week (before I went back to work)

 Melissa created the comic book shot.  I think it was actually taken a couple of weeks ago...  but it's fun, right?

4- Is there anyone out there that still feels passionately (in a positive way) about his/her job?  I listen to a lot of people talk about their work, and it has started me wondering...  This economy leaves everyone with fewer choices, more responsibility, and less pay for the hard work we do.

At what point does all of this discontent lead to a work force that is SO annoyed with their current situations that they turn off their brains and their productivity and become a group who just shows up and collects a pay check, but doesn't actually accomplish much?

I'm not an economist, or a psychologist...  these are just things I wonder...

5- While getting my hair cut last weekend, I had the stylist try to teach me how to do my hair in the very popular look seen here:

So the question of the weekend...  Will I be able to do this to my own hair?  Or will it just turn out straight because I'm doing it with a flat iron and am not as skilled as said stylist?

And more than that...  will it even look good if I DO get it to work?

I will return with photographic evidence of the answer, as we're having family pictures taken on Sunday.  Wish me luck! (and leave me any tips you might have, if you know how to do this on your own head)

The End

I go back to work tomorrow.  Maternity leave is at an end...  far too soon.

You'd think I would have done something spectacular today to mark this transition.  I didn't.  I spent the day at home with my kids, making a short trip to Provo for lunch with Ben and our friend Korianne, of whom I see far too little.

The last 7 weeks have been filled with a little of this:

(Ben's sister had a baby 2 weeks after Holland was born.  I have a feeling this will be the first of MANY photos of the 2 of them together.)

And a lot of this:

And a even more of this:

Only in the past week or so have I gotten particularly ambitious or productive.  We are having Holland's blessing this weekend, and both of my brothers get to come up for it.  As such, we are getting a Webster family photo taken.  And for this photo, I needed something for Holland to wear in yellow.  I was struggling to find something I liked.  So I thought to myself, "you've always loved those pinafore dresses you see on Etsy.  Just make one!"  So I dragged two kids to my favorite fabric store, where I found the perfect fabrics.  And managed to buy enough for two other dresses as well, because they were too cute and I am a sucker for cute fabric...  This was the result:

(forgive the lighting.  It was a VERY dark day, and my house lights are murder on color)

 They still need the diaper covers to go under them, but I didn't plan well for the fabric for those, so I haven't finished them.  I have a white one with cute ruffles I'll use for Sunday's photos if I don't get around to it by then.

We are also making progress on finishing Holland's nursery, but I'll leave the reveal on that one until we are actually done.  It's getting close!  Just a few more elements to go!

Time Flies

Maternity leave is officially FLYING by for me.  I hate to admit how many hours a day I spend glued to my couch holding my baby.  For one thing, the girl loves to be held.  Seriously loves it.  Hates to be put down, and won't sleep anywhere else but on or next to another beating heart. 

I'm sure some of you will have some sage advice about spoiling her, so let me stop you there.  I don't really believe you can spoil a kid that's less than 6 weeks old.  not really.  And also...

I want to hold her.  She is likely (unless God has strong feelings otherwise) the last baby I will give birth to, and I want to hold her.  I go back to work in 2 weeks, so I am going to milk it.  Even if I "shouldn't".  Even if it makes us have to spend some time weaning her (I do put her down, it's just not something she's a big fan of.  She has strong opinions)

On the plus side, she sleeps pretty well, if she's next to someone...  several hours at a time sometimes (though 2.5-3 is her average still)  And I have to admit, I am surprisingly unworried about that.  I'm exhausted too, but this whole second time around thing is making me fully aware that everything passes.  There's no point getting worked up about much of anything, because I'll blink and it will be different.  That's just how babies are.

So instead I will love her the way she is now and try to remember this cute face as a tiny one.

And also try not to murder her VERY talkative brother in the next two weeks.

Just kidding.

Mostly.

Do you think they look alike?  This is Nolan at the same age...