My "Bright" Idea

So back about a year ago I had what I thought was the most brilliant idea- repaint the horrid maroon kitchen in our home. That's all fine and dandy. 

The problem?

Orange. Bright. High. Gloss. Orange. 

5 coats of it to cover the previously maroon walls.  

The other problem? 

The rest of the house is covered in flat matte paint. 

Oof. 

It looked like Halloween vomitted. 

To everyone who politely told me it was cool. Shame on you... Whyyyyyyyy

The only thing I can think of that made me think it was a wonderful idea?

The fact I was unknowingly pregnant. 

Yes I was 2 months along when I painted the kitchen. 

Pregnancy brain. It really is a thing...  

I painted it actually a week or so before I took my ten billion pregnancy tests. 

That's the only thing I can think that would have made me believe thatorange  kitchwn was so pretty...

I honestly cannot express how horrible it was. 

So in the midst of finishing this shabby chic meets cow pow renovation my mom graciously helped me rid our home of the terror of orange paint by covering it with the same light gray that the rest of the house is painted. 

And now it is finished

A whole new world folks. 

And now today we are working on curtains. 

The material for in here to go with my neutral Coton Colors? 

Voila. 

And then to address the couch situation. 

Ready. Set. Break. {claps hands loudly}

Catch Up

Let's play a game. 

Catch up. 

Yes imagine that creepy little puppet on the tricycle why don't ya. Not. If you're anything like me you'll end up with nightmares and paranoia that that thing is pedaling down the hall coming to sneak up on you at 2:45am when your husband is on night shift and the dogs bark randomly. Insert nervous laugh as you make sure you have easy access to your handy dandy purple pistol. 

Simply put- do not enter our home unannounced nontheless unwelcome. 

Now that we've chased a rabbit or ten. 

The Redo:

I am 2 weeks into redecorating... The whole house. From a new color palette to repainted furniture and repainting lots of things actually. And rearranging. And new curtains. And. Everything. 

So thus far...

Notice the adorable furry photobomber. And no I have not yet purchased lamp shades. 

Yay for WalMart and chalk paint!

And reusing home decor we already had. 

 And....

 The living room so far. Not near finished. 

Notice the fabulous cow picture from The Interior Story here in town. Next to add a few new pillows, a rug, and a small end table for the other couch and it'll be D-O-N-E. Oh and a cowhide I ordered to hang on the opposite wall. 

Which leads to tonight's project. The chair. 

This chair has an interesting story that I laugh about. One day I may tell it. 

But here it is in original form

And then I applied chalk paint and a fifty cent feed sack I bought on Etsy. 

And now we haveeeee.....

I'm kind of excited about this piece. 

That is all. 

The Plexus:

I am 2.5 weeks in. 7 lbs down. And I forgot to measure inches... Sad day. 

Oh well. BUT I feel great, clothes fit, and my pudgy chin thingy I developed when I was pregnant is gone. That's the most important part right now. Also, my nails are growing like weeds. Long and strong. I get asked alot if they're fake. 

My skin is also much healthier due to drinking more and more water. It's all around great. Now to tone up. 

My only set back?

That little pudge that haunts all c-sectioners. 

And Taco Bell. Oof. It's an addiction. Along with my love for Cancun fajitas and salsa. 

My newfound best friend? An elastic corset from Zulily. It smoothes that sucker out and is actually comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

These are the latest, and maybe next time I'll have before and after pics from the Plexus. If I get brave. 

Piper is 3 months old!

So baby girl is 3 months old... And 10 days. 

Yes mom of the year right here forgot to take a sticker picture after church last Sunday on the 8th to commemorate the occasion so that night this was the best I got 

In a good 20 years she will find this funny I'm sure. Hopefully. I would. 

But on the flipside atleast I'm keeping up in her baby book. Sort of. Better than I thought. 

But I do take a million pictures everyday and have every intention of scrapbooking her every move. 

That counts right?

So here we are. 3 months and 10 days into the life of Pi- Life of Pi...per. Get it?

The movie. 

I may just change that to the name of the blog. 

She loves DisneyJr, bananas, applesauce, rice cereal, her furry sisters Emmie and Ellie, "talking," smiling, sticking her tongue out, and of course inspecting those adorable roly poly feet of hers.  Also I have deemed her Princess Poopy Pants, but isn't every infant? At times I think she does it on purpose- going at it all over again right when I put the clean diaper on. I'm not the only person who has this problem right?

So here we are. 3 days later this entry is finished as Precious is cooing in her sleep, snuggled up with Miss Moo and Miss Piggy and that blinged out pacifier, and I'm contemplating on inventing a pause button due to the fact she needs to stop growing. Like now. 

Redo

I'm a sucker for decorating whether it be a room, whole house, a display, a baby shower- I'm all for it. 

So last Saturday my husband said this magical sentence... 

"Let's get rid of the red couch."

What did I hear?

REDECORATE EVERYTHING!

So I gathered the semi old and made a completely new plan for the new. 

From bold black and white and red and burlap I switched to blues and greys and creams and mercury glass. As I call it, Bold and Brilliant to Farmhouse Shabby Chic. 

I started on it Saturday night by taking down the things I knew I wouldn't use and drawing up a new plan and playing on etsy and cleaning. 

Sunday I started the buying. Let's just say it's a Pier 1 design scheme on a Walmart budget, but it's working. Walmart, etsy, and Walmart.com are the bomb. Oh and of course Zulily, can't forget Zulily. And The Interior Story here in town. 

From Walmart and walmart.com I've gotten all new rugs, lamps for the living room and foyer, throw pillows, curtains, and floral. 

From etsy I've ordered material for 3 other sets of curtains and a bench cushion, a pretty cool decal for the kitchen, and a vintage cow feed sack to recover a chair in the foyer. 

Zulily. The neatest picture ever for this redo. 

For those who don't know, my Andy and his family used to be chicken farmers. I found it fitting. 

Oh and I can't forget The Interior Story in town for my vases and new living room piece. Pictures of that will come after it's completely finished. 

And now I'm repainting furniture with the ever fabulous chalk paint and making canvases to hang in the freshly redecorated master bathroom. 

This is my first time using chalk paint. And now I'll need to find a support group for chalk paint addicts annonymous. 

Yippy skippy. 

So as I sit on the mountain of fur pillows and amongst the ceramics and the mess of decor still sitting on the table and the paint brushes, I can't wait to see the finished product.

A cozy cleanish house. 

And now to find lamp shades and new dog bowls... Target maybe?

Soap Box #2

The previous post has me fired up, so let me post one more for tonight. 

Don't ever ever ever ask someone when they'll have a baby or another baby for that matter. 

I've been on both sides now. It hurts. I'll be the first to admit it. 

I have been the person I mentioned earlier. I would ask all the newlyweds when they'd have a baby when I saw them at WalMart or the new parents when they would have another. 

Then I was on the other side of the fence and it all changed. When you ask those questions they're not meant in malice. Simply hopeful of bringing more joy into life. Well those questions don't always end with joyful answers. 

What about the couples who have tried for months or years or even exhausted all efforts of becoming pregnant on their own? 

What about those who just experienced losing a baby?

What about those who can't have children?  

What about those like myself who aren't allowed or those who aren't capable of  becoming pregnant again?

How do you politely answer that question without making the questioner feel like a horrible person? 

There's no easy or simple way or textbook answer. 

Am I or other parents who have one precious baby unsatisfied with our little miracles we were allowed to have? No. Not at all. 

Do we wish at times we could have more and experience the joy of bringing home baby and giving our first a sibling? Absolutely. 

Do our hearts sink and tears well up in our throats sometimes when asked about having a child or more children or at the mere thought of even remotely longing for a baby? 

Yes. 

Then you remember your little ray of miraculous sunshine God gave you sleeping on your chest popping her pacifier in and out of her mouth as she snores, and you're more than grateful and overjoyed by what you have. 

My cup runeth over. 

But I'll say it. I'm 22 years old and will not be able to become pregnant again. It's not safe.  

Due to the nature of Piper's arrival, it would not be safe for me to carry another child. The same is most likely to happen again, but I might not be so lucky as to actually be in the doctor's office when and if it did.

So when you ask those questions and you're cut off by a short "no," do not take offense but simply think there may be more to it. 

Do not say "Oh you'll forget the pain and how it happened will want to do it all again."

No. I and others like me will not. You don't forget the pain or the day your child almost died.

Did I practically forget almost all of December due to my anesthesia and pain medications? Yes. 

But I won't ever forget that. 

Soap Box #1

It's obvious I'm quite passionate on my stance of going to a professionally trained medical staff for all medical needs, but  due to recently reading an article on the "shaming or shading of c-sections" I have the urge to step up on my soap box...

Disclaimer* by no means am I saying either form of childbirth is better, worse, etc. than the other. The best form of childbirth is that which produces a living child and healthy momma. That's what counts. 

As I was saying. 

To those who want to judge anyone on the fact of not having a "natural" or "unnatural" vaginal birth because it was the "EASY WAY OUT"... Shame on you. 

Have you had a c-section yourself? Probably not, so let's go with the assumption you're either misinformed or just ignorant. 

And yes I can say that because I used to be someone who just assumed that after a section was over it was over. No ripping, tearing, pushing nonsense. No waiting. No pain. No epidurals. No feeling anything. No exhaustion. You get your stitches out and it's over. You heal up your cut and go on like nothing happened. Back to normal. Life goes on. 

Oh contrare... 

Wrong. 

Wrongo. 

Did I mention wrong?

Let me explain some things. 

Remember the magic trick of the woman in the box being cut in half? Exactly how I felt when I woke up. 

Do you have ripping and pushing and tearing? Not really. 

Do you have an incision and a kick butt battle scar? Absolutely. 

Are there 10ish staples in said incision? Correct. 

And then the whopper... Are there stitches on the INSIDE of your body? Yup. 

You literally heal from the inside out. And yes. Within 12ish hours after having said incision and stitches and staples and being packed and bandaged so tight you feel your skin will bust open if you move your pinky toe wrong, they stand you up. Is it achievable and completely essential in healing. YES. Does it make you feel like you will pass out or want to say things that would make your mother blush (depending on the last time you pressed your precious button)? 

It is a major surgery. It seems routine, but it's a big deal. 

Another step up on the soap box...

Not all who have a section CHOOSE to have a section. 

The next time you tell someone they took this so called easy way out- go ahead and duck and cover. I would if you were the "one more person" that said such to me. 

"Oh you're SO lucky! You didn't have to have any pain"

Lucky my left foot. Tell that to the brave nurse who comes in to stand you up for the first time. 

Orrrr my favorite was...

"Oh you had it easy. Just imagine if you actually had to sit on it."

I wanted to release the wrath of a 1 week postpartum she-devil. But I didn't. 

 

No You don't have to "sit on it."

But you do have to bend it. 

When you sit or try to lay down you bend at the waist correct? Well right there is the cute little easy line of staples. 

And another thing. For those who chose a section or it was medically necessary. Kudos to you for having a plan and preparing. Kudos to you for doing what you could to bring a healthy baby safely into the world. 

For those who either tried to have a vaginal birth but had complications leading to a section or for those like myself who had no idea and were rushed into emergency surgery- it wasn't necessarily your choice. It was your only choice and only option. There's nothing worse than someone tyring to condemn or shame or downplay the way you brought your sweet ray of sunshine into the world because it wasn't "womanly." 

You know what?

It takes a real woman to do whatever means necessary to save her baby, not her womanhood. 

It takes a real woman to do whatever means necessary to bring a baby safely into the world whether it be by vaginal delivery or section. 

And that's all I have to say about that. 

Pink

I've never really liked the color pink. Nope. Actually hated it when I was younger. Blues, greens, and orange have always been my favorite. 

Then one of my favorite women Mrs. Kay had breast cancer and pink became a statement. 

Then my mom had breast cancer and pink took on a whole new meaning. 

Then my boss had breast cancer and the fight was on. 

I had the urge to tattoo the pink ribbon on my forehead, but instead I made buttons with my mom's new pageant platform as she called it. 

Then I had a little girl and pink became everything. 

As Shelby said in Steel Magnolias, 

"Pink is my signature color."

 Insert deep southern charm. 

So today I take on my pink challenge. 

Today I have started my Plexus challenge. I've been asked the past week all about Plexus and my success with losing the baby weight and not having the still-pregnant look- apparently just the chubby glow. 

So today I made out my chart, filled my medicine organizer with my BioCleanse, Boost, and Block, replaced what used to be candy in the cookie jar with my Plexus Slim, and away we go. 

For the next 28 days I plan to blog about my Plexus journey for those on the fence or those trying to lose the last 5 lbs or just feel better in general or just have questions. 

Have no fear, it won't all be about Plexus. Yes. I sell the stuff and I still feel guilty about being "that girl," posting pictures on facebook and instagram, pink drink this, BioCleanse that, #tryit. Whatever. 

BUT starting today I'll track my weight loss including measurements and pounds for 28 days, 4 weeks. It really isn't that long when you think about it. In 28 days my goal is 10 lbs.  

10lbs of fat. Gone for hopefully good. 

I'll stick with my 4 workouts a week via Ballet Body dvd and the only change I'm making in my eating (to prove my point) is cutting cokes. 

The baby weight is gone. So why not set smaller goals month by month to ultimately reach the big one- weigh what I did when I graduated high school. 

So here we go. What could you do in 28 days?