Baby Mobile

My latest do it yourself project.....and by latest, I mean pre-birth. While I was waiting for the arrival of Mr. Burt, I was scanning through Pinterest, duh, and found the cutest baby mobile.

Tutorial for this mobile can be found here.

Did you know that baby mobiles on average are 30 bucks!?! Ridiculous! And they are not even that cute! Baby stuff is a racket y'all!

Enough of my ranting.

So at the end of my pregnancy, I had to get my nesting on. I was going to stick it to the man and make my very own mobile, with some assistance from my mom.

Here's how it turned out!

 

I didn't follow the tutorial perfectly! Instead of just cutting out circles, we made cardboard cut outs of a turtle, alligator, and frog. We also added some little buttons where the ribbons attach to the hoop for a little extra pizzazz. At the bottom we bought some wooden beads, painted them, and tied the ribbon in a knot for some extra weight. 

I love Burt's little homemade mobile! Thanks for the help, Mom!

He Is With Me

So after the labor, the first few weeks of no sleep, the incoming visitors, the baby having a cow's milk allergy, the traveling to visit great grandparents, the hurricane, and then more visitors.....geez..... these past few weeks I got to actually have some downtime at home. Maybe I liked having all the chaos because I started missing my family and friends.

Isn't that crazy how that works!

In the midst of the craziness, you want some downtime and in the downtime you long for a little craziness.

But anyway....

They say that the baby blues occurs during or after pregnancy. I didn't think that I had these so called blues at all. Everything is perfect and super duper! Um no.

Is this all I do now...... bathtime, naptime, feeding every couple of hours, changing poopies, washing tiny clothes, cleaning up pee-pee off the wall, and comforting an upset baby boy. I am a stay at home mom...WHAT? When did this happen? I had the wife, special education teacher, sister, daughter, granddaughter, and friend roles all sort of figured out, but being a MOM?!? I am not sure if I even qualify being a mom. I am still amazed that the nurses and doctors allowed me to leave the hospital with my baby. Total doubt of my capabilities. Yep, the blues for sure. I could go on and on about all the discouragement and depressed feelings, but that's depressing in itself.  

I knew that I needed to get out of the house and meet some folks. Since my mommy friends are so far away, I knew I needed to meet some moms. At church I noticed that the women's circle meetings were starting, and I should probably get involved, so that I would not become a recluse - stay at home - mom (that's just asking for the blues). In need of some fellowship, I started going to a women's small group .

We are studying the story of Martha and Mary. You know the one where Jesus came to their house, and Martha did all the preparations for the meal, while Mary went and sat at Jesus' feet to listen. Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her, but Jesus says that Mary has chosen what is better.

I needed to remember to listen to what Jesus has told me about himself. I needed to sit at his feet and remember who he is.

He is with me, do not fear.

It is quite frightening to know that this little boy depends fully on Andrew and me to take care of him. I don't have all the answers to bringing this baby up in the way he should go. I am anxious of the mistakes that I will make in the future. I am comforted in knowing  that we are not alone in all of this. God has given us his Holy Spirit, parents, siblings, and friends to help us. In the women's Bible study group there are four other girls that have recently moved to this area, many moms with little ones, four girls expecting babies, and others ladies that I am extremely excited about getting to know. I have already received some little nuggets of wisdom from some of them, and I cannot wait to find out how God will use them to teach me about being a Godly woman and mother. 

God is good like that. When you need encouragement, he gives it. When you need help, he gives it. When you need grace, he gives it. When you need forgiveness, he gives it. Maybe I won't be such a sucky mom to Burt Burt like I thought. 

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:1-2

Fear not, He is with me.

My Granny Burt

I want to write a memoir one day about all of the crazy stories about the Burt side of my family. Most of the stories would include my Granny Burt. Most of the hilarious stories that I would share about her would include a few choice words. When you hear an 85 year old lady drop a curse word, you are always caught off guard. You would definitely get some good stories or one liners after she has had a glass from her boxed wine. Mind you she is not a big drinker, but she does like the occasional glass of homemade muscadine wine or boxed Franzia (yucky). One of my favorite stories of her involves an uncles ex and my brothers ex and her old self wanting to trip them.  She obviously doesn't like it when others mess with her children or grandchildren.

The lady never stops. Even at 85. I mean what other 85 year old lady mows her own yard and prepares a meal every Sunday for a family of 15? Whenever I go to stay with her, she makes my favorite things either pecan or lemon pie, butter beans and fried okra. All of my sweet memories of growing up with her has her cooking in the kitchen, picking out of the garden, stocking up the freezer, or sweeping off the porch. Lady knows how to run a home.

I think often about my Granny Burt. When I need a little bit of her wit and charm to cheer me up, I call her. When I need a little advice about how to make turnip greens, fry the perfect piece of chicken, or make meringue, I call her. When I need to be reminded about my father, I call her.

Today marks five years since the death of my daddy. Oh I miss him like crazy. Such a devastating time, but also a time where the Lord drew me to himself. I often think about how my Granny felt during this time. How much pain she felt when she found him. How her heart broke losing her first born son. I often feel the heaviness in my own chest if I think about it, and I know that's how she feels. It also makes me think of God as well. Did he have that same heaviness when Jesus died? Did he grieve and mourn for those three days until Jesus was resurrected?

I know this all seems dark and morose, but knowing Jesus especially during these dark and difficult times makes it so much better. I think I would still be stuck in my grief full of denial, bitterness, anger, and depression if it weren't for the gospel. I know that we live in a fallen world that is groaning for redemption and restoration, and that's where Jesus gives us hope.

My Granny has been calling me more often since Burt was born. The little rascal looks so much like my dad, and she just cannot get enough of him.

The Lord does take away, but he gives abundantly more.

Give It Up or Give It One More Shot

My dearest blog,

I have been thinking a lot about you lately, and I really want to give you up. You are a scrappy little thing, and you keep clawing your way back into my mind.

Meeting a few friends with totally sweet blogs (12 Reasons Christians Should Blog click here), and being encouraged by my mom to get to blogging has  made me reconsider keeping you.

I need you.

I promise to post atleast twice a week.

Love,

Casie