Operation Nursery: Making Room for Baby

Our office is currently a disaster.

Wrapping paper shards, miscellaneous baby items, cardboard shipping boxes, and medical and bank statements haphazardly encompass the roughly 120-square foot room. Ken and I are in the beginning stages of what would seem like all-out-war to an average onlooker, albeit to us, it is merely the dawning of a new era in which our home office becomes the new nursery for baby girl, who is due in a couple short months. We hope to create a sweet space for her, one that she can grow into, and it begins with us clearing out lots of clutter and making room for the tiny human we get to care for in the years ahead.

I've always been fascinated with color palettes, DIY projects, and the practice of living simply by creating beauty through repurposed materials. For instance, the addition of fresh flowers or potted plants can do wonders for my mood. Likewise, I'm drawn to the playful feel of all-white walls with pops of color (think: turquoise, coral, mustard yellow, or burnt orange) interspersed as key visual elements (pillows, blankets, a chair or lamp). As I set about envisioning how I'd like to design baby girl's nursery, I'm slightly obsessed with the hope that I can create much of the artwork myself. Whether it be oil pastels on canvas or refinished furniture, I'm excited to try my hand at building a baby room that is both fun and functional. These next two months, I'm focused on crafting a space for baby and look forward to sharing photos and stories about my progress.

Tomorrow is my last day at my office job, and while I'm grappling with mixed feelings about saying goodbye to coworkers-turned-friends and the extra income my job supplies, I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to ease into motherhood and prepare for baby's arrival. What a blessing it will be to experience this next season, with the support of my husband and his family nearby. I'm still a bit nervous about the transition from two incomes to one, but I'm confident that God will provide for us - He always has. I'm reminded of the time God used a woman named Frannie to encourage Ken and me to not give up. That story is here. With her support, we were able to acquire the $10,000 that helped us make ends meet a couple years ago. There are so many stories like this one, where I can see God's faithfulness in our lives. I want to live in a state of hopeful anticipation, knowing that living on less opens my eyes to relying more on God's provision.

I suppose it's time for me to get back to cleaning the office. I've often found that sometimes laying a strong foundation starts with removing the clutter.

Breaking down to build up, afresh and anew.

K + M + Baby

We're having a baby!!!

Wow. What an adventure these past few months have been. To update readers, Ken and I announced a few weeks ago that we're having a baby! Baby Crewdson is growing quickly and my current due date is right around Easter 2015. 

Today, I officially hit 18 weeks in my second trimester of pregnancy. That means I'm completely over the hump of morning-noon-night sickness (cue applause) and enjoying an increase in energy, which means less midday naps and more motivation to hit the gym. Ken and I, along with Penny (our border collie mix), are excited to welcome the baby home in just a few short months. At my doctor's visit yesterday, the nurse practitioner said that the baby's heartbeat is 150 beats per minute and going strong. 

Our baby is about the size of a bell pepper and 5 1/2 inches long. Ken and I are tracking its growth on our DIY chalkboard, which Ken made for me using a thrift store picture frame, which cost roughly $3-4 and chalkboard spray paint we found at JoAnn's Fabric Store for $4. Originally, I planned to purchase a chalkboard this size from Amazon or Etsy but all the ones I liked were around $50. "Necessity is the mother of invention," as the adage goes, and I'm thankful for my husband's skill at building and creating things I sure enjoy. 

Along with the excitement of our baby news, Ken and I get to celebrate Penny's 1st birthday in a couple weeks, which falls right before Ken's 30th birthday. Nov. 3rd marks 6 months of owning our loving pup, who came to live with us in May. She's quite the rascal and honestly loves food more than affection, I'm pretty sure. One of my favorite things I've noticed about Penny is how much she loves swimming! And fetching large sticks, which are in actuality trees. For Penny, the bigger the "toy" - stick, stuffed animal, or bouncy ball, the better. This summer was the perfect example of how energetic and lively she can be, particularly when friends came to visit us. In owning Penny, we've tried all different forms of obedience training and are still teaching her that jumping up at people or running after small children is not allowed. Her adolescent stage, while completely normal given her background (she's a rescue dog), is a good opportunity for us to practice setting healthy boundaries and in turn, either rewarding or correcting her behavior. It's our goal to get Penny ready for the addition of baby come Spring.

She is a good dog, and a great companion in-training.

     

As I reflect on the last few months, I'm blown away by how God has met me (and Ken) in our decision to step out in faith and move to Alaska. I have a feeling that no matter where we live in the coming years (Alaska, California or Hawaii), God will meet us as we live faithfully and pursue His Kingdom above all else. And while we are here, I'm blessed by God's constant hand upon us. I want to continue to set down roots here, building community and living purposefully. We are so blessed to now be starting a family after four years of marriage.

I turned 29 years old a couple weeks ago. I still remember how I met Ken on the small island of Maui at the age of 22, just a few days before my 23rd birthday. That seems like forever ago now. And yet I'm thankful that we waited to have kids and got to know each other, ourselves, and experience a fuller picture of God's plan for our marriage. Call me selfish, but I don't think I knew myself well enough a few years ago to have brought a child into this world. Praise God for the unique journey He's had me on and how in coming to this place, wrought with many challenges and triumphs, I feel better prepared to be a mom. I want to be a great mom, and that's my prayer. 

Thank you for joining me in this new journey of parenthood. 

Now, off to get a snack. I seem to be much hungrier these days... ;)

Flying High on the 4th of July! {Photos of Denali National Park}

12,000 feet above sea level. 

That's how high up Ken and I, along with our friends the Halsne family, got on my first-ever flight seeing tour above Denali National Park yesterday. We celebrated the 4th of July with some of the most epic views of my life. Denali, also referred to as Mt. McKinley, has a peak measuring roughly 20, 237 ft tall. It boasts the highest mountain peak in North America and is the third tallest in the world. In the native tongue, Denali means "The High One." 

Our Seattle friends blessed us immensely with this opportunity to do something Ken and I have thought about for a while. (Thank you so much, Dan and Yoonjung!) 

Despite my sweaty palms and shaky nerves, I climbed onto the 7-seater bush plane and waved goodbye

to the tiny town of Talkeenta, as we took off on the runway around 4 p.m. The 90-minute flight was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences for me, and I'm so thankful that Ken and I got to share it with close friends.

Here are some of my favorite snapshots of the Alaska Range, which includes glacial rivers, icefalls, glaciers, Mt. McKinley, Moose's Tooth, Bear's Tooth, and many other peaks. God's handiwork is amazing. 

*Click on each photo to enlarge.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, 

their words to the ends of the world." 

Psalm 19:1-4

Denali National Park, Alaska