Baby's First Christmas Pinstrosity

Oh dear! I don't even know where to start this post. Since I'm lacking words, I'm going to let pictures do all the talking...

It's Caleb's first Christmas.  Everyone knows that Baby's First Christmas is one of the big hallmark milestones of a baby's first year.  Even though he has no idea what Christmas is, there is still a pressure to make it memorable.  Enter Pinterest, the go-to gallery of DIY memory making ideas. In my quest for fun, relatively easy ways to make this holiday memorable for years to come, I found this inspiration...

Looks easy enough, right.  A little bitty handprint or footprint on an ornament. Simple. Piece of cake. How hard can this be?   As I imagine the finished product, my mind paints a picture of me hanging this ornament on our tree (we will have a tree by then) and reminiscing of how sweet and tiny his little hands once were..... (everyone say awwwwww).  Ok, back to reality.

It's 2 days before Christmas and we finally find time to gather the materials needed to make our ornament.  Because we know it is going to be absolutely adorable and FLAWLESS, we decided to buy multiple ornaments to give to family as Christmas gifts.  What grandparents wouldn't want baby keepsakes? It's so brilliant that I can hardly wait to see the finished product.

Let's start.

This was our before/set up picture.  I'm no newbie to pinterest projects so I'm all too familiar with the dreaded pintrosity (a pinterest project gone wrong).  I love visiting pintrosity.com and belly laughing at EVERYONE ELSE'S pinterest mishaps.  In an effort to avoid a pinstrosity of my own, I did my research on making handprint ornaments.  I learned, what I thought at the time, was the secret hint to a handprint masterpiece -- put the print on a paper towel and then transfering the print from the paper towel to the ornament. Knowing that would be our approach, we set up the table.  We even did a few "dry runs" to make sure we knew who was doing what steps (yes, you need 2 people to complete this!) I'm feeling even more confident now.  So, without further adieu, here is our first print...

Stop laughing!!! Yes, that's a hand...well, actually, it started as a print and quickly turned into a clenched fist that I tried to wrestle back into a print. We knew keeping his hand spread would be a huge challenge as his favorite way to hold his hand is clenched in a fist, inserted into his mouth.  Soooo, we had already decided that if we couldn't unclench his hand, we would do a footprint instead. A footprint sounded much easier anyway.  We would have his body weight to help make the print and we wouldn't have to worry about spreading his toes or unclenching his foot.  Keeping with the approach of placing the print on the paper towel first and then transferring it onto the ornament, this is our first footprint attempt:

Not too bad.  Here is how it transferred to the ornament:

Whhaaaaaaaaaaat happened?! I feel betrayed!! The woman on the blog made it sound like transferring the print was easy peasy.  Not so much, lady!!! In between laughing fits, I decided to go rouge and just put the print directly on the ornament. 

Ok, that worked so much better, but still doesn't look like the original pin. I'm not finished trying yet - I still have a few more takes in me.  Being all about continuous improvement, we decided the paint wasn't adhering to the ornament so we moved on to baby safe ink.  Unfortunately, all I had was black, but I was determined to make it work!  Take 3, 4, 5...

Then, we realized that the baby safe ink would never completely dry onto the ornament.  So, as long as no one ever touches the ornament, it should be fine! 

The original pin vs. our footprint.

Sigh.  Well, we did our best to create a baby's first Christmas handprint ornament, but we sure did come up short!  We had a good time and we laughed hysterically at our mishap(s).  While we won't be keeping the actual ornaments, I'm sure we will keep the ornaments alive in our memories for years to come!

While the ink/paint attempt was a fail, I had another handprint keepsake kit that uses a clay-like substance to make a mold of the print.  We made a few handprints and footprints and are waiting for them to dry.  I'm still hopeful that we will end up with something good from that experiment.  If not, you'll probably see a blog with that pinstrosity soon.  :)  Merry Christmas everyone!! 

The Big Reveal

A few months ago, we let our family and friends in on a little something special -- we're having a baby!! As any giver or receiver of such news knows, the next questions are 1) When are you due? 2) Are you going to find out? 

The first question is easy to answer.  Baby Johnson is due on August 29, 2012.  While I know that babies rarely decide to make an entrance on their due date, this one has a very special due date, making us even more hopeful that our baby is an exception. (And if Baby J takes after his/her Papa, it will be on time.  If Baby J takes after his/her mama, well, then it's anyones guess). Baby Johnson's scheduled arrival would give him/her a shared birthday with one of my favorite people, my Grandma Wiese.  So, here's hoping for a baby that follows doctors orders and shows up as planned! 

The second question, are you going to find out, was a little harder to answer.  When I asked Brad (the non-planner in the family) if he wanted to find out, he answered a definitive YES (for planning purposes).  When he asked me (the planner in the family) the same question, I answered a definitive NO.  Hmmmmm - how would we settle this debate? Maybe a foot race, winner chooses...wait, that's not fair, cause I can't run very well anymore.  Maybe an eating contest, winner chooses...wait, that's not fair, cause Brad can't keep up with the appetite of his pregnant wife.  So, I gave him the wifely ultimatum - win me over with a creative way to reveal the gender and I'll find out. 

Long story short, he pitched me an idea that made me a believer. Being the resourceful husband he is, he quickly identified just the person who could make our gender reveal plan perfectly personal. He knows me well enough to know that if he can make it "personal", he'll have me hook, line, and sinker.  His secret weapons -- my mom, who just happens to be an OBGYN and has been dying to take some ultrasound pictures of her grandchild and my step-dad, Jim, who loves to take regular pictures. With a few builds, tweaks, and creative embellishments courtesy of pinterest, we landed on a gender reveal plan that I couldn't pass up!  Just a few days ago, we put the plan into action and we can't wait to share what we learned!  (Viewer note - after you start the video, you might have to close out an ad or two that appears at the bottom of the screen.  If you don't close it, it will block the text and you just might miss the story!)

BABY JOHNSON - Girl or Boy??

My second date with Helen

I read her bio and I liked what she had to say. I thought, “I’d like to meet this girl, I think I might really like her!” So, one morning, I made a date to meet the famous “Helen”. Within minutes of our introduction, she was whipping me around, beating me down, and calling me names. She nearly killed me.  

At this point, I should probably clarify that I’m not talking about a real interaction with a woman named Helen, but rather, I’m talking about the well known crossfit workout named Helen.  At this point, all three of you that read my blog are asking, "What is Crossfit?"  Well, here's a Youtube video that portrays it better than my words ever could... 
What is Crossfit

Those of you who know me well know that I love a physical challenge.  When Brad came home talking about "Crossfit" and "WODs" (workout of the day), he knew I'd only have one question, "when can we start?"

And start we did!  This week marks 19 weeks since our first crossfit class and our first date with "Helen".  Over the last 19 weeks, we've come along way.  We can now do pull ups, wall walks, and handstand push ups.  Like all other crossfitters, we have a love/hate relationship with "fight gone bad", we constantly underestimate Grace, Helen, Annie, and "the girls", and we are filled with respect and admiration for "murph", "danny", "griff", and the other heroes behind crossfit's "hero WODs".    

And, tomorrow, after 19 weeks, we will revisit day one.  We will meet Helen again.  While I'd love to say that she won't hurt me as bad the second time around, we all know that would be a lie.  She will hurt me just as bad, but this time, I'm hoping it doesn't take her as long.  See you soon Helen...

If you are interested in learning more about Crossfit, check out the links below:

Crossfit.com

Our Crossfit gym

Crossfit "The Girls"
Hero WODs

There should only be one person crying because she's hungry...

Brad and I love a good celebration.  But, what happens when you are celebrating something that is completely foreign to you...like babies?  This was exactly the dilemma we faced as we tried to plan a baby shower for our expecting friends.

We love Brandon and Erin.  They moved from Raleigh to STL about a year or so ago and have meshed seamlessly with our friends.  Brandon, Erin, and Brad are all NC originals. Brad and Brandon were fraternity brothers and are obviously die hard followers of the Wolfpack. (you see why they fit seamlessly now, right).  So, when Brandon and Erin told us they were expecting an addition to their "pack", we were thrilled for them.  And, we couldn't wait to celebrate!

But, other than wanting to celebrate, I was a little unsure where to start.  Strike 1: I've never organized a baby shower before.  Strike 2: Erin is the first girl in our joint group of STL friends to take the plunge into motherhood.  And Strike 3: I don't know much about pregnancy or babies, which meant any baby themed agenda I came up with would likely be a flop.

So, when it came time to plan, I was a little unsure about the right approach.  In typical Siems fashion, I started a brainstorm.  Brad graciously obliged my brainstorming - dinner in a private room, a typical baby shower complete with melted candy bars in diapers, a spa party, a march madness basketball party where Erin opens gifts during halftime (guess who came up with that idea). The ideas were endless, but none seemed quite right...yet.  

Then, in a daydream, I was thinking about how life changing my world would be with a newborn baby. Farewell 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, hello 8 hours of uninterrupted crying.  So long changing channels, hello changing diapers.  No longer are conversations about pumps referring only to shoes.  Long gone are the days of Friday night dinner dates. And then, it occurred to me...long gone are the days of a home cooked dinner - period.  Immediately, I was thrown back into a conversation with one of  my friends who recently had a baby. I remember her talking about how she thought a newborn would be fairly easy.  So easy that she would have time to tend to the house, prepare dinner, and care for herself while the baby slept.  In reality, after her first bundle of joy was born, she realized that on a good day, she was lucky to get a shower.  And dinner...dinner, for the first few months, seemed like a "fend for yourself" type of affair.  Suddenly, it struck me.  I may not know anything about babies, pregnancy, or diapers, but I know how terrible it is to realize that even though all your energy is gone, there are still hungry people in the house asking what's for dinner!  

With that realization, the plan was born.  We "borrowed" a large, beautiful kitchen and asked Brandon, Erin, and a few of our closest friends to a baby celebration.  The plan was to have a "dinner party", but not your typical dinner party. Everyone was asked to bring a recipe and all the ingredients to make that particular recipe.   At this party,  each person would assemble a meal for Brandon and Erin.  After the shower, Brandon and Erin would take the meals home and freeze them to eat after the baby is born.  During the shower, we chatted, drank wine, prepared the meals for Brandon and Erin, and, yes, even watched basketball.  At the end of the day, Brandon and Erin left with 2 containers of meatloaf , mashed potatoes, a chicken and rice casserole, a cheeseburger casserole, and a lasagna.  Hopefully now, at least for a few meals, there will only be one person in their house crying because she's hungry...

A whole new world

We recently saw a quote about marriage that was something along the lines of "marriage is the abandonment of two individual worlds for the creation of one new world."  We thought it would be fitting to reflect on the new world of which we are now a part.  So, here are the top 10 hallmarks of our new world:

1. There is no such thing as a snooze button. In the new world, when the alarm goes off, you get up and turn the lights on. This is VERY different from my past world where I snoozed at least one time each morning.
2. I am now an official NC State wolfpack fan. I not only know who Russell Wilson is, but I can carry on a conversation about him.  I'm also fully aware that NC State has been leading every football game in the 4 quarter this year.  My "fan" status became official when I voluntarily watched the second half of a NC State football game while in my hotel room on a work trip.  
3. I now have very strict rules about which baseball teams to cheer for.  Cardinals first, anyone but the Cubs or Braves, then anyone with ties to North Carolina, NC State, and/or Southeastern Virginia, and lastly, national league over american league.  I'm not yet sure what happens if there's a Braves player from NC State.  I think that might be Brad's definition of "conflicted". 
4. Brad is now an official tennis fan.  He's becoming fully fluent in tennis terminology and can carry on a conversation using the most scientific tennis terms like, "he tree'd out of his mind", "that was a complete pot shot", or "he's a huge push".  He also has rules on who to cheer for - Rafa Nadal over....well, everyone. 
5. Brad can fully comprehend how great something is when I compare it to "being in a focus group and having consumers play back your core essence."
6. Brad learned that it is possible to survive without ESPN... or cable TV for that matter.  
7. I live in dog hair.  It is an accessory. It magically appears on everything, all the time.  No matter what.
8. Weekly (if not 3x per week) fast food is a requirement.  China 1 is on speed dial and Saturday mornings at Chick-fil-a is a tradition only skipped when vacationing in a city that is not lucky enough to have a Chick-fil-a. Also, trips to home depot for hot dogs (and only hot dogs) are perfectly normal. 
9. Socks CONSTANTLY get lost from their mate.  Brad said he has never experienced emptying the dryer to find multiple pairs of socks without a match.  If this is new to his world, then I'm convinced he dry cleaned or never did his laundry. 
10. In the new world, I practically live like the rich and famous.  I own multiple homes. I am the proud owner of a "city house" for weekend trips, vacations, or just to be closer to "the city life".  I'm also the proud owner of a "county house" for the quieter, more relaxed, day to day moments.  If you find yourself jealous of my rich and famous lifestyle and would like to have a city house of your own, please let me know.  I think I have one that would be perfect for you :)

What I learned about marriage through a breakdown at KFC

Before I can really get into the marriage lesson learned at KFC, I have to back track to the week before our wedding.  When you plan a wedding in 40 days, you don’t have time to be particular about every little detail (which is a real blessing!).  However, ten days before our wedding, I found myself feeling very particular about one thing, one thing I could not control, that one thing, was the weather.  In planning an outdoor wedding, I had to submit to the fact that the weather might not be perfect on my special day.  Forty days out, that was easy as we had an indoor back up that was perfectly acceptable for a wedding. (Note I used the word "acceptable".  Who wants "acceptable"?!)

Of course, the minute the 10-day forecast was available, I was scouring every weather site to see the first glimpse of the sun that was sure to be forecasted on my wedding day.  GASP - thunderstorms...60% chance??? what?  look again...every....10....minutes. no change. ever. To a woman who has planned an outdoor wedding, the weather is a pretty big deal and a pending chance of rain was enough to send me spiraling into distraction (my decision to eat at KFC should at least give you an indication of how distracted I was by the pending weather!).  I found it increasingly difficult to get comfortable with that pesky little thunderstorm cloud that was GLARING at me from the weather report! 

Five days before the wedding, Brad and I helped our church hold its first service in a new building.  That morning, on our way to church, the sky opened up and a downpour began.  As we stepped soaking wet into the brand new lobby of the building, I remember saying to Brad, “if anyone deserves good weather on a special day, it’s this church! I’m sure there were plenty of people praying for good weather today and look what they got!”  As people arrived for the service, I remember watching them dash inside from the torrential downpour, shoes soaked, clothes drenched, and umbrellas dripping water all over the floor.  In an flash, I was transported to my wedding day where my mind’s eye painted a picture of what I might look like trying to hold an umbrella and avoid puddles in a wedding dress.  I saw my guests soaked to the bone and I saw us being married in our backup location, not at the garden that we had worked so hard to arrange.  In that instant, I felt myself on the edge of a breakdown.  Luckily, the service was starting so I was able to pull myself together...somewhat.  

After a rainy, but successful first service at the new church, Brad suggested stopping by KFC to grab a quick bite.  Again, we ran through a rainy parking lot, jumping over puddles in a mad dash to the front door.  I sat down in a corner booth and looked out the window at the looming clouds. Suddenly, the thoughts of a rainy wedding came rushing back.  This time, the tears came rushing in too.  Yes, I had a breakdown at a  Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Brad arrived with the food to find me blubbering about rain, weather, and my wedding dress. Without skipping a beat, Brad said “should I just go ahead and get this to go?” 

Over the next five days, the weather forecast never really changed.  Thunderstorms and rain were expected to bring a cold front to the area.  In order to ensure rain did not ruin our day, we contemplated saying our vows on Thursday (zero percent chance of rain) during the rehearsal.   However, while the forecast never changed, my attitude finally did.  We (and everyone else I knew who prayed!) had been praying hard for good weather when I realized that praying for good weather was the WRONG prayer to be praying.  Instead, I started praying for a good attitude and a joyful heart no matter what the weather brought.  Two days before the wedding, I heard four different stories from co-workers, friends, and acquaintences whose outdoor weddings were changed by the rain.  In every circumstance, the storytellers did not express one tinge of disappointment or frustration over the rain.  Instead, everyone talked about how beautiful and wonderful the day was, even in the rain.  It was through those conversations that my prayers were answered and I finally felt at peace with the fact that our wedding plans may have to be altered due to rain.

Friday morning, my wedding day, I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to a HEAVY rain.  At 7:30 when I left for breakfast, the rain was still pouring.  By 9am, the rain was calming and the sun was starting to shine.  By noon, the clouds had cleared, the sun was out, and the roads were beginning to dry.  It was around that time, I sent a text message to my groom that read “I think we just learned our first marriage lesson...sometimes we have to wait out the storm in order to see the beautiful weather waiting behind it.”

Showered with love

I’ve been meaning to post this entry for a few days and with the hustle and bustle of tying up the loose ends, I just haven’t gotten around to it...until now! 

As my wedding approaches (less than 24 hours away now!), I’ll enter into this new phase of life appropriately “showered” with love and support from all of those closest to me.  As I think back over the past 40 days, some of my favorite memories from our little engagement were the opportunities to celebrate with friends and family.   First, my stepmom threw a perfect wedding shower for me at a local restaurant and included a fun way for attendees to contribute to our new marriage.  A few months ago, Brad and I decided that after we were married we would keep our “date night” tradition alive.  So, at my shower, guests had the opportunity to contribute date night ideas to keep our tradition going.  Some guests even gave us gift cards or money to make their date night ideas come to life.  After the awesome creativity from friends and family, Brad and I will be going on a wide variety of date nights including, ziplining, cooking classes, biking, tickets to a drive-in movie, a road trip, winery trips, private art museum tours, dinners, and ideas for seeing new things all over the area!  We cannot wait to get started.  

In addition to family showers, my closest co-workers also threw me a lovely “bridal shower” while we were on a business trip in California.  The first best part about this bridal shower is that I was one of two women in the group.  The second best part about this bridal shower is that it was held at a place called “Don the Beach Comber”, a local Hawaiian restaurant.  The third best part about this shower was that we made fun of Stoddard all night...just like old times :)   It was certainly a night filled with laughs.  I mean, what isn’t there to love about a restaurant with a name like “Don the Beach Comber”?! 

Throughout this time, it’s the small, little gestures that have made this time so rewarding for us.  It’s the spontaneous hugs, the never ending “congratulations”, the date night list that will last us well into our first year of marriage, and the loads of laughs with friends at Don the Beach Comber. 

Just today, we reflected on how amazed we are by all of the sacrifices people have chosen to make in order to share this special time with us. On 40 days notice, our guest list is running at over 90% acceptance vs. the standard 80% we were told to account for :)  We have guests from all over the world and all over the country coming in to celebrate.  We have people taking the day off of work and rearranging schedules just to help make this day as perfect as is possible on this side of heaven.  In short, we are overwhelmed, humbled, and showered with love.