this hawks nest

adventures of a cardboard box :: while I'm away

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 28 May 2012 05:46:00 +0000

Yes, I'm still gone until July but I couldn't resist this little nugget, first seen on one of my favorite blogs, Lil Magoolie.

Enjoy!

icj,
~j

the honesty post

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Wow, has perspective altered. We have two kids. Lady Isla has changed me. I thought I was a good mom with Cormac, but now I know I am. I hope to explain that to you in a post down the road but for now, that will suffice. More than ever, I feel the pull of influence—parents offer the singlemost influential relationship in an individual’s life, and I want my influence (including my mishaps) to form their characters well. I’m terrified to raise a girl. She smiles for me constantly with her wee 8-week-old smile, and I can see already how much she looks to me for reassurance, explanation, and abiding love.

These first two months of lady Isla's life gave me time to reflect -- thank God one can always think regardless of one's activity. I've had little time for much beyond caring for the family and attempting to care for the house. Which is expected, of course, and is still quite lovely.

Without time to blog I found myself thinking about it at regular intervals.

I've experienced a bit of an identity question, asking the obvious why blog? I follow a number of talented, creative, and interesting women who blog (oddly, most of whom are Mormon) and found I can't compare. Almost all of them use the blog as a source of income and/or evangelization.

I've certainly felt pressure to monetize the blog. I swear, it’s the everybody’s doing it for the 25-to-30-something woman. Getting recognized, becoming an expert, being invited to a speaker panel at some blog summit in Utah or Arizona or Texas, have a constellation named after you. Or I find it becomes a source of additional income for an otherwise not employed woman. Usually connected to an Etsy shop or something. That would be nice. Bring a little income to the family so we can have a few nights out here and there or so I don't have to feel like I'm taking from the family to buy skincare products and pretty clothes. What mom doesn't want skincare products and pretty clothes? No one becomes a mom and says I want to look haggard. Ha.

I’ve never promoted the blog. I’ve read a great deal about how one promotes a blog, how successful some have been at growing their blogs through promotion, etc.

But most of my friends don’t even know this exists. Odd, right?

I considered hiring a marketing company like this one or creating a new product to sell, and then I thought about closing it down altogether. I’ve run a few promotions, a giveaway back in March through another’s blog, and I got a Twitter account, but I’d rather read, drink, or play than update my twitter and facebook accounts. I feel so much pressure to have our readership explode, but I don’t entirely desire that it do so.

I’d rather have regular, interesting conversation with you all than simply grow the numbers. I started blogging for community and creativity in the first place.

I then considered the content of our conversation. One consistent piece of advice I read again and again is blog about your passion. I'm going to take some time to settle on that topic or those topics that I want to bring into the conversation. Even if these don't enter into our conversation, the following intentions play heavily in the next year of my life.

I want to spend the next year learning how to cook. Not how to be a culinary master, but to be a master of my own kitchen and its produce. I want to better understand words like blanche and gazpacho and to prepare their recipes with ease. I want to grow rosemary, basil, oregano and peppermint indoors and to use them regularly in our meals. I want to offer daily vegetables in tasty, pleasurable ways as soups, with dressings, roasted, and dipped. I want to serve our lunch and dinners in makeshift courses so we appreciate the singular taste of each recipe rather than, as has been our typically American custom, throwing them all on the plate to be “enjoyed” willy-nilly, thus missing how separate yet complimentary each thing is. I want to take time for meals and let our dinners become the standard location for our family conversation. And unless I’m pregnant, I want to drink wine or beer with every dinner and save water for those hourly thirsts.

I want to enjoy what I read and let it exercise my mind and form my character. Having been raised to savor reading, I’ve always been the type of person to take in what I read. Books of all kinds act as little mentors in my life, be it fiction or non-fiction. I get about as much time as any parent of young children receives these days. But it’s worth it. I often joke with my friends Colleen and Father Joe that while Colleen can’t spell most words, she knows exactly what they mean and how to use them in a sentence, whereas I can spell any word but and I’ll use them in sentences, but I often have no idea if I’m using them correctly. Or even what they mean. Reading expands my limited vocabulary, engages my little gray cells, and serves as an impetus to reflection and better formation of my character.

I want to establish and maintain a flourishing, clean, uncluttered, sanctuary of a home for our little family and our friends. Many of you caught the making it home series, and as the homelife/housekeeping is still in its infant stages, I’d like to continue to relay the whole learning process—trials, mishaps, and successes.

I want to love and, thus, to discipline* our children and to live my marriage vows. As my friend and Compass speaker recently taught, I want to build my children’s character, not ego. I want to encourage their awe and wonder, their desire for adventure, their desire for silence and stillness. I want to make them things they can use for play or for learning or both. And I want a great marriage, not a mediocre one. And I want to better discipline my life of faith which has waned the past few years.

I want to bring beauty and peace into our home, and I'm ready to be patient in becoming a person who does this well.

I want to finish and post all the partially completed pages! Before Isla arrived I was mad at work adding some great pages and series for the blog, so I'm very interested in seeing them up and active.

All this to say, I want to hear from you, so I’m taking off from the blog for the rest of May - June. What?! I want to discern and solidify just what this blog is about so that when I return we’ll have something great to talk about.

Which brings me back to you, readers. I blog because I enjoy it, love it, but as it is a medium of communication, I want to hear from you as often as possible So I’m going to bribe you to start. Yup. Bribe. I'll tell you all about it when we return in July.

Here's to a great summer start and a new beginning!

icj
~j

wish list :: modern throwback ipod speaker

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Wouldn't this be nice to have when friends come over or while watching your husband watch Mad Men? (Sorry, the show just depresses my mood).

Source: crosleyradio.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

a quick note

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:37:00 +0000

Thanks for hanging around, friends. I just checked in for the first time in many many days and discovered that the blog has had another 5000 hits in my absence. Wowzah! Looks like I really need to get back on and get things moving. And I want to! Before Isla arrived I had a few things in the works to get up for you.

But to be honest, I'm just not getting the time to spend on the blog. I miss it. I think about it constantly. Every new meal I've made, every new book I've read, every new experience with the kiddos that teaches me yet another incredible life/parent/marriage experience...but I just haven't been able to snatch the time to do so.

I'll be back as soon as I can with some good things.

Thanks again for staying with us. I am so grateful for the little community I have in you.

Sincerely,

on :: sentiment vs sentimentality

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

hello friends,

I'm still taking this week "off" from the blog to continue learning how to care for two little people all day by myself. Thus far, we're doing exceptionally well. I hope you've enjoyed the posts from last week.

I found this photo this morning, and I love it. I love when a woman's beauty is presented naturally and with reserve. There's nothing in this photo that I'd hide from a teenage boy, but it is still tantalizing.

Source: joannagoddard.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

On that note, I've thought much lately about explicit vs. merely-offered impressions. On sentiment vs. sentimentality, as explained in this interview from NPR. Harlequin novels, movies like Fireproof and The Notebook offer sentimentality--they basically tell us what we should feel, a way that is general and somewhat impersonal. Sentiment, on the other hand, provides a foundation upon which one can respond emotionally, but in a way that is particular and authentic. Think the movie Wit or the novel Jane Eyre or even the movie Brothers.

I strive to provide my children with opportunities for sentiment rather than sentimentality. Giving them a chance to experience something for themselves and respond to it in a genuine manner without putting my own spin on it to the detriment of this genuine response. It's rather amazing to me how this already comes into play with my son, a mere 16 month old. When reading a book, I offer a great deal of voice inflection to give emphasis to various portions, move the story along in an interesting way, etc., but I try not to make too many faces when it comes to things like broccoli or any other subject I'm not fond of.

Which do you prefer?

And on a side note, we're housing a family of blackbirds in our bathroom vent. Every morning now, I find myself ducking as I hear the flap of wings, a few bird calls, and some pounding around of bird-body and aluminum venting. I'm eager for them to move on...

Have a lovely Thursday!

icj,
~j

cowhide ottoman

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Are any of you familiar with Room & Board? It is a modern decorating company and even though I'm not drawn to much that is modern (as in modern lines, not current), I like a lot of what I see.

Namely, this:

Source: roomandboard.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Right? Granted, I get a little freaked out by the animal-skin part, but I do have a leather purse and I eat meat, so I guess I really shouldn't.

Have a lovely day!

icj,
~j

5 Sites for Great Posters & Artwork Prints

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I'm always looking for good art, and it is very hard to decide on something that both Hawk and I can stand in our house for more than a day. This is a great list for those of you who, like us, can't yet commit to "real" original art pieces.

Five Great Sites for Art

I hope you find something you like!

icj,

for kids or young adults :: homemade tent inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Source: blogs.babble.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I can't get enough of these tent ideas, some of which I pinned long ago on pinterest. I can't wait to build these for our kids, in part so that Hawk and I can enjoy them too!

Wouldn't it be SO much fun to have friends over for card games, put the kids to bed, and spend the evening in a crazy tent in the basement? Call me crazy but I'm doing this. Who wants to be invited?

check this out :: transforming furniture

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

We all love Ikea for its affordability, simplicity, and easy style, but this stuff takes the cake on the ability to be transformed with a few finger pulls and swivels.

Seriously, this stuff blows my mind. I'm trying to figure out how to get some of the folding-desk-bed things in my dining room. Just kidding. I meant bedroom, of course.

How to Decorate Series :: Ideas for the DIYer

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I came upon this great series hosted by Home Stories A to Z.

I've already checked out a few of the posts, but there are plenty to go through and they cover different, relevant topics. Two of them deal with Salon Walls, and they use a method just like the one we chose which you can read about here, here, and here.

Happy Monday!

icj,
~j

it's a girl!

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:16:00 +0000

We are so very happy to introduce you to our baby girl, Isla Seraphina*. Turns out it was definitely real labor! I am ready with another birth story and a post on what we thought of two hospital stays, a recap on our Saturday family photo shoot, and what Cormac thinks of a baby sister, but for this week I'm posting on maternity leave. Hawk goes back to work tomorrow so I'm going to try my hand at one mom, two-under-16-months and see how it goes. Come to think of it, Monday will surely provide plenty of posting material.

Thank you for the emails, prayers, and encouraging words the past week.

Sincerely,
~j & Hawk

Isla is pronounced eye-lah.

baby day

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Hey friends,

If you're viewing this message it means that what we suspect may be false labor has indeed turned into something more substantial, so we're in the hospital, hopefully meeting our little guy or gal! Labor started between noon and 1pm Sunday, but as I write this around 8pm Sunday night, we're just not sure where this is heading. I suspected the second labor might take longer than the first. Hawk is off to work for an hour or so in the event that he needs to go in tomorrow after all, and I'm busying myself with timing contractions, movies on hulu, prayer, and pinterest (it's Sunday, after all!).

One funny thing: since we've been trained in Bradley, we haven't even thought about heading to the hospital yet. We're waiting for the 5-minutes-apart-and-about-45-seconds-from-beginning-to-peak to happen before we take the plunge. So our friends Mike & Stacy came over to hang out while I labored since it wasn't advancing uber fast. They had to head back now, but wow, did we have a good few hours! SO fun to have friends who come over during labor rather than run away, haha!

And crazy, isn't it, how different two consecutive labors can be in the same woman?

Here's hoping I get to leave this message scheduled for Monday morning and that as you read it, we're holding our little babe!

With appreciation for you all,

~jen

Today is friday

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:53:00 +0000

Hello dear friends. Today is indeed Friday. I am blogging from the nursery rocking chair because the little buddy is still very sick. I've asked myself if I will regret caring for him in this way when there is just so much I want to do before Obie appears, and though I hate feeling disorganized and not well prepared, when I look back on these days I know it will be with grateful mess that I have a son to hold, that my husband can provide for us so I can be present at home, and that as long as Obie is healthy and home we will be just fine. I won't remember the mess or the lack of pantry, basement, and cleaning supply labels, the posts I didn't get to write. Of I am able to do so later, I will put up the links to my favorite projects Fromm the week. I'm so happy we have this little community online. I am very grateful for you. Sincerely, j

mood board :: living in gray #1

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

We're finally going toward a whole house look, something fluid and cohesive from room to room, but where the rooms still stand on their own. We know the area rug we want for the living room, and we're adding built-in bookshelves and a window bench along one wall. We painted the room a new gray, Sherwin Williams Gray Clouds, to be exact. It's lighter at night (go figure) and perfect in the daytime! See below:

Gray Clouds, Sherwin Williams

I know that I want color through lamps, pillows, and artwork, and perhaps one chair or ottoman. Aside from that, we want it neutral enough that I can change those items out with seasons, moods, or pregnancy issues (I am more averse to colors than smells when pregnant).

Here's my first attempt. Remember, I am not an interior designer. But I'd be happy to hear what you think.

Living Room Concept one by thishawksnest on polyvore.com

The gray stripe Olin rug from C&B is our definite. The dark object on the left is a likeness to our current and will-be-staying wine bar. Other than that, everything is changing. I LOVE that coffee table from C&B, but Hawk thinks glass tops are very 90's. (damn the 90's).

The bright print rug in the front could be in our foyer area. And I like the idea of an ottoman as a third seat because in our small space, another chair might be overkill.

On a side note, something incredible happened last night. I can't wait to tell you about it next week. Stay tuned. It has to do with true love.

icj,
~j

Happy Thursday!

10 Photography Traps to Avoid

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Thanks for reading our birth story yesterday! And for the sweet emails, texts, and comments about it, and the warnings! I'm so grateful! There's something about these stories that really bring people together, wouldn't you say?

It's official. The little guy has a double ear infection. Yesterday was filled with 104 and 105 temps. Poor poor little boy.

So I'm keeping things simple this week. Praying I don't go into labor until Cormac heals up and I finish packing, haha.

Today, let me highlight a great post from one of my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess. She just won the Best DIY Blog award at the Apartment Therapy Homies.

Photography : 10 Things to Avoid

I've learned many of them through the past two years with my new camera, but I'm definitely still guilty of #2, 3, and 8 (even though I know better about #8). What about you?

icj,
~j

our first birth story

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:28:00 +0000

We're due with Obie basically any day now, and by March 31st at the latest. Since getting married and starting to read all these great blogs from great women, I've stumbled upon birth story after birth story. And while they are so very different considering we're all basically going through the same thing, I am moved and encouraged to reflect, appreciate.

So before Obie arrives, I thought now would be as good a time as any to record the story of our firstborn's birth.

excuse the unusually large size of our watermark;

I just get a wee bit paranoid about pictures of my kid

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
I'm the sort of person who thrives on understanding all the options. I read what I can, ask what I can, listen whenever I can, and learn what my options are and what possible outcomes might evolve from each of them. I'm not a planner, surprise!, but I thrive on this approach because when I understand how an even terrible result arises, I'm not dismayed, depressed, or discouraged by it. If I know why something happens, then I can take it as it comes and deal with it accordingly. This is how I approached my college and grad degrees, dating and discerning marriage, waiting for our honeymoon for my first big schabang, becoming a homeowner, family planning, my career, and labor & delivery. And more. But you get the idea.

So after reading a ton, talking to my mother who is a retired labor-and-delivery nurse, discussing a number of things with medical professional friends, and hearing L&D story after another, I knew I wanted as natural a birth as possible. I've heard the you get drugs for a tooth removal, why suffer unnecessarily in labor? I get it, but I don't agree. My body was made for this, so I wanted to see what I could do. (And there are a plethora of other reasons, all of which are outlined in the books I highlight in this post.)

So we studied up on the Bradley Method, which is really a way of working with your body's know-how instead of getting in its way. It's pretty awesome. And we liked all the naked 70's photos. Good laughs, those photos.

But remember, I said I wanted to understand the options, so while I wanted a natural birth, I also knew (from reading a great Babycenter commenter) that the biggest thing was a sense of satisfaction in the birth of a healthy baby. If I needed an epidural or a c-section, I just wanted it to be for the right reasons.

THE WAITING GAME
Cormac was due November 28th, 2010. I'd read that firstborns are on average 8 days late, so I made my mind up that he would be late as well and not to get to hopeful for an early arrival. I worked a ton because my job didn't allow for paid maternity leave and my boss, being very generous and supportive, worked it out through my vacation, comp time, and sick days so that I could expect 8 weeks off. My job was not the sort that could easily be covered by another person, so I did everything I could in the preceding months to make sure my absence wasn't felt.

We didn't and don't plan to learn our babies' sex prior to their births. We figure it's an always good news surprise and other than getting unimportant, material objects, I have never seen any advantage to learning who's in there. I know many disagree. That's just where I'm coming from.

So we had 2 girls and 2 boys names chosen, one being Cormac Xavier. We're Roman Catholic, so we chose a middle name after one of our favorite Jesuits. Cormac turned out to be a saint as well, ha. Xavier's feast day is December 3rd, so Hawk kept saying, I want the baby to be born on December 3rd. God agrees.

I wanted to shoot his kneecap.

THE BIG DAY
On December 2nd around 9:00pm, we went for a long walk in very cold Wisconsin weather and talked about the impending changes in our hunky-dorey life together. By the end of the walk, I was having a really hard time keeping the pace. We snuggled up on the couch with molten hot chocolate and 10 minutes after returning home I felt a POP! inside. I ran for cover and sure enough, my water broke! We were SO excited. Finally we were going to get to meet this little person whom I already felt was our buddy, our best friend, our secret comrad.

We called our pediatrician who told us to get to the hospital in the next 30 minutes. We were disappointed because we had planned on laboring as long as possible at home. Think movies, food, feet up, hot shower, etc. He laughed and said, Yeah, I think you'll appreciate being in the hospital before the hour is up.

He was right. The Bradley Method clearly distinguishes the stages and phases of labor as an encouraging tool for the mother to remember as the labor intensifies. You know, this is happening because...and it's normal. Generally, the first phase in which the contractions are shorter in length and farther apart and the woman is able to smile for a photo. Hence, movies, food, our plan. But I don't remember that phase at all. Hawk said my contractions were pretty severe pretty fast. I couldn't joke around or smile. I was in serious business.

Our delivery room was great. I was wearing my own, planned outfit of jersey skirt and shelf-bra tank, but quickly after arriving in the room, I jumped in the hot shower and from that point on I was nekked. You know those moms who tell you that you won't care? BOY were they right. Obama could have walked in and I wouldn't have covered up. And I ain't talking Michelle.

ON HAVING A HUSBAND
I tried the Bradley Method's suggested in-bed posture, but it sped up the contractions so quickly that I couldn't take it so I kept walking and showering and leaning physically and mentally on Hawk. Let me talk a bit about Hawk.

I don't know how teenage moms or unmarried women do it. After delivering Cormac, my heart goes out with admiration for any woman who goes through labor & delivery without the glory of a devoted and committed husband. DEAR GOD how do they do it? I bow to your bravery ladies, and though I hope one day you'll have a supportive husband, I just can't say enough for how much I respect a woman who perseveres in the birth of her child without that man.

Hawk was my saving grace. Everything he did was perfect. If it annoyed me, it ceased immediately and with permanence. We discovered, among other needs, that I just needed his voice directed at me through every contraction. He told me later that he thought he was doing a terrible job, just repeating himself and saying t-ball-coach-like things like, you can do it, keep going, you're doing great. I didn't care. Whatever he said was what I needed.

And he never complained. He never chided me. He never talked down to me. I don't recall him ever leaving my side.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?
In short, (too late), we arrived at the hospital around 10:30pm and were in our own room shortly thereafter. By midnight, I was losing all track of time. I spent hours in the shower or physically hanging from Hawk's waste. By 1am I was only 2 cm.

And that's when I felt the urge to push. Oh yes, friends. Two centimeters. Eight to go. And all of them with the urge to push. I started off at every third contraction, but by 3am I was puking, crying, and stressing through every contraction because my body would push regardless of what my mind said, and all the nurses were telling me don't push! hold back. I knew that pushing too early could put the baby in distress, cause excessive bleeding, exhaust me too early...So I was really struggling to keep Bradley going. I knew I wasn't relaxed between or during contractions because I was so afraid to push and then my body would push and my fear would increase.

Finally at 4 cm and at around 5am, I told Hawk that it was time to bring my mother in. She was great. She gave him the encouragement he appreciated hearing, gave him someone to talk to through my incoherence, and talked me through half of the contractions.

By 8am I was still only 5 cm and the urge to push was almost uncontrollable. I was being led through breathing exercises and started hyperventilating. Looking back, I realize that controlled breathing isn't the Bradley way and it didn't help me out at the time, so I'm going to avoid it this round. Before long, I was SO afraid about my fight with pushing and I said, I need help, Hawk. My mom and the nurse ran through our options and we decided on the least severe narcotic at the lowest dose, just enough to help me calm down during contractions so that they could accomplish more.

It worked. I was totally aware, totally in control, but like a good brewsky, it just took the edge off. I advanced to 9.5 cm in the next 2 hours and after an examination it was determined I could soon start pushing for "real."

And then they told me to wait. For our doctor. Whom I adore. Who is delivering this baby and hopefully all the others. And I said, Where the F@$# is Dr. L___? I'm going to kill him. What's taking him so long? And oh yes, at that time he was already in the room. Ugh. ugh.

THE FINAL STAGE
Who knew that after all that when it finally came down to the end I would think I don't want to do this. This is really going to hurt. I'm going to tear. I hate the ring of fire. Maybe I just won't push. And so I didn't. I faked it through 4, yes FOUR real pushing contractions. How dumb is that?! And finally Hawk said, Baby, you're doing great. After this you're going to finally meet your baby.

So I pushed for real through one set of contractions, then a second set, and Cormac arrived late in the morning after 13 hours of labor. I had asked Dr. L___ to let Hawk announce, so the first words I heard were Honey, you have a little baby boy. And then, would you like to hold him? I'd forgotten that Dr. L___ supported immediate skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. I couldn't believe I'd get to hold him already! They placed him on my chest and I felt my arms wrap around him, my breathing slowed, and my whole being became instantly calm. I kissed him, let him settle for a bit and find the breast himself, which he did, and within 15 minutes he was nursing. I've never felt so normal in my whole life. He looked at me, he smelled like my son. His skin seemed new and familiar all at the same time.

Meanwhile, Hawk cut the cord and they put everything of me back into some semblance of order (turns out I had a pretty severe tear). Let's just say that I'm glad all the nurses said, Dr. L___ is the best surgeon we've ever seen. They showed us the placenta. It was weird. Sorry, but there's a reason that I'm the only non-medical person in my family.

After a good hour of skin-to-skin, they took him to clean and weigh him. Apparently, we have big babies. Eight pounds eleven ounces. Twenty-two inches. I hated having him away from me even that long. The next day was a blur. All I remember is a brief time in the wheelchair moving to our mother-baby room, holding Cormac, leaning against Hawk, eating Einstein Bagel's egg sandwiches, and having that terrible, gut wrenching pressing-on-the-abdomen to expel blood and contract my lady parts. Thankfully, my friend Stacy had warned me about this or there's no way I would prepared. That shiznit is nuts.

So there's our long story. Really, I had a relatively easy labor and delivery. I'm VERY satisfied even though it wasn't as fully natural as I'd intended. But I knew what and why when we made decisions, and our baby boy arrived in perfect health. I can't ever relay how grateful I am that our son was healthy. I know too many who are not. I could have lost a leg and cared less---having a healthy baby is the greatest gift.

I'm amazed at what I do and do not remember about the day. I'll talk about our hospital stay in another post because I just don't think there's enough said about that time, but for today, thank you, friends, for joining me in this nostalgic post. I truly enjoy this time with you.

icj,
~j

later today :: our birth story

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome back from the weekend, everybody! We had a great but somewhat crazy time. Yesterday morning our little guy woke up with a terrible fever --- out of the blue --- so I didn't get to put the finishing touches on today's post.

If you pop back later, you'll find our birth story, just in time before we have another one to add.

Happy Monday!

icj,
~j

etsy friday :: deer oh deer

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:42:00 +0000

I know that deer heads and artwork are all the rage, perhaps the new thing since owls are on their way out, but before we jump ship I had to tag a friday's worth of deer.

My grandparents had a place in the UP (Michigan's Upper Peninsula) with 3 cabins from 1912-1915, a fishing house, and a main house all along a freshwater lake. I would spend countless hours watching the deer come right up to the windows. I really miss that place.

So here's our little ode to deer and those who love them.

Wasn't that fun??

Have a lovely weekend, friends. We're laying low, trying to prepare for Obie's arrival and visiting with one of our groomsmen, Sean, while he's back from his PhD. program at Duke U. We don't always agree, but I love conversing with him because he knows that words matter. We're both theology nuts, so Hawk inserts humor and rolls his eyes:) We can't wait!

Remember to enter the giveaway over at ohsweetjoy!

icj,

Eight Great Spruce-Up-Your-Room Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:30:00 +0000

I came upon this great post over at Decor8 blog. And since we're pretty much doing every single one of these suggestions with our living room, I'm happy to pass on the fun.

8 Ideas to Spruce Up Your Space

We're taking care of car stuff this morning--a good hour+ in the car with a 15 month old and rush hour traffic. Total recipe for success, wouldn't you say? But we're glad we have 2 cars that work pretty well, that are mostly-and-all paid off.

Remember to enter the giveaway over at ohsweetjoy!!!

icj,

fresh photo giveaway! : yours with kick

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Morning, friends!

I hinted at this yesterday, but I finally get to announce it today! I'm teaming up with one of my favorite blogs, ohsweetjoy!, and along with a handful of others, I'm offering my very first from-me giveaway on her site. Which means that if you pop over there, you can enter, too!

Here's what you could win from thishawksnest:

The winner will receive a free 10-photo edit!

This includes a personal consultation via email

about your style (vintage, trendy, or bright, etc.),

1 black-and-white and 1 color edited image for each of the 10, and 1 adjustment edit for up to 3 of the 10 submitted photos.

I've easily paid anywhere from $25 - $65 per photo for professional editing in the past. I'm entirely self-taught, so I'm eager to work with someone who is hands-on and excited about finally getting those photos up on the wall that just weren't making the cut before!

Head over to ohsweetjoy! to enter later today. Hope one of you win it!

icj,

editing photos :: a sneak peek

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:32:00 +0000

Our wedding photographer did a fantastic job and really captured some great moments like this:

and this:

and this (our friend toasting his laptop inserts into the best man's speech):

and this:

Like most good wedding photographers in the digital age, she took thousands of photos. The company gave us a proofing disc of 511 photos and we had the choice to either choose some for their team to edit and then print, or we could purchase the unedited images with a credit included in the package.

I knew I wanted a lot of photos, and I really enjoy playing around with Photoshop and actions, so we went with the second option. And I've had very positive responses from people who've seen the edited photos.

Here's a great example, and yes, I'm using a photo of myself because I think these before-and-after photos are terribly embarrassing, and I'd hate to do that to someone else!

Better, right? My eyes are brighter, less wrinkly, looks like my make-up was still on, and then there's a softer, more 70's film glow to the whole image. Even my teeth look whiter and I didn't even adjust that!

Here's another example from our wedding:

This is a sneak peek into a couple opportunities for thishawksnest readers! Stay tuned this week for details...

On another note, I thought this was interesting whether or not your a parent. I found I needed the same thing even when I was engaged and then married. What do you think?

Happy Tuesday, friends!

icj,
~j

wish list :: three books about quality family time

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome back, friends! We had a fabulous weekend, though I'm definitely experiencing some strange things with these last few days of pregnancy. And I've also learned something very disheartening about myself. More on that in a post later this week...

Let's start off Monday with some interesting reads. I've just added these to my Amazon wishlist. What do you think? They've all received very good reviews. Any one familiar with them?

The Family Dinner : Ways to Connect

Fifteen Minutes Outside

Playful Learning : Developing Your Child's Wonder

icj,

pinterest friday :: rug me up

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I love area rugs. I love hardwood floors, so I guess area rugs would go hand in hand with hardwood floors. We only have one carpeted room in the house (thanks to Mom Hawk's Christmas present basement renovation!), so I'm just dying to find the perfect rug for every other space in the house. For this week's pinterest, I've found inspiration for each space in our house. I hope you enjoy them!

I turn 32 this weekend, Hawk's planned some sort of really fun day & night for us, and I'm dying my hair (I CANNOT WAIT) ombre. AHHHHHHHHH! It was Hawk's Christmas present to me, so I've saved it until the 3rd trimester (for baby safety) close enough to delivery that I won't be all gray-haired mom in the photos. Because that's what really matters. Gray hair. Not healthy babies, or anything like that. C'mon, people. Get with the times.*

Okay, confession time: I'm also a little scared about my birthday. Why? Because I think we may be leaving Cormac overnight, and I've only been away from him for one night (a camp-out with teens for work) and he was with Hawk the whole time. You know how it is when you're (happily) married; your spouse is basically you, so if the baby is with him/her, it's like not really being away. I'm going to miss being near him SO much, but I think marriage is the basis for happy-family, and I do so like me some Hawk time. Blah blah blah. On to rugs. That sounds dirty. Egads.
For our "foyer" area. Ha, because I like to think we have a foyer.

Source: rugs-direct.com via V on Pinterest

For our soon-to-be gray bathroom

Source: interiorporn.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

And this one for the upstairs hallway:

Source: anthropologie.com via Liz on Pinterest

Or this:

Source: copycatchic.com via Michelle on Pinterest

For the powder room, if the rug could be small:

Source: lowes.com via Bonnie on Pinterest

For the living room:

Source: crateandbarrel.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

For the kitchen:

So there we have it. Have a lovely weekend, friends!

icj,
~j

*I am joking. You should know that. I would go all bag-lady gray right now if it guaranteed that we would be able to keep having children and that they would all be healthy, happy, and holy.

making it home :: the weekly routine, a day for each thing

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Housework seems overwhelming, especially for first-timers like me. I had no idea where to begin, how to keep it going. I felt like there was always more to be done and no energy with which to do it. So where does a person begin? If my end goal is to make our home homey and approachable, a sanctuary as well as a place of great movement and life, how do I do that and still keep it clean and ordered enough that people can pop over without reducing me a sheepish, Sorry my place is so messy, again.

Wow. So obvious and yet so completely foreign to a modern gal like me. First off, I didn't even know what the major housekeeping chores were, and I would never have thought to assign them to one day of the week. I definitely thought everything in the house could/should/would be done any day or every day of the week.

But this system makes SO much sense.

Let's look at laundry for a sec. What was my old method? Do a load whenever I could swing it. That meant doing about one load a day on average. So I felt I was in constant laundry mode and yet whenever Hawk needed a white undershirt for work, they were never ready. How does that happen? Can you relate?

Ms. Mendelson suggests that laundering be done one day of the week, possibly two, with a different and specific focus for each of the days. Traditionally laundry was done on Mondays because the work was so difficult that people appreciated having the weekend to rest up for it. If more items needed laundering, a separate day was set aside for that activity.

I wash all our clothes (including underoos and socks) on Mondays (about 4-5 color-separated loads) and towels and sheets on Thursdays (about 2 loads). I find that the doing the major stuff on Monday works for me, and here's why I lurve it:

It starts the week out with something I can actually accomplish
I'm ready to jump in after a weekend (and week) away from it
I know we'll have clean clothes the whole week!
Mondays rarely see playdates, meetings, etc., so I have the time

By the time Thursday arrives I don't mind throwing in two loads of towels and sheets (one dark, one light). And if for some reason it's just too crazy of a week, I skip it. YUP, I skip it. We have enough sheets and towels that we could manage. We're a relatively clean family (I hope).

Okay, so now what are the weekly housekeeping chores?

Suggested Weekly Housekeeping Chores

Change bed linens 1-2 times weekly

Vacuum rugs, floors, upholstered furniture, and lampshades

Wash all washable floors

Dust all dustable surfaces

Wipe fingerprints and smears from places like mirrors, doorknobs, etc.

Wash entire bathroom, including floor

Wash all combs & brushes

Clean entire kitchen including fridge, backsplashes, and floors

Clean air-conditioners and humidifiers

Wash out and sanitize garbage cans

Okay, before you freak, take a breath. The author is constantly reminding her readers that she includes everything but that we are to discern what is appropriate and plausible in our own homes.

So mine looks like this after tweaking it five times over the past four months:

A couple of things to notice that I figured out through trial and error:

Monday & Thursday are basically the same
Tuesdays are terrible marketing days for me because our stores restock on Wednesdays, so Tuesdays are really slim-pickings. Plus, Wednesday is closer to the weekend, so I can plan according to our outings more accurately.
I don't change out AND wash towels and linens on the same day. This is HUGE. I have at least one extra set of linens for each bed (4 for Cormac's crib) and 2 different colored sets of towels. We only go through 2 towels a week per person, so it's totally manageable. It makes me keep fresh stock in our linen closet, but it also means that I'm not scrambling to replace towels and linens by first washing and drying them.
Friday is fun
Saturday is a natural mini-cleaning day because Hawk is home to help
Sunday we really do need to just rest and relax. We usually spend time with neighbors, friends, or family, so it's a big deal to not have any other responsibilities.

Okay, that's a lot to ingest. Are you still with me? I hope so, because here's a little thank you from my heart to your home. We're offering a little giveaway during the month of March having to do with this series, so stay tuned!

icj,
~j

st. patrick's day printable party :: NellieDesign

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Check out this spiffy St. Patrick's Day spread from my friend Nellie of NellieDesigns! I especially like the lime green with blue.

More pictures at her site, or check out her etsy shop here.

icj,