Papel Picado

Papel Picado

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Olive Monk and her Rainbow Bedroom

I know I've shared some pictures of items in Olive's room already and have had some requests to see the finished product. Today I finally got around to photographing her room (well after a long process of organizing and cleaning) and am excited to share it with you!

I decided to use the letters from her hospital room on her door since they received so many compliments. I quickly made the paper bows from a pinterest tutorial. The letters I cut freehand (thanks to my time as a preschool teacher for perfecting this skill). It was all done with cardstock I ordered from a teacher supply company.

Welcome to Olive's Room!
 A general shot of Olive's room. As you can see, Matt's family loves to read so her shelves that would be book and toy shelves will possibly be simply book shelves. That's perfectly fine with us, especially since her daddy loves to read to her! So many gifts are included in this shot including the beautiful reclaimed wood sign from my Aunt Zita to her colorful bear her Grammie gave her as well as a lot of fun stuff from other family and friends. Also, a beautiful personalized quilt made by the very talented Zohreh Daly!
The majority of her furniture comes from her Grammie and Nana, who love to buy everything Olive needs!

A view from the door.
Olive's crib with the wall hanging I made. I used various sizes of ribbon and used a scrapbooking heart punch and the afformentioned card stock. We weren't going to use a mobile, but since Olive loved the one on her crib in the hospital, we decided she needed one! Shown are a snuggle blanket from Carol Accardo of Blue Bear Embroidery and a minky/sofy blanket her Grammie found her.
Olive's crib.
 Olive's changing area. This shot also features an adorable bow hanger made by her Aunt Meagan and a wipe holder also made by Carol Accardo of Blue Bear Embroidery.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueBearEmbroidery
Changing area complete with family pictures above!
A  closer look at the adorable quilt made by Zohreh Daly. http://www.zdalydesigns.com/
 
 One of my favorite areas is Olive's Dresser. The mirror is another gift from her Grammie. Each of the bows you see I made by trial and error. I'm pretty happy with they look! The headband hanger is actually a necklace hanger from Hobby Lobby. Her dino bank has been collecting change for her since the day she was born. She also has a picture of her cousin, my goddaughter, Katelee on her dresser and a picture from our wedding.
Girly with a side of dinosaur.

Olive's first tutu.

Fun rug I picked up around Valentine's Day at Target!
Daddy and Mommy's wedding day and her Dino Bank.

It began as just me wanting her to have a cute room, but the more we realized what a miracle she truly is, it became something so much more. I, along with her Nana and Grammie have had a lot of fun with her first room!



Friday, June 6, 2014

Perfection: I Tried to Take a Photo

A friend was working on a project and needed a picture of Olive I complete it. 
Okay. I have a photography degree, I can do this. Although... I didn't do anything indoors that I didn't absolutely have to... And I didn't do many pictures of people... Definitely not babies. 
Okay, but I can do this. Really, I can! 
So I started setting up the "shoot." Swaddle her in a white blanket, put a bow on her, check the lighting and set it up (an she looks so precious sleeping!) and BAM! 
She's awake! 
AND I can't figure out my white balance. Dang it! I just remembered it was messed up the last time I used the camera! 
Okay- push forward, you can do this! Wait! She's not sleeping anymore and she seems very angry! 
Her hand is out of the blanket! NO! That's not how it is on Pinterest! 
Maybe if I give her her pacifier she will calm down! 
Whew! Now let me rewrap her. Perfect.
Now to take the pacifier away... 
Uh-oh. She's mad. And her arm is out. 
The lighting is doing something great- But she looks crazy!

Then I had a realization. She is 5 months old. She's not a newborn anymore. She likes and dislikes things. She likes one arm out. She likes her pacifier. Let's let her do her thing. 



Yup. Adorable. And check out this one. 



I was made perfect in Christ and my relationship with Him. Not by how well I photograph my baby. Anyways- she is perfect no matter what. 
Allow yourself and everyone around you to be who you (and they) are- your life, just like Olive's pictures will be better because of it :) 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

A Day in the Life: Olive is Home

We have now been home over 24 hours, and let me tell you- it has been the most hectic, yet exciting 24 hours. 
Yesterday morning I was told that the eye doctor would come see Olive, however at 3pm when he hadn't shown up I was told I needed to make a follow up appointment with him. 
This was in addition to the pediatrician (today), surgery follow up (Tuesday), Pulmonology (end of June) and Gastroenterologist (which will be in 2 weeks but I wasn't able to make the appointment yet). 
So I call to make the appointment- it had to be at 8:45 am in Austin (20 miles away). Now I don't know if you know anything about Austin traffic, but dang. Also- the receptionist also made it very clear if I was 5 minutes late, Child Protective Services would be called. Apparently Olive's is treated as she could go blind within 24 hours, so her appointment is crucial. 
Got Olive's feeds caught up (since they got behind on the trip home... In traffic). Got her continuous feeds going at 11pm. Woke up and cleaned and switched it at 3am and pumped. 
Woke up at 6am. Got ready (if you can even call it that). My mom helped a lot getting Olive ready. Got her feed ready for on the way. Got her diaper bag ready. Oxygen tank, check. Out the door. 
Bam. Traffic. 
Luckily we used Google maps and it tracks the traffic and we made it with 10 minutes to spare! 
Cleaned her pump. Realized things I should have brought that would have made it 100x easier. 
Got home just in time to eat and pump. Out the door again to the pediatrician... With a feed going again, which messed up. Womp womp. Stopped it, fixed it, finished it.
Finally made it home, exhausted. Got Olive's feed ready, again. Then we all 3 took a short nap. Woke up to clean her feed. Had to catch her feeds up again, so they were almost back to back.
Cooked dinner. And now I'm writing this as I pump, again. 
In between I had to start setting up therapist consultations and discuss possible in home nurses. 
The two things I learned today:
1. Olive is the best baby ever. She didn't cry once today. She slept or just observed. She even was quite happy when she was awake. 
2. I have a new found respect for parents of special needs children. This is not for the faint of heart. Our position is temporary. She will eat eventually. She will be off oxygen soon. 
Those of you in it for the long haul: you deserve every vacation, free moment, massage, nap and so on and so on. 
I get it though. When I thought I couldn't take anymore, I would hear those tiny sounds. See those tiny hands. Or even better... Her adorable gum filled smile.
 All of the parents out there. Those who give up free time for soccer, dance, college prep and so on and so on.  
You keep going because of love. A love you can't even describe. 
For each of us, this is the life we are given. You do it for the joy that is set before you. 
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." (Hebrews 12:1, 2 NLT)