$50 Minted Giveaway!

I am a total paper person. A sucker for stationery. Can't get enough printables to adorn the walls. I love the smell of new books...paper soft and fresh from the press. So when Minted contacted me with a generous offer for my readers, I had to take them up on it.

Even though I've been married almost 10 years, I've wedding on the brain with our full roster of weddings to attend this summer. Minted has you covered, there, with gorgeous wedding invitations in swoon worthy shapes, colors, paper textures--oh my!

 I especially love the letterpress ones.

And you better believe I'm ordering the perfect birth announcement!

Here's how to enter the contest for $50 Minted credit. Ends Friday, May 24, 2013.
Open to U.S./international residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mom's Day

Mother's Day is one of my favorite days of the year. Being a mommy is the most important job I will ever have! We all have hard days, days where one more mess and one more bout of disobedience seem to completely derail a gal. But we rise above it and start each day fresh.

At church I was reminded about how short-lived this season of parenting is. I will always be a mommy, but I won't always have Wilder, Story, and Truman under my wing, in my home, and open to my training and guidance. It's a huge responsibility and a huge blessing.

Sometimes my birthday falls on Mother's Day. It did again this year, and I feel it was the cherry on top of a beautiful day!

Baby Boy

The Harris family grew by one, on Tuesday, April 30, 2013, when precious baby Truman Ray graced us with his angelic presence. He was born with the assistance of our midwife and doula, in the peaceful water. He weighed 8 pounds even, and measured 19 inches long. Labor started at 8:00a.m. and ended at 2:08p.m.

Wilder and Story are enamored, and are such great helpers!

We love our little Mr. T!

pics by Sally Manlove Photography

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Birth pics preview:
also by Sally Manlove

We did it!

Hello Due Date. Goodbye Due Date.

Shawn captured these bump pics last Sunday, when I was 39 weeks.

Riverside Cafe:

And here we are on my due date (40 weeks tomorrow):

How I'm feeling: 

I go up and down, naturally! One day I'm on top of the world, and the next, frustrated by discomfort, I'm just ready to tackle labor and meet our child.

This week I managed to lose my phone, lock us out of the house, and various other ditzy things.

Will my regular brain functioning ever return?

The past couple of days have been lovely for walks and relaxing on the back patio.

Thanks to Papa and Gromma, house projects are being completed.

Shawn was out of town a few days, two weeks in a row, but we've managed.

The nursery is put together, but I feel something's missing, so no photographs yet.

Midwifery care is going well; I gain 1 pound a week. We've talked alot about post partum preparation in hopes to curb pre eclampsia. Unfortunately that means very limited visitors and having the children be with Papa and Gromma for several days.

What a blessed journey to be on! Lord, give us patience, joy, and strength for the task ahead.

Surprise Shower

 

It had been one of those days, neither amusing nor dull, but down in my heart I was feeling overwhelmed, overcomitted, and, as can be the case for stay at home mommas, lonely. I had something to look forward to that night, however...

I don't have a booth at The Cottage Collective anymore, because I knew the extent of my energy during pregnancy couldn't support the time commitment deserving of quality handmade. Yet I still frequent the boutique--a piece of my heart is forever there, you know?

 This particular eve, I was set up to have a "private shopping experience" at The Cottage, for Baby Bee, with my very own baby budget. I'd saved up some Origami Owl money and had a few things in mind that I wanted to purchase. Abbe, shop proprietor and friend, greeted me at the door, let me take a bio break, then said, I have been working on a cute little furniture piece for the nursery upstairs that I want you to see.

So upstairs we headed, around the corner we turned, and there, in front of me, sat a lovely vintage baby shower display, 

and the very best part:

FRIENDS.

Very extensions of the Lord's hands and feet sent to love on a weary momma, sent to tenderly help carry my load. The love in my heart at that moment was all-consuming. I felt able, supported, confident, treasured!

It was a surprise in every sense of the word. After hugs, crying, and chatting, I slumped into the quilt-covered chair and took in the goodness of these people. The goodness of life. And, especially, the goodness of a Father who knew I needed extra hugs that day, laughter, a bit of sugar.

 

He knew my heart, that I want this baby to feel special. That even though he/she won't really give a hoot about soft sheets or reusable nursing pads, I sure do. I want this baby to be taken care of, just as Wilder and Story have been.

If God prompts you to do something sweet for someone, even if it's inconvenient, I encourage you to go forward with that plan...to obey.

You never know just how much it can touch that person's heart. How much hope and life and meaning and joy it can deliver.

I will remember this day for the rest of my life. It is more valuable to me than silver,

more rich than gold.

All photos compliments of Nicole Strain Photography.

***

Thank you, friends, for everything.

Birthday-the man of the house

You captured my heart when we were 15.

I never knew you'd steadily cultivate the grounds of my heart until it would flourish with 2 and 3/4 of our Love's Heartbeats running around this golden earth, 16 years later.

Not only do I gratefully wish you a Happy Birthday, for things, for all the things,

But for making me a mommy.

I love you.

 You are one I plan to celebrate every day.

Professional Maternity Photo Shoot

all photos by Sally Manlove Photography

thank you, Sally! for making me feel purdy

35 weeks in these pictures.

38 weeks tomorrow.

I made the belly sash. :)

Today someone thought I was 25 years old.

Sweet.