ACQUIESCE TO YOUR REQUEST

As per request, I will display some bigger pictures of the nursery to give you a better idea of how it looks.

This room is awkward to photograph in full. There really isn't an angle accessible that would showcase everything at the same time. All together, the feel of the room is somewhat eclectic. I always have such a difficult time describing the "theme" of my nursery when people ask me about it. I don't think of my decorating style fitting into any specific category. My main criteria when selecting any new item of decor for my home is that I think it's beautiful, and I love the feeling I get when I look at it. Surprisingly, things seem to mesh really well together when this is the outline I follow. I'm sure this room will continue to morph and change as all the rooms in my home continue to do. But even now, with some bare white walls included, I'm thrilled with the results.

A NEW ADDITION

I am so excited about this new addition to our home. On Saturday night I sat on the floor of this room and soaked it all in while eating a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats. I never walk to the end of the hall without pausing and gazing into this room. The only thing that could make it brighter and more feminine is the little lady that will be residing there soon. There is a still a little work to be done... like all good, ever-evolving decorating projects entail. But without further ado, I bring to you...

the evolution of Ellie's nursery.

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I'll include more pictures in the near future. Like I mentioned before, there are still a few things that need tweaking. Stay tuned!

THE BEST ONE YET

I wrote in my journal yesterday, "This past week has been the best week of my life to date."

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It really was.

In the background of these pictures you can see the disarray of what the nursery looked like over a week ago. While it is still in the transformation process, I must admit that it looks beautiful- so feminine and brimming with all things lovely.

It was a dream come true to have a full week to clean and paint a crib, decorate, shop, nap with BJ, and not have to set an alarm.

Pictures of the nursery will be coming as soon as a light is hung, paper flowers are arranged, and the bedding from my sweet mother arrives.

I wish you a lovely April day.

DON'T MIND IF I DO

I am leaping full speed ahead into this coming week as it is my celebrated "Spring Break" from school.

I can't wait to tackle the project of cleaning, organizing, furnishing, and decorating Ellie Layne's nursery, as well as cleaning my house, going to the temple, watching BJ play soccer, and learning how to keep a garden- a skill I hope to practice in the somewhat near future. I am loving this time of year in spite of the seemingly constant precipitation. I love the budding trees, the blossoms on branches, and the metamorphosis of grass turning from a straw-like yellow to a vibrant, healthy green. I am loving my pregnancy, loving this little alien that's wiggling around in my belly, and loving that my count down chain is getting continually one day closer to the big day. I am SOOOOO disappointed in my realization that I left my camera cord at school. I already have started taking pictures to document this glorious week of free time. But much to my dismay, the photos will be postponed in making their debut. Blogging may take a hit this week, but my enjoying life most certainly will not.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY- SNOW AND ALL

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Pregnancy has felt like a coming of age to me. I feel connected to women around me- anyone that's been in my shoes. It's incredible when you go through big events in your life to realize how many people have gone before you and experienced the same thing. In some ways, you'd think this would make your experience less special and unique, but I have found just the opposite to be true.

For example, reading about Mary and the remarkable birth of the Savior this Christmas, while I, too had a baby growing in my stomach was overwhelmingly spiritual.

This gift that God entrusts to all of His daughters is one of the greatest miracles of this life. 

Oh, I can't wait to continue on the legacy that my incredible mom, sisters, & ancestors paved for me.

 One more daughter of God, coming right up!

SIGNS OF SPRING

If you live in Utah, you've gotta have hope.

Because even if you see this one day...

it by no means promises that the next day you will see that again at all.

I thought I saw spring coming. I even waited until the official calendar declared "first day of spring" to hang my wreath on my door. But to no avail. In Utah, spring looks like this...

That is, until you make your way inside. I've decided that if spring won't stick around outside, at least I can keep it trapped inside my household.

If you wish to find spring in Utah- come pay me a visit. 

Much love, happiness, and warmth to you this spring day... even if there is snow on the ground.

A COMLEX RELATIONSHIP

Isn't it strange how the things that bring us the most joy in life are the very things that make our heads spin with frustration, our gut wrench in nervousness, and our patience cling to any ounce of composure we have left to muster?

I have such a complex relationship with my job. 

Sometimes I really, really don't like my job. -And it's not so much the actual time being here that I don't like- it's the fact that day after day, week after week, I have people depending on me to be here: teaching, smiling, dancing, inspiring, and finding ways to love each and every second of it.

 

Are there moments of it that I love?

For sure.

Are there moments of it that make me wanna curl up under my sheets and not leave home?

Most definitely.

But today I was blessed in my teaching. I was blessed today because I can truthfully say that I loved every moment. I was able to see my students today. I was able to appreciate their enthusiasm and sky-high expectations of me. I was able to love moving my pregnant body with them and understand that sometimes when it feels like I'm about to pee my pants, it's really just the weight and awkward positioning of this wonderful darling inside of me.

Today was brilliant.

The reality is... there are days that are inspiring and gorgeous, and there are days that just plain suck.

The beauty is, everything comes around eventually- bad moods are healed by a good night's sleep, annoyances can be resolved, and if we let ourselves, our hearts can be filled with so much love. Today, all three of those things happened to me. Today I feel like the sunshine.

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And now for a mug shot of the child who swiped his face across my belly TWICE while I was teaching on Monday. Just like a cat rubbing up against your legs. Talk about an invasion of personal space!

Guilty as can be he is.

DESPERATE

Today I've been waiting for something amazing, exciting, or wonderful to come and knock me off my feet, and so far, it hasn't come. Unless, of course, you include the woman at school who asked me, "when are you due... any day now?" Ya lady... just 49 "any day now(s)" away!

  My back has been in knots ALL day....and I really just feel like eating a huge piece of chocolate cake and going to bed.

Hope your day has been equally glamorous.

Q & A

What do you do to make your house a home?

I clean mine, decorate mine, rearrange mine, organize mine, de-junkify mine, cook good things in mine, love in mine, clean mine again, say prayers of gratitude for mine, hang wreaths on the outside of mine, and reflect back on the time before I had mine when I used to dream about this time... and now here I am, standing in my kitchen using my beautiful pots and pans, changing sheets for a bed that I share, and moving things all around to prepare for our newest addition. 

I hope you love your home, because you know, if you make it so...

the home can be the holiest place on the earth.

And now a photo of mine...

RETHINKING MY AMBITION

BJ and I were kindly given a free crib from his soccer coach. Being me, and having an insatiable desire to create precisely the kind of nursery I see in my dreams, the crib was destined for a makeover. After much searching online for the perfect end result, the project began this weekend. I worked for a few hours on it on Saturday and got maybe 1/30 of the way done. I think I may have bit off more than I can chew with this one.

Documentation of the bare bones, and the lady who's about to lose it:

Hopefully come May 19th, I will have a crib that I'm proud of and still some hair left on my head. This is gonna be a doozey folks.

YOURS TRULY

My dear BYU basketball team,

 I want to say thank you for all of the wonderful evenings of entertainment and excitement you have provided us with this year. I would also like to thank you for the sense of pride and enthusiasm you have created nationwide in the great institution of Brigham Young University.

I want you to know that my response to my husband's inquiry of, "Are you sad you didn't marry Jimmer?" still remains a no, although I do love that famous #32 in  my own special way. It should be made known that even my unborn child cheers when we're watching a BYU basketball game- she punches and kicks and flips with the best of cheerleaders. This has been a season to never forget. Win or lose tonight, we won't forget this basketball season legacy.

Sincerely,

Ellery Pugmire

p.s.- If you do win tonight... We'll love you even more!

p.p.s.- Please Win.

TIME OUT

Yesterday evening was a relaxing and enjoyable one. Beejer and me laid in bed after dinner and watched a movie together and then headed out for a Golden Spoon just to give us something to do. As we drove the ten minutes to get there, I thought about how in not much time at all impromptu outings aren't going to be nearly as easy as they are now. These two and a half years of independence with Beej have been so wonderful, filled with tons of fun times out, and even more lazy times in. As long as he's by my side, I'm exactly where I want to be.

REM CYCLE

Beejer and me have been blessed with the good fortune of being terrific sleepers.

(This photo was taken in Lake Powell two days after we got engaged.)

In fact, we're both such good sleepers, it's not uncommon to find us dozing off in unusual places at unusual times. I often nap in my car in between errands and in my classroom on my lunch break at school. Beejer's mom recently bought BJ a shirt that says, "I live for my afternoon nap." The shirt doesn't even fit him, but she thought it basically summed up his mantra in life. And I'd have to say- it sums up mine as well.

In fact, last year I went through a time where I was really tentative about the idea of having a baby just because I knew that having a kid meant I couldn't rely on my afternoon nap whenever I was tired. I just wasn't ready to give that up! But, whether I like it or not, some things are more important than sleep.

Luckily during my pregnancy in spite of the limited sleep positions, kicking baby, and freakin' crazy dreams, I have discovered a way to still be able to sleep like a champ. 

It starts with a...

"pre-bed time"

and ends with a...

"bath."