Slow and Steady

This business stuff is a lot harder than I expected and waaaaay more work than I was ready for! I am still enjoying it, just at a slower speed. I have thrown away a lot of "learning" projects over the past few weeks, but I am not giving up. I finally finished a dress my daughter has been begging for and I have been reluctant to make. Check out my Etsy shop and let me know what you think!

Small Town Girls

I finally have my business site up and semi-running. I still have some holes to fill but it is and probably always will be a work in progress.  I have started sewing little clothes to help save some money so we can eventually move to town :)  I don't have a ton of stuff in my shop yet but I am adding stuff weekly.  I will have boy stuff too.  Check out my new page and be a follower!

A Boy in The House

There's no denying that a little boy lives among us.  Nathan has made his mark in this family as the cutest, most mischievous little boy!  I do love him to pieces but raising him is going to be NOTHING like raising his sister.  Evidence:

Somewhere there is a Barbie who's going nowhere

Stealing toys from sis's backpack

Sneaking on top of great granma's table

My children are a joy, but also a handful. They have adjusted so well to our move and are starting to feel like this is their home.  I am another story, for another time :) 

Humble Beginings

Everyone has to start somewhere.  I have been spending the past few months trying to figure out how all this is going to work. I kept going back and forth about Etsy, blog, website, Facebook...and just became completely overwhelmed.  I finally had to just take a step back and realize that this is not Macy's.  I am not some kind of big time seamstress with a stack of orders.  I'm just a girl who likes to sew clothes for my kid and thought others might like for me to one day sew something for their kid too. 

So here I am. With a little bit of confidence in one pocket and some anxiety in the other,  I finally listed 2 things in my Etsy shop.  Again, everyone has to start somewhere, right? I am hoping to be able to add a few items per week to get some inventory and some sales.  I don't have huge expectations right now and I am super excited about just having 2 things available!  There is so much more worked involved in this than I anticipated but I am looking forward to what is to come.  

My plans for this blog are to keep people updated on new listings on Etsy, what I'm working on, possibly some sewing tutorials or fun stuff I've found.  I have met a ton of people in the small world of sewing that I may ask to do some guest posts too.  I want this to be a place for people to not only be able to see my finished projects but to also see the process and some of the mishaps...and there have been some pretty funny ones so far!  

I'd love to have you keep up with me here at Small Town Girls by subscribing to this blog.  Just enter your email address on the left or you can follow along with Google Reader, or maybe you just want to leave a comment here...everyone has to start somewhere. :)

What is going on?

I have no idea what happened in the past 2 months...really.  You would think living on this farm and as slow as life is, I would have all the time in the world to keep this blog going.  The truth is...there's really nothing that exciting going on!

I spent the first weekend in March in Dallas with my grandmother, aunt and cousin.  We had a great time catching up and visiting and my aunt got me started on this whole new health kick I've been on.  My grandmother passed away at the end of March so Matt and I spent a few days in Longview and Jacksonville with family.

April was filled with lots of doctors appointments for all of us and a few trips to Little Rock.  Matt was offered a job (finally) in Texarkana and we gladly accepted!  We came here with the hopes of eventually moving to LR but once we were settled, the thought of moving to another new city and starting over was exhausting.  I am thankful we are still here, although I would love to not be living with my mother in law still.  I guess I should be glad we have a place to stay while we save.

In other news the kids are growing up like crazy.  Nathan is walking and into EVERYTHING!  I can't turn my head without him climbing on or getting into something.  Sarabeth is growing up into such a little girl. She's just not a baby anymore.  We sit together on the couch and have big girl conversations...it just kills me.

We found a church we love and moved our letter on Sunday.  It was such a bittersweet moment for our family.  Matt and I started our lives again at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston almost 5 years ago.  Both of our kids started out in the nursery there and have grown to love that place just like a second home.  Our hearts were torn when we knew God was moving us to a new beginning.  After visiting for a few months, we knew Beech Street would be our new home.  We are excited about what's in store for our church and how we will play a part.  I'm anxious to get involved and watch God work through us. 

Easter weekend Nathan started feeling bad so we took him in to the pedi on Monday and they admitted him to the hospital for observation.  He ended up with bronchitis so he and I spent the next 2 days at St. Michaels.  He was a trooper and did well...even through the tornado sirens and being moved to the hallway for an hour.  That night we both just decided to stay awake until dawn!  Everyone except me ended up getting sick that week.  It looks like everyone is on the mend now and things are back to normal.

I am looking forward to getting my hair cut tomorrow, it's the little things.  I also think I will treat myself to a pair of Yellowbox Flip Flops for Mother's Day, I think Sarabeth and Nathan would agree.

*I promise pictures to come (in case our family members were wondering) 

Three.Six.Five

365 days ago I held my baby boy for the first time.  I never would have guessed how different it would be to love a son. There is no way to explain the heart to heart connection, it's all in the experience and nothing could compare.

My sweet Nathaniel,
You have captured my heart in a way that just can't be put into words.  Today you are one.  One silly little boy with one little crazy smile and one cute belly laugh that melts my insides.  You are so aware of how much you are loved by us all, but deep down I wonder if you really know how much I love you.  I can only hope that by my actions, I can show you love the way God teaches us so that one day you will love like that in return to the ones you love (including your wife...boo hoo!) 

Some of the things that I love right now is how you wrinkle your nose every time you laugh.  How you get so excited that you just open your mouth and scream until nothing is left!  How you jump up and down and squeal when I come into your room in the morning and anytime I pick you up from the church nursery.  A few nights ago you let me rock you to sleep in my arms.  You still love to be held and rocked and I will savor every moment of that.  You still aren't walking but I'm not worried.  You are a racing machine on all fours, I can barely keep up with you now.

You adore everything about your sister and you two are becoming such great friends.  I can't wait to see how this year will bring you closer together.

I love you son and pray that God will pursue you so that you may know Him and follow after Him in all that you do.  Happy Birthday Nathan Paul.  You had my heart before you were ever born.

11 Months

 

Sweet Nathan,

Man what a handful you have become!  You are into everything, everywhere, all the time and quicker than I can keep up with.  You are the stinker!  You love the fireplace, the media cabinet, under the sink cabinet, and your new favorite-the toilet!  You have enough toys to keep you busy all day but you would rather play with anything else.

You just got over ear infection #8 and you are scheduled for tubes in your ears on Tuesday.  Finally, maybe you will eat.  At 22 pounds, I don't think you are starving but lately you have been spitting out anything I feed you besides Puffs!  You sleep through the night most of the time but I think your ears just keep you from sleeping soundly.

We are still waiting for more teeth, you still only have 2 on the bottom and that is it.  You have been super fussy the past few weeks and I keep thinking that new teeth are coming in any day but still no sign.

You have been waving bye bye for quite a few months now.  You love to babble and say da- da for everything.  You definitely have an attitude when it comes to getting what you want, especially went it comes to your sister.  You want what she has no matter what it is and will let everyone know if you are not happy.

I love your sweet spirit-you are a lot like your sister in that way.  I love coming into your room in the morning and after nap time to see your smiling face greet me.  You giggle when you see me come in the room and squeal with happiness.  I still rock you when I can but you prefer daddy to do that.  No one can put you to sleep like he can.

You still are a little scared to walk.  You are ready physically but as soon as you realize you are standing alone, you sit down and crawl-very fast too!  I guess you realize you can get there quicker that way right now.

The ladies at BSF just adore you.  I didn't take you this week because it was so cold and you had just gotten over a cold.  The ladies were so sad!  You are just a joy to be around all the time.  I love you baby boy and cannot believe you will be 1 in just a few weeks!