Fabric Favorite

If I were a quilter...or someday, when I am a quilter...the Country Roads Wheels fabric will totally be on my to-do list. How cute for a baby boy?! Love it. And LOVE Fat Quarter Shop. Cutest stuff ever.

Brotherly Love

Nothing sweeter.

Two More To Love

From ModCloth & Ruche:

this top

& this top

Happy 4th Birthday, Mason!

I love to tell Mason the story of how immediately and completely I fell in love with him, as soon as the nurse handed him to me after his birth. He was and continues to be the sweetest boy in the world. He's naturally kind and gentle, quick to smile and laugh and eager to help. We are so, so grateful for this guy!

This past year Mason has grown up so much. He's learned his letters and can write his name (ish). He's skipped "terrible" anything (making me think I will pay in the teen years, perhaps?). He loves to do puzzles, play trains and cars, ride his bike, play outside...etc. etc.

Still loves his blankie, of course. And when I asked him if he was going to quit sucking his finger when he turned 4, he grinned and said..."Yes! Actually, no. I'm going to suck my finger FOREVER!". Since I know that's probably not true, I am choosing not to worry about it, for now.

Today we will celebrate this guy with a bounce house party at Goin' Bananas, magic lollipops, presents (including his very own fish), cupcakes at his party and then maybe a candle in a Reece's Big Cup that evening. And, if he gets his way (which he probably will...), pizza for lunch and dinner. Yum yum!

Mason, we ADORE you! Happy, happy birthday.

Forever Fake Maternity

Forever 21 is my go-to spot for fake maternity clothes. Several things have caught my eye recently...but I'd have to try them on. So I'd have to go to the mall. And hunt through that gigantic store. With stroller in tow. And play hide and seek in the rounders with Mason. And dole out snacks left and right to keep Simon happy. Why oh why do I have such an aversion to online shopping? It seems so simple. Order it all. Try it on in the comfort of my own home. Take back what doesn't work. But no, you'll see me soon, tearing my hair out at my local Forever 21. Glutton for punishment. Stuck in my ways.

Tangent! Here are my current favorites...

{1 2 3 4 5 6}

Night Owl Party

I'm bookmarking this darling Night Owl party to use as a "late night" party when Maya gets a little bit older. The colors, the details...all gorgeous! Such a fun concept.

Excuse Me While I Fixate On Maternity Clothes For A Minute

As per usual (hello, this is my 4th pregnancy, I have complained about this several times before), there are very few decent looking maternity clothes out there! So far I've been making a go of it with my regular clothes...thanks to low-rise jeans and the fact that I favor "billowy" tops in general, given the spare tire I'm always sporting between pregnancies. Anyway, I have seen little in the way of maternity clothes I'd like to spend my money on. But these 2 items might be good places to start...

@Old Navy

@Gap

He Bear, She Bear

Every day Maya brings home a different book from school to read to us. Her teacher has every Kindergarten-appropriate book, apparently (WOW!), but Maya's favorite for the last month or so has been the Berenstain Bear books. Which I LOVE. They were a favorite of mine as a kid. {I called them "He Bear She Bear-books". I think the original Berenstain Bear book was called He Bear She Bear, or something.} Old habits die hard, so every night after we study scriptures we read "He Bear, She Bear...and the Messy Room"...or "and the Birds & the Bees"...or "...and the Trouble With Money." Mason loves them too. And they're such a great conversation starter with the kids. Lucky me, the Berenstains seem to embrace the very same old-fashioned and uncool values that we do. The other night they opened up the discussion as to why (for now, at least) we don't do sleepovers. They illustrate beautifully the importance of honesty. And being kind. And being yourself. And they do it in a way that is easy for my kids to understand and in a way that makes it easy for us to discuss.

Ah, bless the Berenstains. Well, except for their explanation of the birds and the bees. Whoever decided that pollination was the key to explaining where babies come from does not think the same way I do. Or the same way Maya & Mason do, luckily...that all seemed to go over their head. Mama's lap disappearing and a baby coming home from the hospital seemed to be all the explanation they needed for now.

Thank goodness.

{I'd love your children's book recommendations. We're always looking for a great book...}

He's A Good Man...

{1 2 3 4}

I've got to stop by Old Navy and pick up some Peanuts tees for my kiddos! (They usually have them at Target, too...anybody seen them this year?) We're SO in love with Charlie Brown & company these days...so much so that the kids & Chris almost have me convinced to abandon Charlotte in favor of Lucy. It was a pre-pregnancy favorite and a contender when I was pregnant with Simon, so we shall see...

Oh, Cath

I'm always pretty stoked when I get my Cath Kidston catalog/magazine in the mail. In fact, it's one of the only catalogs I save to oogle again and again. Such lovely items!

I've yet to make a purchase {online ordering is not my fave + ordering from England intimidates me...silly, I know} but I'm dying for some of Cath's lovely oilcloth.

Maybe this one?

...or this one, perhaps?

Question, though. What does one do with oilcloth? Make a tablecloth? That's probably all I could muster. Any ideas, links?

Also, if you know of any Cath-ish designers/stores out there, I'd love to hear about it...always looking for new favorites...

Browse the online catalog here.

Lost-entines

These Lost Valentines are pretty much the most hilarious thing EVER. Ever ever.

PS - I thought the season premier was AWESOME. Confusing, weird...awesome! All the things I LOVE about Lost.

Cuter Than Expected

My fabulous friend Natalie (one of many super cool Natalies in my life, lucky me) heard me griping about the lack of cute maternity clothes out there and suggested I check out Expected Maternity. I must say, I'm super impressed with their cute selection. I've got several things on my wishlist...

{1 2 3 4}

GIDDY!

I haven't been THIS excited about TV since...well, maybe since the final season of Alias a few years back. Tonight's the night! I can.not.wait! Lost is my absolute favorite. We've been fans since the first season. I'm hoping for a big payout. I'm also hoping that I won't be giving birth while the series finale airs. Well, thank goodness for DVR's. Yay Lost!

{For the record: favorite storyline is still Desmond & Panny...hoping we'll see some of them before it's all over...}

{Also for the record: my TV buddy, AKA Chris is out of town so I will be watching alone. It will still be awesome, but that's a bummer.}

Matchy Match

I have 'fessed up before: I love matchy matching my kiddos. So I'm pretty giddy about having 2 girls to dress alike. There are some super cute things out there for a couple of girlies...

...like these, from Gymboree:

{1 2 3 4}

Or these, from Naartjie:

{1 2 3}

And did you know that Janie & Jack carries up to size 8 online? That gives me another year or so to dress my girls in their pretty things...such as:

{1 2 3}

Had any luck finding matchy-match clothes for big & little girls? I'd love to hear!

Out(inigs) & About

Two Saturdays, two drastically different types of weather (that's Austin for ya...): Last weekend, Chris took the kids "hiking" up Mt. Bonnell in short sleeves. This past weekend we bundled up and went to the State Capital. Brrr! It's been chilly!

This past Saturday was such a nice, laid back day, the first in ages (and in ages to come, I think...) We napped, hung out as a family, visited the State Capital and library, ate Mexican for dinner...perfect!

{PS - I love that coat - totally conceals the 5-month-pregnant belly! 24.5 weeks at this point - yikes!}

Then Sings My Soul

The other morning Mason was sitting eating breakfast and I was in his room, making his bed and getting clothes for my boys picked out for the day when Mason hollered out: "Mom! There's a hot air balloon outside!". Now, Mason is a little bit of a turkey in that way {"Mom, someone knocked at the door." I check the door...hysterical laughter ensues..."Just kidding, Mom!"} so I was skeptical. "No there's not, you silly goose!" "Mom, there really is!"

So I ran out to the kitchen and sure enough, hovering right over our back yard was a huge green hot air balloon. For some reason, it completely cracked me up. I ran out back with my boys and we all stood there in our PJs waving at the random hot air balloon above our house. Just as I ran in to grab my camera, they fired the balloon up and by the time I got back, they were much higher up and farther away (hence the not-so-close photo). But I thought it was just a lovely way to start my day.

And so my thoughts, as they often do in the morning, turned to God and all of the things He allows us to experience. Silly things, like hot air balloons in our back yard. Hard things that make us stronger. Fun things. Love. Trials. Laughter. Pain. I'm so grateful for all of it!

Then I dropped Mason off at his preschool, which is in a church (not ours, but we love it!). As I was walking out with my little hip-buddy Simon, someone was in the sanctuary playing "How Great Thou Art" on the organ. It once again lifted my spirits, drawing me closer to my Heavenly Father and remembering once again how great He truly is. I am so grateful for this life I have to live. I'm grateful that I get to try every day to become more like Him.

And I'm grateful He blesses us with funny things like a hot air balloon in my back yard. He's all around me, when I remember to notice Him and His blessings.

Wee Little Man

How 'bout a whole week of family posts + 2 Simon posts in a row? Well, that's how things go around here, I guess. Simon tried on a leprechaun hat today at the store. He makes a good little Irish man, no? Now, where's my pot of gold?

Boy Baby

Man oh man, is this guy ever getting his own personality. After being the world's most mellow and sweet baby (Mason style), this guy is letting the feisty-ness (Maya style) out! What a turkey! Don't get me wrong, he is wonderful and sweet too, but he's not afraid to "speak" (shriek?) his mind.

k

Some Simon tidbits:

• Becoming more of a blanket boy all the time! But no preference for a specific blankie, it just has to be silky.
• Also becoming quite the thumb sucker. Particularly when the blankie is around.
• Prefers to sit IN the toy box while playing with toys.
• Prefers reorganizing the house to playing with toys.
  
• Particularly loves to carry around Chapstick. If there is Chapstick to be found, he will find it.
  
• Also loves to carry around the phone. I love it when he holds it up to his ear and says "UHHH!".
  
• Definitely my worst eater so far. At least he'll eat bananas. Any other fruit of vegetable totally depends on his mood. If he doesn't like something, he'll look you straight in the face and drop it onto the floor.
• Finally mastered the sippy and the straw cups, but still wants a few bottles a day. Which is pretty much the only time he gives up the snuggles, so I'm cool with it.
• Likes to be out and about, gets stir crazy when we are home too much. (Which is rare!)

Overall, this guy is very easy to have around. He just keeps surprising me with his personality. That's what's so fun about having kids - watching those things develop and come out. He's definitely a goodie.

Feeties

I bought Simon & Mason matching PJs a while back. And Simon is definitely cute in his, but he's little and almost all of his jammies have feet. Mason, on the other hand, is a giant, and nothing is cuter than a giant in feeties. Particularly when they have that smile to go with 'em!

Happiest kid in the universe! Until he's not. He's gotten very good at turning on the water works when he doesn't get his way. He's never been much of a fit thrower, just more of a drama king. His heart is breaking, his world is ending. He can easily be coaxed out of it with a Reece's Cup.

At age almostnearly4, a few of Mason's favorites:

• Reece's Cups. (I believe I mentioned that.)
• Peanut butter & Nutella sandwiches (thank you, Juli). I guess it's a PB + chocolate thing. Nothing wrong with that!
• Reece's Puffs cereal. (Someone needs to put me in jail for ever buying that in the first place.)
• Brushing his teeth. (Not really, just trying to make myself feel better.)
• Jumping on the trampoline.
• Making us all laugh with his hilarious stories. (A recent favorite about his friend Bailey almost sent Maya to the hospital. She could.not.breathe. And why not when Bailey put her pants on backwards, honked her nose and the blew a gasket, flew up into the air and off a cliff and landed in a shoe. Future comedian, for sure.)
• Cars, specifically anything related to Mater the Greater. (Disney once again proves themselves as marketing geniuses.)
• HIS BIRTHDAY! (Every night before bed: "Is tomorrow my birthday?". Every day when he wakes up: "Is today my birthday?". 2 more weeks and my guy will be 4!)
• Deep thinking. (He joined us in bed the other day and asked us "Will I still be the same after I die?" After we assured him that he would be the same person after he died he grinned and said "I can't WAIT to be in heaven with everybody!" He's so awesome.)
• Loving EVERYTHING. (Random "Mom, I love you!" "I love Simon!" "I love reading books with you!" "I love playing!" "I love this lunch!" come up all day long. His preschool teacher always comments on how great he is to have around because he LOVES EVERYTHING. Her recent favorite came while she was snapping up his jacket before they went outside: "I love how my snaps sound when you do them up!". He's so full of love.

And we LOVE our Mason!

Supa' Star!

Maya is the Shining Star of the Week this week in Kindergarten. That girl could not be more stoked! She has been talking about being the Shining Star since the first week of school. Hooray that it's finally her turn. Perks include bringing in a poster and bragging about yourself to the class, being third in line (after the line leaders and door holders), picking a friend to go up into the classroom loft with you during rest time every day, and bringing Fuzzy Bear (the class mascot) home with you over the weekend after your big week. Wow, no wonder she's excited! Good stuff.

Here's her poster, with name banner idea shamelessly stolen from Kami. I have to say, looking thru Maya's old pictures was quite a fun time. Man, that girl has always been so full of exuberance and joy. She's fabulous, she is!

My favorite pictures are: Top Row #3 (those cheeks + the tutu on that tiny bike!) and #6 (what is cuter than standing your baby in a puddle in the pouring rain?); Row 2 #1 (that face is still Maya's signature) and #2 (the perfect illustration of Maya's iron will, which is just getting stronger all the time). Oh, and all the rest of them. What a smile! What a kid!

And here is her "Story About Me", which includes her love for playing, arts & crafts and cookies. Oh, and apparently she'd like to be a teacher when she grows up! She'd be great, I have to say.

I hope Maya enjoys her whole week of being 3rd in line. Who am I kidding - she's going to eat it up. Ah, to be a Kindergartner again.

Baby Love

I threw a baby shower for my sister in law Jessica over the weekend (at my kind mother's house, since ours was theoretically on the market). She's having her first girl next month. It's a Cottam girl bonanza these days, in fact. Chris' older brother & wife had their first girl (Anna) in August. Chris' sister had her 2nd girl (Olivia, baby sister of Sienna) in December. Jessica is having the possible Samantha or Mackenzie in February, and then our girl joins big sis Maya in May. So that makes it 6 to 2 in the Cottam family...good thing Mason & Simon can definitely hold their own!

Lucky me, having a girl shower around Valentine's day! So much good stuff to choose from. Of course, we went with pink, pink and more pink!

"Baby Love" was the best I could do as a theme, so I made a little banner for the table.

I think we all about went into a sugar coma with the spread I chose. I realized at the last minute that mini-quiche was the only "savory" dish on the menu. Oh well.

Pink Izze sodas and IBC cherry limeade + heart bendy straws...berry yogurt parfaits, girly M&Ms.

My first attempt at a diaper cake. I was surprised at how quickly it came together, thanks to my friend Kristi's tutoring. Ribbon + flowers & it turned out very cute, I thought.

Krispy Kreme heart shaped doughnuts.

Mmm, yeah, they were GOOD!

Chocolate dipped strawberries...the only thing I actually made for the shower.

Cutest ever cookies from Lux Bakery & Cafe, one of my favorite spots for treats.

"Mommy Brain" aka (Bad) Memory was one of our games.

Complete with candy favors! (My favorites: Engorgement = Mounds Candy Bar, Epidural = Lifesavers, Conception = Skor, Sam & Jess's new family size = 3 Musketeers.)

We also played "The Price Is Right" with items from Neiman Marcus & Target, which was pretty amusing. I didn't get any pics of it, but if anyone wants the PDF file (game cards, pictures of the items & $$ answer key) for a shower, send me an e-mail and I'll send it to you. (Thanks to my friend Jeannie for that idea!)
I also did some advice/prediction cards that everyone filled out.

Oh yes, and there were actual people there! Once the shower got started I was running around and didn't take many pics, but here is the little Mama-to-be opening our signature gift: our favorite Nordstrom blanket (Mason's favorite blanket, I should say...) and Mama's favorite baby shoes: Robeez!

We're so excited to have another baby to snuggle around these parts!

SOLD! (And Other Stuff...)

So the house was sold in one day. Went on the market on Thursday, we had 4 lookers and 1 offer that day. The next morning we got another offer (along with 6 more people coming to look that day). The original people upped their offer until we were ready to say YES! So the inspection is tomorrow, after which it will seem more real. And then we close March 3, but since our buyer is in a lease until end of March, we might be able to lease back until then. Which would give us more time to find a house. And by find a house, I mean wait for a house we like to come on the market. Because our favorite area is rather specific. And by rather specific, I mean consists of less than 10 streets. If we can't find something to buy before we have to move out, we'll try to lease one of the many available houses in the neighborhood. I think it will all work out. I mean, I know it will all work out...I just hope it all works out before baby 4 arrives in May! So...I'll keep you posted!

It will be crazy and amazing to focus on something other than the house. As in this house. (We'll still be focusing on the house, for sure!) Things like...

• Mason's 4th birthday, coming in 2 weeks. I opted for my first ever "off-site" party. Just figured I couldn't cope with doing a party and house for sale at the same time, and I'm glad it worked out this way. I'm saving a million dollars and tons o' sanity by doing a bounce house party. Pick up a cake and some pizza and I'm done! I've already bought party favors on clearance at Michael's after Christmas, so we're good to go!
• Maintaining the new cleaning program. Dishes and laundry are under control for the first time since Simon was born almost 15 months ago. Wiping up on a daily basis to keep things looking nice. Vacuuming a little more regularaly...than, uh, hardly ever. The house looks so pretty - let's keep it that way!
• Seeing some friends! I feel like I've been a major hermit since...I don't know, before Maya's birthday? It's been one thing after the other. My kids need play dates! I need to take them places other than Target!
• Reading. A. Book. Seriously. Really, I mean it. Somebody suggest a good one for me!
• Cooking all of the pretty things in the P-Dub cookbook Holly sent me for my birthday.
• WRITING THANK YOU NOTES! Yeah, we'll start with my birthday (back in November) and end with Christmas. Oh, and in 2 weeks I'll have Mason's birthday to write thank-yous for. Geez louise. I used to be good at that.
• Shopping with my mother. The mall has been missing us!

And more stuff, I'm sure. Maybe a NAP! I'm 5 months along now, exactly. 23 weeks tomorrow. Crazy, crazy, CRAZY!

Happy week to you! Do something fun.

Year 'Round

Mason will only wear Crocs. I buy him Converse. He won't wear them. I buy him Vans. He won't wear them. Luckily in Texas, you can wear your Crocs year 'round, so he sports either his green or his brown pair daily (sometimes one of each). He will definitely be sporting these next. Loooove!

For Sale

We're officially FOR SALE! Day 1 brought 4 lookers, 1 offer and 1 offer possibly coming soon. Wow! I'll be out and about tomorrow, hoping others will come after the 10am appointment that's already been set. I love these pics, but it doesn't really seem like our house with 75 percent of our junk in storage. It's pretty nice, I have to say. I might just leave it there forever, even when we get a new house.

Excuse the dead grass (that's winter in Texas for ya...)

Know anybody who needs a cute li'l house in a fabulous Austin neighborhood? Send 'em over!

Hooligans

I love to see these three faces playing outside together. I also love it that Maya improvises on pushing Simon in the swing by climbing up above him and swinging the rope with her foot. Hey, whatever works!

It's been fun watching sibling relationships grow with these 3. Sure, they argue some and drive each other a little crazy. But for the most part, they play well, they love each other and have FUN together. It warms a Mama's heart!

Monogrammed

Every time I have a baby, I swear that I am going to get them a monogrammed blanket. And then, surprise, surprise, I never get around to it. I love this completely unpractical but gorgeous set. And being that it's monogrammed and from Neiman Marcus, I didn't find the price to be completely ridiculous. Something to think about for Miss Charlotte, or whatever her name shall be...(Chris hasn't given me the go-ahead on Charlotte...yet!)

Line Leader

Hooray that Friday is my volunteer day in Maya's class, so I got to be there to see her as the line leader. You see, being the line leader is on Maya's list of best things ever. Every day she comes home and says "I wasn't the line leader today!". And often she prays "Please bless that I can be the line leader.". So I was pretty stoked to be present for the big line leading today. Here she is, catching a bubble in her mouth so she won't talk in the halls. Good thinking.

I stayed for a few minutes of lunch with my girl, another best day ever sort of event. This girl is easy to please, and I love it. And...I love HER!

Shower Love

My sister-in-law is having her first baby next month, so a baby shower is in order! This Saturday, in fact. I'm pulling inspiration from lots o' places, including these 2 lovely parties. Hoping I can pull it all together...

Pretty In Pink

Cookies + Milk Shower

More Boden Love: Dress Edition

So many dresses to love...so little time (and by time, I mean money...).

1

2

3

4

My Buddy

Commercial jingles are powerful. Because a million years later, when I pick up my little cling-on and put him on my hip, I immediately start singing "My buddy, my buddy, wherever I go, he goes...". (Anyone else remember that commercial?)

Anyway, this is a fun age. Emptying the dishwasher with a baby on your hip is like doing squats with weights - very beneficial to my figure (Which, notice below, is beginning to show Baby Girl pretty well these days!). Baby in laundry basket while I do laundry. Baby in the sink while I do my make-up. Baby always standing at my feet, reaching up. Well, at least I know he loves me.

You could have predicted this, right? If Mom's going to take a picture of Simon in the sink, Mason's climbing into the other sink right away. Cute boy.

Boden Beauties

As ever, I have an extensive wishlist from the latest Boden catalog. Oh, and can I say that I love that they're using US sizes now? I never could get UK sizing right...

skirt

(yellow!) butterfly slingbacks (the turquoise is also tempting...)

loooove the jacket

I have a long list of dresses I'm loving, too...coming next week. Happy Friday!

Oh For The Love Of Blankets...

...and finger sucking. We've got another one! Must be genetic or something.

Office Space

We use our old (tiny) kitchen table as a computer desk in our bedroom. But our "eat in kitchen" table is moving to the dining room (formerly the playroom) for staging, which means that the old table need to go to the kitchen. Which means I need a new desk. Like, now. And I don't want to buy just something to get us through. I'd rather just buy something I like (novel idea). I'm thinking this desk, sans hutch.

Might as well get this chair to go along with...

...and this cushion will finish things up nicely.

Thoughts?

Teacups

I have a few cup & saucer sets left over from Maya's big tea party last year. I've contemplating doing "tea" lights a'la Tracy Porter...

and I also love this groovy teacup lamp.

In reality, they will probably end up at Goodwill along with half of all our other stuff during this epic de-junk we're doing...but a girl can dream, right?

Popcorn + Snuggles = Perfect

It's pretty much impossible to get this on-the-go guy to sit still for any reason other than for a ba-ba before bed. Unless, of course, big sis has popcorn!

That is some good lovin' she got! Well, what's not to love about a girl who will feed you popcorn?

Flying Books

In L-O-V-E with the flying books in this playroom. I could totally whip some of those up, right? I might just give it a shot if/when we get a true playroom.

As for our "playroom" (dining room), it is presently empty. All of the goods have either been boxed up or relocated to the kids' rooms & closets. So strange. I hope we can find us a house with a big place for the kiddos to play...

All's Fair In Science Fair

As the first-born child of rookie parents, Maya "gets" to do lots of things her younger siblings will never do. Such as have her photograph professionally taken on a monthly basis for the first year of her life. Or take "Mommy and Me" swimming lessons at the YMCA and baby gymnastics at the Little Gym. Things like having a perfectly coordinated baby wardrobe (including shoes!) from Gymboree and bedroom furniture not purchased at Ikea. Ah, the life of the firstborn!

Add to her list of unique experiences (in this family): Optional Kindergarten Science Fair Projects! Silly, silly Mom. I knew this was a dumb idea, but I signed up anyway. Actually, she LOVED doing it. She had a really, really fun time with it, and her telling me so repeatedly did make the annoying aspects of it worthwhile.

We "watched the clock" for 2 weeks, checking 10 clocks in our home at 7:30pm to see if they were reading the correct time. As I (and Maya) predicted, they did not. In fact, Chris' (brand new) alarm clock was a full 5 minutes fast by the end of the 2 weeks. Some ran fast, some ran slow...no wonder we never know what time it is!

When I think about Maya, I see a 3-year-old girl. It always surprises me to realize how grown up this girl is getting. She is really the bee's knees. I'm so happy to see what a good girl she's growing up to be.

Excellent news (for me): she still allows me to dress her. I love that I can put her in ruffly pants & dress one day and that tomorrow she'll just as willingly wear the teal skinny jeans I picked up for her at Target today. I will miss dressing her when she starts to have her own opinion on the matter. I guess it's a good thing I've got another girl coming up next. Oh, and that my boys don't seem to notice or care that I dress them in matching outfits as often as possible. Matching up little boys is quite a guilty pleasure of mine, I'd say...

Maya is dying to win the science fair. I have repeatedly informed her that she has already won the science fair because she did her best work on the project, had fun and learned something new. Tonight at dinner Chris responded to her "I hope I win the science fair" with almost those exact same words. To which Maya rooooolled her eyes and said "Mom's already told me that like a hundred times!". Haha, that's right! Learn it! Winning means very little if anything to me, doing YOUR best and growing is what matters and I'd like to pass that attitude on to my children if I possibly can.

The End.

In Da Crib

I've had my eye on the Brooke Nursery Bedding since pre-Simon days. Baby Girl Cottam might end up making her little nest with these birdies. I love the color scheme...and the trees. I need to go see it in person and see if I fall in love.

Got My Eye On...

...these chairs...

...and these.

I am no decorator. I know what I like, but I have no eye for design. My taste is on the funkier side, I suppose, definitely not traditional. So my question is this: would a room with four different colored chairs (but same pattern & style chair) be an utter catastrophe? Can that be pulled off or is that just tacky tacky? Do tell...

Last Week...

{Buy this print here, as I plan to do...}

• Baby girl Cottam! Hooray!
• House we wanted off the market! Boo!
• Baaack to school! Hooray!
• Early mornings! Boo! (We managed to adjust, but ugh. And it's been cccccold this week, which does not help.)
• Report card #2 for Miss Maya! Excellent progress for my Kindergarten girl. Hooray!
• Epic de-junk making major progress! Hooray!
• One week to house on market! Yikes! (So much to still do!)
• Maya's Science Fair project. Totally voluntary. Because I'm a glutton for punishment? I guess. Post to come!

This week...

• Work work working on the house.

Hope you have a great one!

Tootsies

I love it that Simon sits this way in his high chair - grabbing on with his little toes-ies. Are those little feet smoocherrific or what?! {I confess, they do taste delicious, and I'm not ashamed that I know that.}

Simon is probably not my best eater ever, but he's not too bad. His favorite favorite food is bananas. Peel & chop him a banana, go to throw away the peel and he's already shoved the entire thing into his mouth. Of course, being spawn of Natalie, the kid also loves treats. Duh! Who doesn't?

{Getting big, no?}

Message In A Cookie (Cutters)

Here's a cookie SOS for you...full customizable "Message-in-a-Cookie Cutters". Such fun! I can think of about a million ways I'd like to use these...

Clever, clever, clever indeed.

House Hunter

I have been driving by a vacant house down the street for months now. 4 months, to be exact. "We should go look at that house," I'd think. But we're feet draggers. Indecisive. Plus, although we're a little lacking in space here, the kids are small and we wanted to try to make it work for another year or 2, then move up.

Then came school rezoning. Fun times. And, from the looks of things, we're most likely being rezoned. To another very good school. That is a 10-ish minute drive rather than a 10-ish minute walk. See, we live on the same block as our current elementary school. But, apparently, so does most everyone else. So we're being shuffled. Which is okay, but I'm pretty married to this location. In fact, I very much love and adore this location. Our plan has always been to move over a street or 2 into a larger house...at some point.

Sooo, if Maya goes to a new school next year, then in 2 or so years when we had planned to move, she will either have to switch schools again or we'll have to switch areas to keep her in her school. Ugh. I know switching elementary schools is NOT the end of the world, but bee-bopping around every year or 2 is kind of a bummer.

So we went to look at that long-vacant house, just to see. And we quite loved it. Deemed it quite perfect, in fact. Needed some updating, but in great condition, so we could move in and do it gradually. Ideal floorplan. Fabulous backyard. Just down the street from the school, a very short walk, and just a few houses down from Maya's BFF of late (bonus for her).

After seeing it, we boogied right home and set right to work getting the house ready to go on the market ASAP. If we hurried, we thought, we could get the house on the market in 2 weeks. It's a small house, among the lowest price and square footage in the neighborhood, it has the potential to sell somewhat quickly. Fingers and toes crossed and a little luck, maybe we could make this thing work. Chris got a storage unit all secured. I boxed up half the kitchen in 2 hours. We started the monumental de-junking process. I was thinking about new furniture for the front room and wondering what window treatments Anthropologie currently had on sale. Getting a little excited about the prospect.

Monday morning our realtor calls us to let us know what he found out, which is...over the weekend, after being vacant for 4 months, the house had gone under contract. Aggggh!

I was a little disappointed. Okay, a lot-ish disappointed. Good thing he called as we were going into the ultrasound and the news of a healthy baby girl on the way wouldn't allow us to be too bummed. But still. Kinda sucks.

Still, not the end of the world. We decided to go ahead and continue with the de-junk and the 2-weeks to market timeline. We've been in mega project mode. Lots of packing up and tidying. Lots of projects in the works. (I believe Chris is up to 2 electrical shocks so far.) Many trips to the storage unit. Lots still to do. We're just going to assume that somehow, the timing will all work out perfectly. We'll get an offer on this house and simultaneously, a dream home (complete with wood floors and granite countertops) will come on the market at a fabulous price. Or, you know, the house will sit on the market for a while and sell eventually. Or it will sell and we'll get an apartment until the right things comes along. I guess we'll see.

We'll be sad to leave our little house when the time comes. We moved in with just a 1-year-old Maya, fresh from Las Vegas and beyond thrilled with the "huge" (average-ish) backyard and "huge" (um, yeah, huge!) trees. I wasn't in love with this house at that moment, but I am now...I think it's a fabulous little starter house, and I will miss it.

I won't miss the kids toys being all over everywhere. Perhaps we can keep them (mostly) upstairs. And it will be nice to have more space for everyone as our little family keeps getting bigger.

Good thing I'm a House Hunters junkie...I should be an expert at this! Got any tips for me on the hunt?

Minimalist To Over The Top...

...I'm in favor of either strategy when it comes to parties. Kara's Peppermint Party is full of fabulous details but still looks clean & understated. And the food...YUM!!

Then there's this over the top party that Bakerella went to. WOW! Talk about pulling out all the stops. Looks like such delicious fun.

I would have been pretty stoked to attend either party, that is for sure.

My next party-to-throw is a baby shower for my sister-in-law who is expecting her first (a girl!) in February. I've seen tons of cute ideas out there, but haven't really tied a theme together in my mind yet. Anyone have a favorite link/theme they'd share?

After that, Mr. Mason turns 4! I'm sure the party will have something to do with trains. Part of me wants to coax him off-site to a bouncey play place, but I should probably take advantage of getting to do home parties while I still can. Maya has already started asking for a roller skating party for her birthday in October...

Thinking Pink

Yep, it's a GIRL! We're all so very excited (and feeling so very blessed) that there's a healthy baby coming. And what a bonus that it's a girl. Maya screamed and shrieked when she heard the news - a baby sister! 2 boys, 2 girls, a sister and a brother for everyone!

Now name negotiations can begin. I already have my favorite (Charlotte) but Chris isn't sold...yet. Of course, we LOVE suggestions. They can't be worse than my Dad's go-to favorite name for baby girls: Truffle. What a goober.

Now here's hoping that Baby Girl will forgive her mother for putting in-utero photos of her parts on the world wide web...

Ain't No City Like Salt Lake City

We had the best visit to Salt Lake in mid-December. Such a blast. I shopped like a champion, slept like a champion, ate like a champion. Good times. Some highlights (above): Hotel Monaco was fabulous, loved it!; Christus statue was gorgeous as ever; loved all of the cool nativities all over Temple Square; Gandolfo's is still fabulous - mmm, Whitestone Bridge!; a favorite Gordon B. Hinckley quote in one of the visitor's centers.

What do you do when y our wife biffs it while trying to take a small step up? Take a picture, of course! What a gentleman!

Let's try this again...much better!

I shoulda pushed him down, don't you think?

This is the spot that Chris and I got engaged on over 12 years ago now, and then married in that very temple 12 years ago in May. Crazy how time flies. It was so fun to be back in the SLC temple.

The view from The Roof. I'd always wanted to eat at the Roof, but as poor college kids, we could never afford it. So after all these years did the Roof meet my expectations? Um, not so much. It seemed like a glorified wedding reception. The food was pretty good. The desserts were delicious. But the price tag was waaay too high for what you got. The view, though, was lovely. Being a Texan, I was hoping that "business casual" meant that I could get away with nice jeans, boots & a nice sweater. Turns out, not really. Everyone was dressed way up and I felt ridiculous. Lucky me, I had a skirt in my purse, so I used my superpowers to change from my jeans into my skirt...at the table. I've always been good at those sorts of quick changes. I was rather proud of myself and it provided us some amusement up there overlooking Temple Square.

We got together with Chris' epic group of college friends one night, which was fun. I've heard the stories rehashed my fair share, but it's always fun. There were some new faces I hadn't met before, and they were quite delightful!

Overall: I missed my babies like crazy, but it was SO nice to have a break! We had a completely on-our-terms trip. We shopped when we wanted. We drove around as much as we wanted. We ate what and when we wanted. We went to the temple without having a 6-hour roundtrip involved. It was really, really fun. Also, Utah is still too cold for me. A Texas girl is always happy to come home!

2010 Theme

As Chris always says "It is what it is". True, true enough, but I just don't think it's catchy enough to be a Cottam family theme! But it does bring to mind Joseph B. Wirthlin's catchphrase "Come what may and love it.". Like every year before it, we have no idea what 2010 has in store for us. Good things, we are sure. Challenges, too, I'm sure. But whatever the Lord has in store, whatever come(s) what may...we will try our very best to love it! Because, you know, it is what it is...might as well love it!

Lots of 2010 goals swirling around in my head, not down on paper yet. Coming soon...