Hi everyone,

I realize I’ve been a little MIA this month but that’s because we’ve been very busy with house hunting!

At the beginning of the year, we decided we had outgrown our little place and it was time to start the process of finding something a little bigger. We met with our realtors, started looking at the market, and started fixing up our little house to make it appealing to a new family. That whole process takes up so much time but throw in the coronavirus wrench and you’re looking at double the amount of time!

We finally put our house on the market on Mother’s Day weekend, which we spent in a hotel. The house was only up for about three days before we accepted an offer. Then the pressure was on to find our new house! We had been looking at everything from older homes to new construction in several neighborhoods around Durham until we finally found a beautiful, light-filled house on a cul de sac in a great neighborhood. We submitted a ridiculously generous offer and I wrote a sweet little letter explaining why the home was perfect for us and out of the many offers they received, THEY ACCEPTED OURS!

Time to start packing!

The house has everything we’ve been wanting: a 2-car garage, tons of natural light, a nice backyard, a neighborhood pool, a great school district for Sebastian, AND perhaps the best part in my opinion: it’s not very far from our current house so we won’t have to change up our routines that much! We can go to the same grocery store, doctors, vet, etc. When you live with anxiety, change is very difficult so not having to change much will make the transition so much better.

The buying part of the process is almost over and we still have a few weeks before we close and move, but we’re really excited about everything. Wish us luck that the rest of the process and the move go smoothly!

Happy Monday!

It seems a little early for a Life Lately post but I know I’ve been quiet the past few weeks, so I thought this would be a good way to check in. Life has felt both boring and hectic at the same time this whole month. Do you know what I mean? I’ve been really busy with work and family and life and once the day is over, the only energy I have left is reserved for sitting on the couch, binge watching Queer Eye and eating ice cream from the carton. Even though there was a lot going on, it still felt pretty boring because we were in a survival mode of sorts.

via GIPHY

As I write this, I’m sitting in my kitchen listening to the loud, monotonous whir of several industrial-strength fans and dehumidifiers. For four days, the fans have been pointed at bare floors that have been stripped of laminate and carpet in an attempt to dry them completely before any mold or other water damage can occur. They’ve been running day and night since Saturday and I’m starting to get used to the sound, like giant white noise machines lulling you to sleep.

fans in the dining room

For my baby shower, I made these simple, rustic centerpieces for the food and beverage tables. The Mason jars, vases, and burlap table runners are all leftovers from our wedding, and were perfect for decorating our BBQ-themed shower. I love that after 5 years, I could pull this stuff out and use it again. I picked up the wooden rounds at Target and the flowers were grocery store specials.

I think simple flower arrangements are the most elegant, so I stuck with one main type of flower and one to two complementing types. For these, the main attraction is the baby’s breath with the complementing daisy and the small pop of color from the yellow carnation.

I also think having a few smaller vases with only one or two flower stems added some visual interest and gave off a more casual vibe, which was perfect for our casual shower.

I love putting together flower arrangements like these, especially when we entertain, because they make the house feel so cheery and fresh. I feel like you can never go wrong with beautiful flowers in a vase on your table or shelf. What do you think?

I haven’t been able to get many good photos the past few weeks with my camera because of being busy and not feeling well, but I have shared some good stuff on Instagram. Here’s a round up of what’s been going on this week in the life of NCsquared as seen through Instagram filters.

Last week started out cold and snowy. This picture is exactly what I was talking about in this Thankful Thursday post. As I mentioned there, I often enjoy venturing out in the crisp air or snow on a sunny winter day and getting to bundle up in cute hats and scarves and coats. These are the days when the bright, winter sun glitters in the snow and everything is quiet and calm. Can’t you just feel the calm in this photo?

It started to warm up a bit and all I needed was a sweater, button-up, and puffer vest to stay warm. I wore this to one of our Centering Pregnancy classes where we talked to a labor and delivery nurse from the hospital where I’ll be delivering Baby S. I left feeling very lucky that our hospital is so accommodating to women in childbirth. The nurse kept saying that everything is a conversation, from what kind of pain management you want to how you make your room more comfortable to where you actually give birth (lying in the bed, squatting in the floor, etc.) which I think is SUPER important to creating a positive birthing experience!

Sweater & Button-up: Banana Republic | Puffer Vest: Gap | Jeans: Liz Lange Maternity via Target | Boots: BP Trolley via Nordstrom

As it started to warm up even more and the snow slowly melted, the hazy fog rolled in. Look at this beautiful morning. It was so stunning that it almost took my breath away. It gave me renewed energy for the week and made me feel like everything was going to be all right.

By Friday, it was in the 70s! Only in North Carolina does the week begin with Winter and end with Spring. I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the weather, so I threw on a floral top and canvas shoes to run errands. I won’t really be pregnant in the spring, as Baby S’s due date is a few days after the official first day of spring this year so it was nice to not have to bundle up the bump when I ventured outside.

This photo was taken just a few nights ago. It may not look like it, but the bump continues to grow and that means making myself comfortable is getting increasingly difficult. I have a pair of maternity pajamas and I wear them almost every night but on laundry nights or nights that it’s a bit colder in the house, I’ll wear Nick’s clothes. And I’ve discovered that there’s no piece of maternity clothing that is as comfortable as his t-shirts!

That’s it, lovelies. I hope you all had a great week. I will try my best to be back next week with better photos, I promise! Until then, stay warm or cool and be happy.