2 Months & Counting!

Dear James,

I can't believe you're already 2 months!  Time is flying by, I want it to slow down!  This month has been great.  You smile allll the time!  You even smile at strangers.  After you gave a huge smile to a lady in Kroger she said, "Wow!  He is a smiley little guy!"  And you totally are.  I can't wait until you start laughing.  You started sleeping 8 hours around 5-6 weeks, and now you are sleeping close to 9-10 hours.  Your last feeding is at 7, and you usually don't wake up until 4 or 5 am.  You just had your 2 month check up and I think you're built like your dad.  You're 80% for height, 60% for weight and 15% for the size of your head.  I hope it stays that way!  You weighed 12 pounds 12 ounces and were 24 inches long, and I can't remember the circumference of your head unfortunately.

Highlights of your 2nd month:

1. You went to your first wedding.  You fell asleep in our friend Judit's arms!
2. You met your papa Angle for the first time, he kept saying what a great baby you were.
3. You went and watched us play tennis for the first time!
4. You started sleeping in your crib during this month.
5. You started coming with me to work at ReBath on Fridays (starting at 4 weeks old).
6. You went on several walks with your buddy Hatcher, and played with your friend Addison one day.
7. You lost your hair and now it's growing back! And your silly mom tried cutting your hair because you had a mullet for a couple days and I did a horrible job cutting it.  Aunt Ashah said it looks like a city skyline because it's so jaggid!  So sorry :(  I've learned my lesson!
8. You started sucking your hand.
9. You moved up to size 2 diapers.
10.  You are quite the talker (I attached a video of him talking to his grandmother).
11. You had your first Easter.  I dressed you in a cute Easter outfit and literally 2 minutes later you had a diaper explosion & so I had to change you.  You also fell asleep in grandfather's arms that day in the nursery at church.  Then you fell asleep on Aunt Krystynna's chest that afternoon!  


Here are a few pics from this past month:

 Your friends Addison & Hatcher!

 The pictures below are when we played tennis with Uncle Ben & Aunt Ashah & Mercer University:

The picture below is after your 2 month shots, you look mad at me!  

Your dad loves you very very much! 

Reflecting on Resurrection Sunday 4.20.14

As I reflect on Easter and/or resurrection Sunday, I am reminded of the new life believers have in Christ.  As I get older, the more I realize that.  As a child, I was taught I was a sinner and that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, but Christ being resurrected from the dead was not emphasized as much as those things.  I remember a professor in college speaking on this.  He said, "People tend to focus on the cross and the punishment Christ paid for us, but if Christ was not resurrected from the dead, then he would have died in vain.  The whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 focuses on the resurrection and how we would still be dead to our sin if Christ was not resurrected."  Don't ask me how I remember him saying that, that was over 6 years ago!  I guess it hit me hard that I failed to remember the new life I have in Christ & that I am no longer a slave to sin.   What a great reminder!

1 Corinthians 6:14-21 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 

This should have been written yesterday, but my dad was in town and I was a little preoccupied with that.  Here is a picture of James Tyler Wood with his two grandfathers that he is named after (Jordan's dad-James Michael Wood & my dad-Tyler Christopher Angle).  James looks pretty happy to be with them :)

Gosh, I love my dad.  The older I get, the more I appreciate my parents.  I remember growing up, I loved spending time with my dad, but also got a little upset every time he put his kids to work.  We spent the week days with my mom and spent weekends with my dad.  I would get over there and he would have me do laundry, dishes, organize his pantry or whatever household chore there was available.   Ironically, I always had to use the restroom when he asked me to do something :)  I guess you would say I was pretty good at stalling!  Both my mom & dad didn't spoil us as far as having nice clothes or the newest gadgets.  I think I was the last of my friends to get a cell phone.  I remember my friends or teammates having the latest, new basketball shoes or the newest softball cleats.  I told my dad that while he was here, and he apologized.  My response to him, "Dad!! I am so glad you were like that!  I didn't need the newest & latest wardrobe or technology."  I must say, my dad did buy me a car & pay for my college, so he did provide the big essentials.  All this to say, that I am so thankful for my parents.  I know they aren't perfect, but I was taught to excel in everything  and to live simply and that's how I want to train our kids--work hard and you don't need a lot!  This was totally unrelated to Easter, but I got a little side tracked!  Love you mom & dad!

Transition into being a mom..

The question I get asked a lot is, "how is motherhood?"  or "what do your days look like?"  Well, being a mom is basically what I expected.  There are difficult things about it, yet very rewarding things also, which is what I expected.  Thankfully, a lot of things weren't a shock to me.  I guess it was from having an older sister who had 3 kids and babysitting all throughout college.  I definitely heard a lot of negatives & heard the positive.  Some people would tell me the baby stage was a sweet time & others would say they had a more difficult time.  I am learning everyone has a different experience.   For me, I would say overall it has been really good so far.  I couldn't imagine life without James & it is amazing how much I love him.  Jordan and I always ask each other, "isn't crazy how much you love him?"  Because it is!  I feel like it gets better and better too.  There have definitely been a few hard days and a couple hard nights, but I wouldn't change it.  I am also learning each baby is different.  Some babies are more difficult than others.  I would say James isn't the easiest baby in the sense that he cries (usually in the evenings), but he is definitely far from being the most difficult baby.  He sleeps well, he eats well, he is happy a lot of time, he just gets fussy like any baby when he is hungry or tired.  But like I said I am learning each baby is different.  Some babies love being swaddled, some don't.  Some love being nestled up in your chest, some love looking at what's going on.  Some babies are great eaters, some are not.  Some babies fight sleep, some don't.  Some things I have learned about baby James are:

1. He is cold natured-if he isn't bundled up a lot, he has the goosebumps & freezing hands.

2. He doesn't like getting his diaper changed-cries almost every time.

3. He loves being nestled up-I hope that means he will be a snuggler :)

4. He didn't really like being swaddled, he loved his hands being by his face

5. He's a pretty good eater

6.  He's a pretty good sleeper-but I don't mind letting him cry himself to sleep every once in a while

7.  He likes pacifiers, thank goodness! Particularly mam pacifiers

8.  He smiles a lot! He started around 4-5 weeks & now he is trying to coo

9. Jordan says he burps like a grown man :)

10. He loves looking at lights (but I think most babies at this stage do!)

11.  He snores! It cracks me up

Here is a picture from yesterday:    

 This was a picture from a week or so ago:

 This is a newborn picture, but this is what we try to do every morning.  Jordan reads us a Proverbs or a chapter from one of Paul's epistles:

 A couple cute videos:

What our day looks like:

Every 3 hours I feed James and for the past week it has been 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm and in-between those feedings James will be up for an hour or 2 and then sleeps an hour or 2.  During his nap time, I usually clean the house, meal prep, or run errands.  On Fridays for the past month, I have been working at ReBath & James comes with me.  On Saturday we usually are out and about and on Sundays we go to Sunday School and the main service and do stuff in the afternoons.  Those are what are days look like recently!  Oh and James sleeps from 8 pm to 2-5 am, so 7-9 hours at night, which is awesome!  Love you James!!!  You're so sweet!    

Travel back Tuesday...to Switzerland & Spain!

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I left on this trip (May 12, 2013)!  I wanted to write a quick post on it, so I won't forget it!  I tagged along with my dad and two other salesman from his work (Hughson Nut).  They have a fruit & nut conference every year and it is usually in a different country, and this year it was in Barcelona, Spain.  

My trip began with a direct flight from Atlanta, Georgia to Zurich, Switzerland.  I arrived several hours before my dad, Leanne & Lori arrived.  I remember vividly shopping in the airport, I was happy to find they had an H&M & Starbucks, two places I was pretty familiar with :)  Once they arrived, we took a train to Basel, Switzerland.  Can I just say that Switzerland is the most expensive country in the world?  I noticed everything seemed pricey and a resident there told me it's because it's truly the most expensive place to live, so I'm glad I don't live there :)  They are also one of the few countries in Europe that don't use the same currency.  They have their own, which is Swiss Francs.

Anyway, back to my trip.  After we arrived in Basel (I kept finding myself pronouncing it 'basel' like the plant, but it's pronounced 'bazal'), we went to this Reformed Christian Church called Basler Munster (somewhat of an interesting name), and did a quick tour before dinner.      

 We were in Basel for a few days and we met with different customers while we were there.  It was so interesting to sit in on them and watch my dad, Leanne & Lori talk about almonds.  I learned a lot about the different types & varieties of almonds and about the different companies they sold to.

This is a picture of Leanne & I outside our hotel in Geneva, Switzerland.  She is super funny, she had me laughing the whole trip!

 Below is a picture of my dad & I in front of John Calvin's church in Geneva, Switzerland.

 We were in Switzerland the majority of the twelve days.  There are 2 major grocery stores in Switerland, Coop & Migros.  We met with Coop and toured the manufacturing plant where they package their own products.  It was super neat!  

Below is Barcelona, Spain.  This is where the fruit & nut conference was. 

 I wasn't able to attend any of the sessions since I wasn't registered, so I went shopping at Zara & took a tour of the city.  This is the Sagrada Familia, which is one of the main attractions in Barcelona.  The weather was so nice when we were there because it had rained several days when we were in Switzerland.

It was an awesome trip!  I loved spending time with my dad and gained a whole new respect for him. I have never really went to work with him growing up, and this trip I was able to see how he negotiates and make huge deals.  Love my dad!

Pregnancy...

 I wanted to jot some things down about my pregnancy before I forget because I have a tendency to do that!  I think I traveled more in my 9 months of pregnancy than any time of my life.  I guess I was trying to cram in all the traveling I could before we had baby James!

We announced we were pregnant on August 12, 2013 & below are a few of my favorite pictures from it:

A few days later we flew to Sun Valley, Idaho to surprise my sister for her 30th birthday...it was so fun except for the fact we were evacuated due to fires, so we flew to LA for the remainder of the trip! I am horrible at remembering to take pictures, but I have this one of my nephew Jack & I in Sun Valley:

 For Labor Day I went to Lynchburg, virginia to see my good friend Hollie.  Love that girl!

A week or two later we went to Hilton Head, South Carolina with Jordan's family, below are 2 pictures.  I love my new family!  #woodsarethebest

 This doesn't involve traveling, but on November 22nd I was a bridesmaid in my sister in law, Ashah's wedding.  It was fun besides the fact it was really hard finding a dress that would fit my belly :)  (I was 28 weeks)

 The first weekend in December we went to Austin, Texas for a gender reveal party for our friends Zane & Amanda...It was soooo cold, but really fun!  I love Austin, I hope we get a chance to go back!

 Then in the middle of January, Jordan, Levi, Rachel, and Jordan's dad & mom all went to Pheonix Arizona for a ReBath conference.  The weather was awesome coming from cold & rainy weather in Georgia.  Rachel & I got to shop and lay out by the pool while the guys were in their meetings.

 The next weekend, we went back to Hilton Head with Ashah & Ben to take maternity photos.  I love them so much!

Oh and I can't forget I went to Little Rock, Arkansas in the middle of October & California for Thanksgiving.  Here are a couple pictures from Arkansas (I don't have any from Cali unfortunately):

My pregnancy was good overall.  I was nauseated for probably 4-5 weeks which was miserable, I think I ate McDonald's everyday because everything else sounded disgusting.  And I had pretty bad acid reflux the last couple months, but other than that I felt normal, praise the Lord!  I give props to those woman who are sick all 9 months, a month of nausea was enough for me!  I was happy with my experience but definitely glad James is finally here so we can enjoy him :)  We love you baby James!

Nursery Inspiration...

Before I started decorating James nursery, I knew I wanted to incorporate a nautical theme & use navy touches.  I tried to avoid light blue because I knew a lot of other things would be that color, like his clothing and blankets.  I just imagined myself getting tired of looking at light blue.  I also thought that if I used navy, I could use it even if we had a girl next, but just add some pink or girly touches to the room. 

            The above picture is from over a month ago and I have made a few changes since then! 

I added a changing pad and changing pad cover and that sailboat. (it's hiding behind the picture frame in this picture).  My sweet friend, Bethany gifted me the changing pad and sailboat (from Pottery Barn Kids) and I just bought the changing pad cover from target.  It's super soft and was only $12.99, which was cheaper than all the places I looked!  Below are the links to the changing pad cover, sailboat, and changing pad.

http://www.target.com/p/circo-plush-popcorn-changing-pad-cover/-/A-14772619#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=changing%20pad%20cover

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/search/results.html?words=fabric+sailboat+changing+table+storage&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/changing-table-pad/?pkey=e%7Cchanging%2Btable%2Bpad%7C5%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules

 My aunt Holly sent me this "Navy Harper My First Anywhere Chair" which was on my registry.  Here is the link for that:

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/navy-harper-my-first-anywhere-chair/?pkey=e%7Charper%2Bchair%7C12%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules

I also added this nautical wheel.  I think it adds a fun touch!  It's from Hobby Lobby and it was originally $40, but was 40% off that day and I had a gift card there, so I only ended up paying around $8 for it.  You can also see I added that sign with the anchor on it to the left of the window, which my friend Maggie made.  She's very talented and I sent her a picture of a sign similar to that from TJ Maxx, and asked if she could make it. She did a great job!  

Below are some pictures of us working on the room.  Jordan's nephew, Ethan wanted to snuggle as Jordan was trying to install the beadboard.  It was so cute, he is quite the snuggler!

Here I am with my big belly...Jordan was worried about me inhaling the paint, so he made me wear a mask.  I am pretty sure I couldn't move the next day....bad idea trying to paint at 9 months pregnant.

BELOW is a picture of how the previous owners had decorated the room:      

I am a sucker for before and after pictures.  So below is a picture of what it looked like before we moved in and now!

A couple things I have learned about interior decorating:

1.  Decorating is not something that comes natural, but more attained.  It doesn't just happen over night, it takes research and time to develop your taste & to learn certain rules of thumb.  And for me, it even requires talking to people that are experienced and talented.  That person for me, is my sister.  I sent her the picture of the nursery and I specifically remember her saying, "I love that rug.  Rugs are great, they anchor the room."  That's a good rule of thumb & will remember that when I choose my next rug.

2.  This might sound bad or uncreative, but a lot of my ideas are modeled after something I saw and loved.  For instance, the paint color was one that Jordan's sister, Charis, painted their new house with.  It's called "On the Rocks" by Sherwin Williams.  It's exactly what I wanted when I saw it, neutral but airy and bright.  Again, I remember asking my sister about it, and she said this in regards to paint colors, "tans tend to be more welcoming, and grays tend to be more cold.  So, it has to be the right type of gray to work."  I'm telling you, my sister is very insightful and has great taste!  Also, the changing pad cover was one that my friend Maggie had, and I loved it because it was so soft and cozy.  I knew it wouldn't be rough on James skin as I changed his diaper.  I could go on and on of how I copied ideas (mainly from Pottery Barm :) in decorating James nursery, but I don't have enough time.

3. Make sure that your interior decorating reflects your style.  My dad recently remodeled his house and I remember making the comment to Jordan, "I love his house, but honestly it's not my style."  It's EXTREMELY modern, and I even thought at one point, "I wish he would have done more of a traditional/classic style."  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that would be weird if my dad's house looked like mine.  My house definitely looks like it has been decorated by a woman and that would look odd in a 50 year old single male's house.  So I am so glad he went with a contemporary/modern style.  Sometimes I try to copy an idea just because I like it, and then realize it doesn't really go with my style, so I end up returning it!  And you will learn your style as you research and find what your eye is attracted to.  

Decorating is so fun, if only I had unlimited funds to do more :)