Dannifer

Everything Everleigh - 6 Months!

2011-03-08T16:27:00.010-06:00

Dear Ev, Well, sweet girl, I can't believe it! You are six months old today! As I sit here watching you sleep in the monitor, I find it almost impossible that we made it this far together! It may seem to some like six months isn't a long time, but for us it has taken a while to get here! It has been the greatest, most challenging, step-outside-of-myself six months I have ever had. I am better for them. I am better because of you. In the past six months you have overcome so much. Your tummy seems to be feeling MUCH, MUCH better, though you still aren't eating anything but momma's milkshakes. ; ) We have been able to back you completely off of the Prevacid you were taking, and now you are just taking your Dysmotility medicine twice a day. We hope to back you off of that soon, and plan to try some green beans again this weekend. You are a STRONG girl, both physically and mentally! You weigh a precious 21 pounds and are just the most delicious roly-poly baby I have ever laid...

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2011-02-05T21:17:00.006-06:00

Gramma's comin' to town! Tomorrow at 12:10pm, we will pick up Gramma (my mom) from the airport to stay a week with us! We are so, so excited! Truth be told, she offered to come because she got a couple...well, maybe a few...hysterical phone calls (the kind with BIG tears) early last week from a daughter whose baby REFUSED to sleep...day and night. It was a rough week, fo' sho! But, momma is coming to hang, and that makes it all better. Being away from my parents has been one of the hardest, most unforseen challenges of being a mom. If you have kids and live close to family, DO NOT...I reapeat, DO NOT, take that for granted. Let them come over as MUCH as they want to and DO NOT get annoyed! I would seriously give both of my arms for my parents to live close by. Well, at that point I would NEED them to live close by, but I digress. I miss my momma and daddy every day, and am so glad my mom will be here tomorrow. LOVE YOU, GRAMMA!

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2011-02-03T15:33:00.001-06:00

It has been a rough few days here! We think Evie is starting to have some movement in her teeth. Though we cant see or feel any little chompers yet, we know they can start moving months before they ever break through and cause little ones to feel yuck! She has been so, so fussy, whiney, and extra clingy, has been drooling like a faucet, gnawing on her hands, my hands, my shoulder, and anything else she can get to her mouth, and has a little rash on her cheeks and chin. All classic teething symptoms. She sure is cute though. Gosh! YouTube Video- Posted from my iPhone

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Growing Like a Weed

2011-01-30T13:43:00.002-06:00

Look how much my baby has grown in just four short months! I am not sure how I feel about this! It's impressive, to say the least.

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Week in Review

2011-01-29T16:10:00.019-06:00

I feel like this past week just FLEW by! I finally got the BlogPress App for my iPhone so I am able to post on the go. However, it's still no fun to type a long post from your phone. I'm convinced I have Shrek hands. It's hard for me to type and not hit every adjacent key on the phone! Anywho...here are a few highlights from our week! I have been working for the past month or so on a new Web site for the amazing Beautiful Dream Society. They are an organization based out of OKC who works to fight, and ultimately end, human-trafficking in the country of Lesotho, Africa. They were founded by our pastor's wife, Jennifer Crow, after having a very real dream about the country and the human trafficking industry. CLICK HERE to read the whole story and to view their amazing site! I have also been busy working on two wedding invitations for two sweet gals! It's always so fun for me to see how different people's tastes are! Some brides are very, very traditional, and some very, very...

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Move Over Michelin Man!

2011-01-27T09:04:00.001-06:00

There's a new kid in town! - Posted from my iPhone

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Nothing Sweeter...

2011-01-26T21:09:00.001-06:00

Than a sleeping baby... - Posted from my iPhone

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The Things We Do...

2011-01-26T12:13:00.001-06:00

It's amazing the things we will do to get a smile out of a baby. I have made more crazy faces, sounds, motions, etc. In the past four months just to see that big gummy, open mouthed grin! Lately I have been trying desperately to get that baby chuckle out of her...you know, the one that comes from deep down in their little baby bellies? Well, the other night during bath time I got it. Granted she was deliriously tired and I haven't gotten it like that agin. She had the hiccups somethin' fierce and I was mimicking her. Who knew that would get it, but I will never, never forget it. Most precious sound I've ever heard! And thank goodness Mrs. Maggie was there to capture it! YouTube Video- Posted from my iPhone

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Daily Obsesh

2011-01-17T15:41:00.001-06:00

Pretty sure my Boo Boo Baby needs THESE

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Nicknames for Everleigh

2011-01-17T14:04:00.005-06:00

The hubs and I are partial to nicknames. Dan says it's because he can't remember names half the time, and I just think they are endearing. Needless to say, I have a LONG, running, ever-growing list of nicknames for my most endeared, baby Everleigh. Here they are as of Monday, January 17th, 2011. Ev Evie (Ehh-vee) not (Ee-vee) Elohlee (Eh-low-lee) thanks to my friend Sarah Henry's little girl, Ava, who couldn't quite pronounce Everleigh yet) BooBoo Baby Baby Bear Little Bear Lovey Bear Lovey Dovey Luhbee Duhbee (Mispronunciation of the above) Angel Face Monkey Bread Doodle Bug Tootle Bear Tooter Shooga Boo Sugar Bear Sooga Sooga Sooga Bear Puddin' Pop Momma Baby At this rate, we'll be lucky if this kid EVER knows her name! Amazingly, she seems to answer to all of them with a big, toothless, open-mouthed grin. : )

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Four Months!

2011-01-11T11:52:00.006-06:00

Everleigh had her four month well-care doctor's appointment this morning! I weighed her at home a week or so ago, and she weighed in at approximately 17.5lbs. Today, we are happy to report our little bear is a healthy 17 pounds 9 ounces (6lbs 15oz at birth) and 26in long (20in at birth)! For a little gal with a rough start because of her tummy, she sure is growing! She is in the 97th percentile for height and weight! Way to go, little sweetie pants! She got some shots, so she is sleeping in her crib right now. Developmentally, she is doing great! She is following us with her eyes from across the room, and has done that since early on. She is grabbing for and holding her toys, pulling ALL things up and into her mouth. The only thing she is not really on track with is her mini push-up when she is on her tummy. Granted, I don't give her a ton of tummy time because she hates it...but her weight probably has something to do with it as well. It's a tough job to lift all that...

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Climbing Out from Under This Rock

2011-01-07T22:39:00.003-06:00

Well, it's safe to say there is NOOOOO way to recap the events of the past 17 weeks since my last post. Many of the experiences I just can't possibly craft words for, and it seems like the most viciously overwhelming task to even try. So, I will just hit some high points. I am cautious to write anything of the first few months for fear of sounding ungrateful for the precious gift who is sleeping like an angel in her room across the house. So let me preface: Everleigh is the most loved, most wanted, most treasured gift I have. I now know a mother's love, and it is definitely THE most powerful, and sometimes overwhelming, feeling I have ever felt. I think that's what makes it such a journey for a first-time mom. It's like learning to drive, driving the fastest, most powerful car out there...just turned loose, unbridled, behind a force more powerful than anything you've ever felt. We obviously had Everleigh later in life than most...we are both 32. I pretty much helped raise...

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She's Here!

2010-09-15T09:07:00.008-05:00

I'm so embarrassed that I haven't blogged since June 5th. Not that anyone was chomping at the bits for a new post, but I don't pride myself on starting things and not keeping up with them. However, there is news to share! Our little Everleigh Hazel Maciuk made her debut one week ago today on September the 8th, and it has been THE best week of our lives! Since we have people all over the country...and world for that matter...who haven't heard the details, here they are! **Scroll down to the bottom of this post to view pics!** For the few weeks before Everleigh arrived, I was plagued with some serious heartburn and GERD (Gastro-esophogeal Reflux Disorder). I hadn't been sleeping much at night because of it and even though pregnancy was amazing for me, I had gotten to that proverbial place where I was "READY!" We had gone to our weekly doctor's appointments with much anticipation that SURELY I was dilated and efaced further, but were only told we were barely moving along. In...

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Official

2010-06-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

It's official. No turning back. I am way pregnant and have several new forms of proof... My bellybutton is OFFICIALLY turned inside out. Ick. I OFFICIALLY have a linea negra (dark line) down my tummy. I am OFFICIALLY hungry ALL...THE...TIME! I am OFFICIALLY being woken up at 4:00am every morning by a kicking Everleigh who is in a big hurry to get somewhere! Good times! Only 15 weeks left!

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Everleigh's Nursery

2010-05-27T23:41:00.012-05:00

Well, after much turmoil, debate, back-and-forth, color psychology, and split-personalitied indecisiveness...we have FINALLY decided on a nursery for Miss Everleigh. Y'all, you would have thought I was picking out china patterns for the Queen of England, or even worse, having to pick out my wedding dress again! The horror!!! But, I have finally decided, and here it is. This will be her furniture, and I am absolutely in love with it. I love the little crystal knobs and the detailed carving. It's black, but has a hint of brown in this pic... This will be her bedding, etc., which interestingly enough is called "Harlow"...one of the names I loved for a little girl... And this will be the color of her walls...

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Heart Day

2010-05-04T22:08:00.004-05:00

Just in under the gun! Look at this YUMMY, creative cradle!!!! Je t'aime! For those about to ROCK... We salute you!

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Our Little Lovey

2010-05-03T12:53:00.005-05:00

The big news is here! We are having a baby GIRL! Everleigh Hazel Maciuk will join us in September and we are just giddy with excitement and anticipation! We told our families on Friday night by ordering a cake that was iced in white but the cake on the inside was the color of the gender of our little lovey. You can imagine the excitement and surprise when my little sister cut into it and pulled out a PINK slice of cake! We also had everyone there dress in either pink or blue, depending on what their gender guess was! FUN! Many have wondered where we came up with the name, Everleigh Hazel, so here it is. Dan and I were wanting a unique name that was also classic and timeless. A blogger I follow regularly, mostly because of her BEAUTIFUL writing and way with words, had a daughter in January. I was reading the post about her birth aloud to Dan one night when I came across the name of her daughter, Everly. Dan and I both just stopped and said, "THAT'S IT!" We instantly fell...

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Heart Day!

2010-04-26T22:37:00.007-05:00

Is it cheating to post my "Heart Day" blog the day before my actual "Heart Day?" Isn't that the essence of these "Heart Day" posts...to give me a break from my usual hectic Tuesdays to reflect on the little things in life that suit my fancy? Well, I know tomorrow will be exceptionally busy for me, so I am already thinking about these treasures!I ADORE this crib!! But will probably be just as happy with this one since it's LOTS cheaper! This onesie is a MUST HAVE around our house! What a great way to explain to your baby EXACTLY where they came from! ; ) This DELICIOUS blue chair with silver nail heads and upholstery that feels better than velvet! And last, but certainly not least, I believe this is my life anthem...don't you?

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A tummy, time out, and treats!

2010-04-18T22:18:00.006-05:00

We had a FUN weekend! We went to Kansas City to see our fun friends, Jared and Mandy, and their PRECIOUS girls, London (4), Cadence (3), and Rilo (1). They are too much fun!! It's always nice to be around friends that you can just be so silly and laugh until your belly hurts. We have some FUNNY stories from the weekend, for sure! Love you guys! We finally bought something for our little sweetie pie this weekend! Is it sad that the first thing we bought it has to do with discipline? This little white patent leather chair will serve as our "Time-Out" chair. It is TOOOO cute! You can't really tell how little it is here, but it stands about 36" tall. If our little one loves this chair as much as I do, we may have to re-think the "time-out" plan. Now THIS is a big deal! I guess this is considered our second baby purchase. If you saw my first "Heart Day" post, you know that I want an old vintage pram stroller so badly! However, they are SUPER expensive, so I knew I...

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Heart Day

2010-04-13T23:15:00.004-05:00

Not gonna lie...today was a rough one. The pregnancy emotions combined with the usual stress of my Tuesday schedule got the best of me. But, I designed this diaper bag tonight at my fave, 1154 Lill Studio in Kansas City, and it's making me feel MUCH better! Oh, and I also designed this wedding invitation for my dear friends Matt and Maggie tonight! They loved it, so SCORE! I think it's pretty cute too...just like them! They are getting married on my birthday, and that's THE best present anyone could give me! WEDDING CAKE ON MY BIRTHDAY! Hope you all had a MUCHO FAB Tuesday!

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A Great Man...

2010-04-09T22:46:00.004-05:00

Sometimes you meet someone in your lifetime who you know is a treasure from that first moment. That's how I felt when I was introduced to Tommy Van Zandt in 2004. I was to be the Account Executive assigned to his commercial real estate business at the agency I was with at the time. Tommy and I hit it off QUICKLY! You see, I'm a daddy's girl somethin' fierce, and I learned quickly that Tommy's great love was being a husband (to one of the most beautiful women I know) and, a father. My heart tends to seek out those types...the "Dad" away from my Dad, if you will. Although no one will EVER, EVER, EVER top my daddy in my heart, a girl can never have too many "dad-figures" to admire when she doesn't get to see hers every day. I found that in my friendship with Tommy Van Zandt. Over the next few years, my career path took me in a few different directions. No matter the direction, Tommy would always check in...like a "dad" would. When I would see him at the gym, at the coffee...

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2010-03-24T23:42:00.003-05:00

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday! I was so excited because I thought we were going to get to see our little nugget again! Guess I just thought you got to see them every time. I had hoped this was true because sometimes, when you haven't really been sick at all or had any weird cravings, you wonder if they are really in there. Anywho, we didn't get to see the baby, but we DID get to hear the heartbeat again! And by the sound of it, I think this is what we are having... Not because it was saying "ribbit", but because they had to chase the precious little thing all over my stomach to keep track of the heartbeat (which is very healthy, by the way)! The nurse even commented that it was a very active baby, and because of that, I might start feeling it sooner than later! I cannot wait for that day!! This also might explain why I've been so dad'gum tired! They baby is active enough for both of us! We went over some desires and plans with our doctor, whom we LOVE, as well. ...

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Heart Day

2010-03-23T22:16:00.004-05:00

If I had known this dress existed, I would have married my husband in it. It is so delicate and elegant...and BLUE! Beautiful!

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Heart Day #3

2010-03-16T13:40:00.004-05:00

I am super busy at work and working through lunch, so this will be a quick "Heart Day" but well worth it! I have watched this 100 times, and could watch it 100 more. It makes me giggle like a little girl. Oh, and I'm ready for summer dresses that fit high above my ever-growing tum-tum...like this one... Happy Tuesday, my dearies!

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Might Be the Death of Me

2010-03-11T13:36:00.002-06:00

This is what my knees looked like when I woke up this morning. These little things just might be the death of me! HIVES! I have broken out in hives for over a year now. It started on March 7th, 2009, when I was at my parents house for a wedding. I didn't sleep all night because I was itching. I usually only break out on my knees, elbows, ankles, shoulders, etc. and only at night when I am under the covers. I have seen many allergists and I am not allergic to anything. I have Cholinergic Uticaria, or hives that break out due to heat or lack of airflow to the skin. They are chronic and can last anywhere from 6 months to 3-5 years. I've got one year under my belt, so that's good. There are only two things I can do to help them: 1) Take an antihistamine like Allegra or Zyrtec every day. I don't like to take medicine, especially something I have to take every day, so that's out. OR 2) Just get naked and cool off. Which has been my method of choice for a year. Anyway, if...

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