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 eyes...or hands on, and you are about 28 1/2 inches long. You have some serious thunder thighs that make your legs as strong as pillars! You are able to bear all of your weight on your legs and stand on your own for a good amount of time. However, you are still lacking balance. You have ZERO interest in being on your tummy, but you can push up with the best of them. Because of your lack of interest in being on your tum-tum, you aren't rolling over yet. It will be a whole new world for you when you do! I feel fairly confident that you will walk before you crawl because you are so strong on your legs and show no interest in anything that would lead to crawling. That's okay! Do it your way, sister!

You love to play on your play mat, but would rather talk to and make faces at us and your other friends. You are for sure a social little gal! You LOVE your Sophie Giraffe and your face lights up when she squeaks in front of you. You also love your crinkle book. You love to be sung to and your favorite songs are "How much is that kitty in the window", "The Duck Song" by Elmo, "The Elmo Song", "Open the Eyes of my Heart", and "The Monkey Song" by the Wiggles. Mommy doesn't care how silly she looks singing them to you. Your smile is so worth it!

Right now, you are trying to get some teeth, so you are a drool fountain and chew on EVERYTHING! You are fascinated with hands...your hands, my hands, anyone's hands, and love to put them in your mouth, chew on them a little bit, pull them out and look at them, then put them back in. You are also starting to reach out for people when you want them to hold you, and you also reach to touch our faces while we have you in our arms. Sweetest thing!

You have the sweetest voice, and you love to hear it just as much as we do! Recently, you have started puckering up your face and spitting bubbles when you are frustrated or not happy. I can only imagine what you would be saying if you had words! It's too funny when you do it though!

You are sleeping like a champ! You wake up between 6:00 and 7:00am and take a nap every two hours from when you wake up throughout the day. Then you go to sleep by 6:45 at night and wake up one time for a 15 minute feeding during the night. We are able to put you down awake because you are such a big girl and can soothe yourself to sleep. That has been such a help to mommy and daddy. Especially at night!

You are such a little darling, Everleigh, and have brought more joy to our lives in just six months than either of us have ever experienced. We love seeing how you grow and change every single day. You will always be our first love and we hope you feel it every day of your sweet little life. Can't wait to see what the next six months bring for you, my sweet angel baby. Happy 6 month half birthday, pretty girl!

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!

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

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.

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 funky! I love getting to know each of them and creating something that is perfectly "them" for their most "perfect" day! Here is a sneak peak of the two, with names and details changed so the invites are still a surprise to those who will receive them!
One of the MOST exciting parts of our week was taking Everleigh to her GI Specialist appointment on Tuesday. We have been anticipating this appointment in hopes that they would start to back her off of her medicine and that we could possibly start eating some solids. She has been so much better with her tummy since the last time we went to see this specialist in November. We couldn't have asked for a better appointment. The doctor agreed that we should start pulling her off of a dose of medication per week, starting with the Prevacid for acid reflux, and see how she does. She also said we could start introducing green beans and squash, since those are the lowest carb, easiest to digest of the first foods. We gave Everleigh her first little taste of squash at lunch today, and she did GREAT with it! Watch and see!

However, I am sad to report that within an hour after eating her squash, she was screaming in pain, just like she used to before she was diagnosed with her dysmotility and put on medication. Needless to say, we are very discouraged by that. We just knew she was better and ready to move on. For now, we will put the solid foods on the shelf, stick with breast milk, and try them again in a couple months. :'( Poor Evie.

Another kind of discouraging event this week has been Everleigh's sleep. We aren't quite sure what is going on, but our girl who was doing so great with her morning and afternoon naps, and sleeping all night, has started to completely boycot all naps and has begun waking again for a nighttime feeding. I have read and read and researched everything pertaining to sleep training, naps, nighttime feedings, etc. and nothing seems to work in our situation. We can't let her cry it out because she is a tummy sleeper who is laying in a pool of drool in a matter of seconds if we let her cry. We can't put her on her back because all she knows of laying on her back is playing and having her diaper changed...totally confused. We can't go in and pat her without picking her up because that only makes matters worse. My girl is a FIGHTER, and I'm not sure how to remedy this one. It's hard on momma. Especially because I can't get ANYTHING done during the day. She is also letting up on eating, which is hard. She is not eating as often or as much, but is also not on a schedule so she eats at different times every day. Good thing she is cute enough to eat up, or I might spank her! ; )

I leave you with some cutie pics from the week. Hopefully next week will bring good sleeping, eating, and lots of laughs!

Everleigh fighting sleep, suited up for a walk

My little hippy girl

Someone is ready for the beach! That makes two of us!

She's the boss at home, and now she is the boss at Daddy's office

Our girl FINALLY pushed up during tummy time! All 19 pounds of her!

I cleaned out Ev's closet and drawers this week. The clothes on the right are what she has outgrown in four short months. The measily stack on the left is all that still fits her!

Cashy Kitty is enjoying the warm weather and glad to reclaim his place in the open window

Move Over Michelin Man!

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

There's a new kid in town!

- Posted from my iPhone

Nothing Sweeter...

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

Than a sleeping baby...

- Posted from my iPhone

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

Daily Obsesh

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

Pretty sure my Boo Boo Baby needs THESE

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. : )

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 lovin'! So, we will be painfully working on that for the upcoming weeks, strengthening her neck muscles.

On a sadder note, our little buddy Ty McCullar got some sad news yesterday. The tumor they found in his tummy was diagnosed as stage 3-4 Nueroblastoma. Ty has had a rough go at life since day one. He is absolutely THE sweetest and MOST BEAUTIFUL little boy! My little sister, who is a nurse in the infant and toddler unit at Arkansas Children's Hospital, met Ty when she cared for him in her unit. She fell in love with him instantly, and became his in-home nurse one day a week when he was released. Since then, I have had the privilege of meeting him and getting to know his sweet mom. They are near and dear to our family's heart, so we are asking for HUGE AMOUNTS of prayer for COMPLETE healing in his little body. No child should suffer. I spent a sleepless night last night just thinking about him and crying out to the Lord to renew his little body, give him strength, and take away all of his pain. I watched my little girl in the monitor for a good portion of the night, just thanking God that she is healthy and praying over every little cell in her body. A healthy child is truly a miracle, and we are praying for a miracle for this little guy. Click here to read Ty's story and keep up with his progress

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 many a friend's babies, so I just knew I was going to be GOLDEN when I finally had kids...knowing exactly what to expect and what to do with even the most unexpected. I was a seasoned vet...right? WRONG! I can sit here and conjure up the exact fear that I felt walking into my house with Everleigh for the first time knowing that this was it...we are on our own now...left to raise this perfect little person and make sure she turns out right. YIKES! But, the first two weeks were a cake walk! She slept when she should, and hardly ever cried. Granted, she woke up to eat a lot at night, but that was to be expected.

Around the two week mark, we started seeing a different side of our little angel. She cried more often and was harder to get to sleep and REALLY hard to get her to stay asleep outside of your arms. Day by day the times of crying got longer and the sleeping got shorter. The next thing we knew, she was crying constantly. At her doctor's appointments, we were told she just probably had colic and we could look for her to grow out of it by about 12 weeks (which felt like a CENTURY away!). I wasn't buying it though. My girl wasn't just crying. She was SCREAMING out of pain, and did so from the time she was coherent enough to realize she wasnt' sleeping anymore...before she even opened her eyes, she would begin screaming. And scream until we could finally rock, bounce, sway, or pat her with all the force we had in us. Dan would come home from work every day and I know I had a crazed look in my eyes because I had been doing a vicious cycle of all of the actions above since he had left that morning...and she would NOT let you put her down. She was also eating every hour, and would scream and fight me during the feedings...and she wouldn't have anything to do with a bottle. There were many times that we were both in tears. I hardly left the house at all for those first weeks because she just screamed. I also had to quit my job since my maternity leave was up and she couldn't be put down.

Finally, at seven weeks, Everleigh was diagnosed with acid reflux and a condition called Dysmotility, which basically means her little digestive system wasn't fully cooked when she was born. Switching her to formula was out of the question because she wouldn't be able to digest it in her condition. I have had to cut everything out of my diet including any and all dairy, wheat, gluten, citrus, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, caffeine, and carbonated beverages, in order to make my milk as easy as possible on her little tummy. Luckily, with the meds we were given, and my restricted diet, she is a different baby. She is now sleeping well, and eating on a normal schedule (before, she was eating so often because babies cannot differentiate between a stomach pain and a hunger pain...so she was eating to soothe her hurting tummy, which was only perpetuating the problem). She is laughing and talking A LOT! Sweet little thing!

**We ALSO took Everleigh to a Chiropractor and believe the treatment she received is a HUGE factor in her quick turnaround.

All that to say (and this is where I automatically feel like a bad mom), it's been hard. It has not been what I expected motherhood to be. There have been lots and lots of tears shed...some mourning the loss of the picture perfect idea I had built up in my head of life with a perfectly healthy, sleeping, newborn. I can't count the number of times I said OUTLOUD to myself, "God gave THIS baby to YOU becuase YOU are the most perfect mother on the face of the Earth for her. No one else can love her and care for her like you can." The power of our words is amazing. The power of our thoughts is too because there were many days I would think myself into a hole..."I can't do this. Is she going to sleep? How long will she sleep? What if she doesn't sleep? When will I sleep? What does that cry mean? How can I not know how to help her if I am her mother?"

It has been really hard being away from close friends and family during this season. I have struggled through some pretty "alone" feelings, but hear that is normal for a first-time mom...especially one who is uber-social and has had to quit her job to care for this little one.

I will tell you what though, that baby's smiles and coos heal me every day. Every time she looks at me and smiles out of sheer joy that I am in her presence absolutely makes everything worth it. No, it's not what I expected, but she is mine and she loves me regardless of any inadequacies as a mother I might have. Though my best may not be THE best, it's good enough for her, and she loves her momma. We are enjoying watching her discover her world. She is mesmorized by her little hands, and it's the cutest thing to watch. She loves for me to say, "MOMMA!" to her. She loves for us to make funny noises with our mouths using our tongues, and mimics us. She loves the Octopus (who we have appropriately named "Ocho") on her Baby Einstein playmat. And best of all, she LOVES her Praise Baby DVD's...I even think she is trying to sing along with the worship songs sometimes! She is the most beautiful angel in the world, and we are blessed to call her ours.

In 2011, I promise to keep up with my blog. I really do. Now that I am figuring out this new life balance, I should have no problem doing it. So, keep your eyes open for the lastest musings in our life with baby Ev! It should be getting fun VERY soon!!!

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 fact, the day before she was born, we were told we were STILL parked at being dilated to a two and 75% efaced. Discouraging to say the least, however, her official due date wasn't until the 9/13, so we were just waiting! That afternoon, my heartburn/GERD was in FULL EFFECT! In fact, I ended up having to leave work at 4:00pm to go home and take medicine for it. I crashed on the couch in discomfort and couldn't get up for hours. I didn't know WHAT my deal was! I also reverted to the eating habits of my early pregnancy...all I wanted for dinner was veggies. Dan obliged and grilled me some K-Bobs.

Later that night when I was feeling a little better, I realized I had not felt Everleigh move all day like I had been. I knew she was running out of room, but I also knew that she should be moving the same amount, just differently with big movements vs. little kicks, etc. I just wasn't really feeling anything at all. I read up on ways to try to get her to move, and when to be concerned and notify the doctor. The next morning, after not feeling her move all night (and NO sleep), and I was trying to talk myself out of calling my doctor. I hate to be "that patient"...especially "that first-time mom patient" who is paranoid about EVERYTHING! I actually felt her move a little during my breakfast, and had all but talked myself out of calling. However, my motherly-instinct got the best of me on my drive to work and I called the nurse. She, surprisingly, told me to go to the Labor & Delivery Triage at the hospital and let them do a stress test. She said she thought everything would be fine because Everleigh's heart rate had been great at my appointment the day before.

I checked into Triage, and sure enough, her heart rate was perfect! And after drinking the cranberry/apple juice cocktail, our little angel was moving all around. They told me they HAD to monitor me for 30 minutes, but that I would be able to go after that. About 20 minutes into my 30 minute monitoring, the head Triage nurse came in and asked, "Do you want to have a birthday party today?" Now, if you know me, I am ALWAYS down for a birthday party...especially if it involves CAKE! : ) But I was confused. She then said, "She is not liking those contractions you are having, and her heart rate is dipping down every time you have one." I had NO idea I was having contractions, which was nice! She said they had called over to my doctor who said I was full-term, and because of the unknown reason her heart rate was dipping, they wanted to induce and let us meet Everleigh that day!

We were super excited! I was a little scared because this was not my *plan*. My plan was to go into labor on my own, and have the natural childbirth I had been mentally and physically preparing for my entire pregnancy. However, I had already made a deal with myself that if they had to induce for any reason, whether it be for concern or that Everleigh was just cooking too long, that I would forego the natural route because of the intensity of Pitocin contractions. I wasn't doing the natural route to be Superwoman, after all! So, that was a little disappointing, but quickly overshadowed by the joy that we were going to see her sweet face in just a little while!

After making all the appropriate phone calls to families in AR and TN, my Pitocin was started at around 11:00am. We were told it could be anywhere from 12 to 15 hours from there, so even though families and friends were jumping in cars and bustin' down I-40 and the turnpike from Fayetteville, we knew they had time. As had been the case with my progression until then, I was progressing slowly. Every time they would check, I had either not dilated anymore, or had dilated less than half a centimeter. I was checked at 3:00pm before the nurse shift change and was dilated to a five and 90% efaced. Finally! Some progress, but still a ways to go! The new nurse came in 30 minutes later and wanted to check me at the start of her shift and what a surprise we got! In that short time, I had gone from a five to a 10, and was 100% efaced! She sat me up and said we would "labor down" for 30 minutes, then start pushing! Dan got on the phone and notified all of the cars en route that they needed to put the pedal to the medal! My sister was to be in the delivery room with me, and she was an hour away at the time.

The 30 minutes flew by, and it was time to push. With Dan and our sweet friend Maggie by my side, I began to bring our little one into the world. With every push, I could feel the pressure of her getting closer and closer. It turns out that the reason her heart rate was dropping with contractions is that she had her little arm raised above her head with her umbilical cord squeezed between her arm and head. Every time I would have a contraction, it would squeeze a little harder. With my support team of doctors, nurses, Dan and Maggie, I was well coached and assured that I was doing a great job! After only 6 sets of pushes and 15 minutes, I heard a cry and the sweetest face I have ever seen was laid on my chest for the first time. Tears in my eyes just typing that sentence. She was and is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen...and the most perfect thing I have ever done in my life. My sister ran into the room just as they were laying Everleigh on my chest. Perfect timing!

Now, they had told me for months that Ev was going to be a "big baby" just based on measurements. They weren't sure about weight, but knew that our gal was measuring LOOOONG! So, in the weeks leading up to her arrival, I took all of her little newborn clothes back and traded them for the exact same items in the one size up for length. As soon as Dan cut the umbilical cord (after it quit pulsating...so about 3 minutes after birth), they took her over to measure and weigh her. They shouted out, "She is 6lbs 15oz and 20" long!" My doctor and I both said, "WHAT????" This presented a problem since I had taken all of her tiny clothes back! Oh well, it just meant more shopping! : )

After that, I nursed her for the first time, which was one of the aspects of motherhood I had been looking forward to the most! I had no clue how to do it, and had been prepped for the difficulty that it can be sometimes. Not for our little gal! She latched on correctly immediately and nursed for 15 minutes on both sides! The nurses were AMAZED! Our little over-achiever. : )

Since then, it has been nothing but joy! Some tears have been shed, but they are out of pure joy and overwhelming emotion. I never dreamed I could love something so quickly. It's emotional for me to look at her and think that I grew her inside of me for nine months, and now she is here and more perfect than I ever could have imagined. She is BEAUTIFUL!! I told Dan that I just never imagined she would be this beautiful. Not that I thought she would be ugly, but that I just couldn't imagine in my little mind anything THIS beautiful! Kind of like the Bible promises...what He has for us is good, and perfect, and pleasing, and more than we can ever ask, think, or imagine with our mere human minds.

We are so blessed, y'all. Pregnancy, delivery, and mommy-hood have been more than I ever could have dreamed. Before I married Dan, I really struggled with the overwhelming desire to be a wife and a mother and not knowing if it would EVER happen for me. At 4:00am when I am staring at my little gal while she is eating, I feel this fullness in my heart knowing this is exactly what I was created for...the reason that nothing else was completely satisfying. I was made to be Dan's wife and Everleigh's momma. Praise God for his love, mercy, and faithfulness in always bringing me back on course to His plan for me. It is so fulfilling.

We love you all, and can't wait for you to meet her! We are being pretty protective of her for the first however many weeks of her life, but will bring her out for show-and-tell when she is good and ready! For now, here are some pics that my sweet friend Brooke Robinson took at the hospital. She was one of the first phone calls we made when we found out Everleigh was coming, and she IMMEDIATELY took her kids out of school, loaded up her hubby, and headed to OKC from Fayetteville to meet our little one. Forever grateful for frienships like that. Brookie, you are precious to me.

Love you all! Thank you for sharing in our excitement and joy throughout this entire time.

Now, I present to you, Miss EVERLEIGH HAZEL MACIUK!

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!

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...

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!

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 in love with how sweet, delicate, and timeless it sounds, as well as how unique and almost old Hollywood it is! At the time we didn't know we were having a girl, but we just knew this was to be her first name if we did!

Now here's the really cool story. Her middle name will be Hazel...the first name of my precious, beloved Grandma who lost her fight with Lupus & Parkinson's Disease on September 18, 2008, just before Dan and I were married. I ADORED my Grandma, and have wanted to honor her by naming a daughter Hazel for as long as I can remember. When we went for my first ultrasound, they set my due date to September 17, the day before the anniversary of when she went to be with Jesus. I have been a little sad about that because I wouldn't want our baby to be born on a day that will forever be a little sad for me. However, when we had our ultrasound last Thursday and they told us we are to be the parents of a baby GIRL, they ALSO changed our due date to September 13, which was my Grandma's BIRTHDAY!! Now, the chances of us actually having her on our due date are slim, but it confirmed that this girl was meant to be Hazel. I know my Grandma is smiling in heaven at the thought of that. I rarely saw her smile in the last few years of her life, so that makes me happy.

We are already in love with just the thought of her. We find ourselves daydreaming about what she will look like, how cute she will be in her funky little clothes, how funny she will be, how much HAIR she will have, playing the piano and drums, doing ballet, etc. : ) Hey, a parent can dream, right? Most of all, we daydream about how much our hearts are going to explode with love every second we spend with her. We have prayed for her for a long time, and know she is a precious, timely, gift from God. A reminder that He does love us dearly, and finds us worthy to bring HIS children into the world and raise them in the way they should go. I can't wait to be a momma to Miss Everleigh. I love you little girl!

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?

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 wouldn't be able to have one. Not to mention how unpractical they are! They are MASSIVE and you can't really fold them up and put them in the back of your car to go to the park. BUT, they are gorgeous, so dream I did. Until my dream came true on Saturday! My sister-in-law found this original Marmet pram, made in England, at a garage sale in Nashville! These prams range from $600 to $1000 on EBay right now! It was owned by an Olympic swimmer from England, and made its way to the states, and now into my arms! I can't WAIT to push our little one around in this! Our baby is ALREADY stylin'!!!!

And last, but certainly not least, the tummy pic. Oh boy, this sucker is growing at a RAPID rate! My doctor DID tell me a couple weeks ago to expect to double in size over the next few weeks, and I am WELL on my way! It's fun though! I love pregnant bellies, and mine is no exception. Last Thursday we got to go have another ultrasound because we have a friend who is an ultrasound tech at the hospital. We watched our sweetie for 45 minutes! It was moving all around, sitting Indian style, sucking its little thumb. At one point it even took its thumb out of its mouth and gave us a thumbs up! : ) I was measuring about a week ahead, so I fully expect my due date to change at our official doctor's appointment on the 29th. I am now feeling movement quite often. It is THE neatest feeling in the world! Every time I feel it, it still makes me sit straight up with my eyes wide open. I hope I never get used to it. We are in love with you, baby Maciuk! You are already the apple of our eyes!

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!

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 shop, or out on the town, I always got a "dad" style hug, and that big TVZ smile. One day I saw him in Panera Bread, and he introduced me to one of my future bosses, David Roth, President of WorkMatters, an incredible faith in the workplace ministry, that I later worked for for a little over a year before moving to Oklahoma City. Whoever was a friend of Tommy's was a friend of mine!

About a year and a half ago, I did a rebranding project for Sage Partners, Tommy's commercial real estate company in Fayetteville. Our friendship really, really blossomed during that time when I would office with them about 15 hours a week. We would laugh (he thinks I'm crazy), I would share about my relationship with Dan and how it was progressing, and he would share about his family and kids. He would ask advice on raising teenagers since Dan was a youth pastor and I was fully involved in his ministry. Sweet, sweet times. In fact, similar to what a young man would do with a girl's father, Dan went to Tommy before he proposed to me to let him know what he was planning to do, and ask permission to take me away for a few days. I still have the email Tommy wrote in response to Dan. It was the sweetest thing.

Last February, Tommy was injured cutting limbs in his backyard after the ice storm. He fell from a 10-foot ladder and immediately knew he had broken his neck and was paralyzed from the neck down. Our hearts were completely BROKEN for Tommy and his family. I remember laying in bed the night I found out and just bursting into tears of compassion and hurt for them. I called my husband just bawling. How could something like this happen to such a good, precious, LOVED man? A man who was so active! I used to see Tommy at the gym five mornings a week running before work...an avid outdoorsman...the father of two teenage boys? After a stay at the hospital in Fayetteville, Tommy was moved to Denver to a rehab hospital where he would stay for months. In the meantime, Dan and I moved to Oklahoma City. The last conversation I had on the phone with Tommy was telling him that we were thinking about taking the job in Oklahoma City.

Fast forward to this morning. I had the PRIVILEGE of going back to hear Tommy speak about his experience and his influence at the WorkMatters Eight-to-Five Unplugged event. I also got to see all of my old co-workers from WorkMatters! No one knew I was coming, which was really fun, including Tommy. I snuck in the back door because I was running a few minutes behind the 6:30am start time. Right when I walked in, Tommy and I locked eyes for the first time in over a year, and he winked at me to acknowledge he knew I was there. That was the beginning of the water works for me.

This is an amazing man. The room was PACKED...standing room only...with people who love and admire him for who he was before the accident, and who he has become after. He spoke about how he felt the Holy Spirit on him and in him while he was laying on the ground waiting for someone to find him that day. He spoke about how God is using this situation to influence others in his life on a day-to-day, minute-to-minute basis. He talked about how prayer really works. He talked about how life can truly change in the time it takes to fall from a 10-foot ladder in your own backyard. Then after, people got to stand up and tell how Tommy has influenced THEIR life.

I didn't say anything in front of the crowd, but wanted to. I would have told Tommy that he is a precious friend and has poured so much into my life. He has been such an example of how a husband should love a wife. I remember him telling me on more than one occasion that he "married WAY out of his league." We would laugh about that and assure him that he, in fact, HAD married out of his league! : ) However, what he doesn't know is that one of the moments I knew I was going to marry Dan was when he told someone I was "out of his league." And that was all because of Tommy. I admire and love him as a business man, a husband, a father, a friend, and most of all, as my brother in Christ. I would have told him that I don't understand why this is God's plan for his life, but I know he must be considered worthy to carry such a ministry position.

People's lives were changed today, and I have no doubt that they are changed every day because of Tommy. I have tears welling up in my eyes right now just thinking of him and how brave and humble and courageous he is. He has embraced this situation with such grace and beauty, and my heart needed to see that after a year. I got to speak with Tommy today and joke around with him like we always did. I "tried" to ask about Robyn (his wife) and the boys, but all he wanted to know about was me...my pregnancy, our house, my job, our church, etc. That's Tommy for ya...typical Tommy. I love that man. I absolutely adore him. And I treasured our time together today. Thanks for who you are, Tommy. You are a precious, precious man.

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. She asked about where we wanted to deliver, if I wanted to breast or bottle feed, etc. One of the last questions was epidural or natural delivery? Now, those of you who might not know me as well, I've got a little hippy, flower-child, running through my veins. Just enough for me to prefer organic vs. non-organic, make-up that makes you look like you don't have any on, boycott on most over-the-counter and prescription meds (see the movie "The Constant Gardner"), the windows down on the car and up in the house, and truth be told, a shower every other day or so (I take a sink bath on those days...don't worry). So natural childbirth is naturally my first option, and no, I'm not a glutton for punishment. There is something very pure about it in my mind. The way God intended it to be (after the fall, of course). An uninhibited expression of "I am momma, hear me roar." And I'm sure I will roar plenty! Something is so sweet and attractive to me about experiencing every bit of pregnancy, the joys and the pains, right along with this precious lovely one I am growing inside of me. I have been called everything from stupid, to idiot, and everything in between when sharing that with most. I was relieved to find that my doctor fully supports it, with the proper preparation both mentally and physically. It is my desire to spend as much time getting ready for this as I can including, yoga, reading, meditation and pain management breathing. It is also my desire to hire a doula, or labor coach, to help me through it. So, call me what you will, I feel like it's the right thing for me this time. It is in NO WAY an attempt to be SuperWoman. Just something I feel deep down in my spirit.

We will find out what we are having on Thursday, April 29th! I am down with whatever! I will be in love no matter what! My hubby, on the other hand, is smitten with the idea of being a daddy to a baby girl. I think he daydreams in rose-colored glasses already, and I'm SURE he would paint that nursery pink TODAY if I would let him! Cutie! We are pumped, no matter what, and are blessed and honored to be chosen to raise a little one.

With that, any wagers on what we'll be having? Girl or boy?

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!

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!

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 you think to, just say a little prayer for my hives. I just want them to go away for good. They are annoying and have worn out their welcome.