Mattie Mae Designs...and other happenings

I absolutely cannot believe that it is September....excuse me, 2009, but WHERE do you think you are going so quickly?????

Oh well, with September comes cooler weather and adorable new sweaters, tights and coats....it always seems like right when I am started to get tired of the stick-to-your-chair heat and humidity, Mother Nature always blesses us with some nice cool breezes!

B and I have been busy, but what else did you expect? We are doing much better after the whirlwind of emotions we went through in August (see previous post). I have since then been back to the doctor for a follow-up, and I was told that I am pretty much "back to normal" now, so B and I can just keep trying for our precious little one. I can say for both B and myself that this whole experience has really taught us how precious children are - they are truly a gift from our Heavenly Father....and we need to thank God every, single day for that. I know when we do hold our sweet baby in our arms, we will never forget it.

But on a different note, some of you may know that I come from a creative, I mean creative mother. This time last year, my older sister announced that she was pregnant, so momma's creative wheel immediately started turning....and thus produced Mattie Mae Designs. It's our own little line of onesies, burps and bibs - each onesie is hand-appliqued. Say it with me, hand-appliqued. And made in the US of A, too! I have learned the art of sewing on the appliques, but don't expect to see too much of my stuff...I am more of the cut/iron/pin girl. But through all of our creation, I did manage to take a sewing class, and I do feel somewhat comfortable on a sewing machine - as long as my momma or sister are NOT close by....too much pressure! So without waiting any longer, here are a few of MY favorite creations from Mattie Mae Designs...and if you are curious to see more, please visit the Mattie Mae Blog!

Hoot owl onesie

Robot bib and burp cloth

Funky chicken gift set - onesie, bib and burp cloth

Bird on a branch onesie and bib

Love onesie

Flower Power and Bird in flight onesie

And because everyone knows my B is a huge Georgia Dawgs fan....

a precious Georgia onesie and burp cloth (I actually made this set, and it is reserved for our future little one - but we can do other teams, too!)

If you ever need a baby gift, or just want something for your own special little one, please do not hesitate to email us at mattiemaedesigns@ymail.com!

Blessings to y'all!

Brokenhearted.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has...sent Me to heal the brokenhearted."

- Luke 4:8

I have been reluctant to even write this post, but I feel that it will help with my grieving.


Until this past weekend, I was expecting a precious bundle of joy. B and I found out that we were expecting around 2 weeks ago, and we have been on cloud nine ever since. I had a feeling that I might be pregnant, and while B was out of town for work, I took a test. I will never, ever forget when I saw that second pink line start to form on the pregnancy test. I was completely and utterly surprised, but it was one of the happiest moments of my life, too!


B and I have been wanting to start a family for some time, but we did not expect to pregnant so easily - or so quickly. So, I was just so elated! We told our parents and close family, and everyone shared in our excitement.


I went to the doctor this past Thursday, and I found out that I was around 4 weeks pregnant - the urine test actually came back negative because I was so early, and then they had to take a blood test - which came back POSITIVE! They gave me my due date - April 18th, and I scheduled an appointment to come back in September. It was finally starting to sink in that we were going to have our very own baby.


That very same night, I started spotting and cramping. I called my doctor, and they said to monitor my bleeding, drink plenty of fluids and stay off my feet. I went back to the doctor this past Monday morning for another blood test to see where my hormone levels were - B and I had hit rock bottom this weekend, so we were prepared for the worst. They called that afternoon to let me know that I did, in fact, miscarry.

My emotions have been all over the place, but we are completely and totally leaning on God. A friend of mine that also had a miscarriage recommended a book to me called "I will hold you in Heaven." It has been a lifesaver to me - every word and scripture that is in this book just absolutely calms my heart. Throughout this experience, B and I have learned that children are an absolute precious gift straight from God. I know that God is going to bless us with children - in His time.

We would appreciate any prayers - we have totally felt our family and friends covering us in prayer during our sorrow. If any of you who read this blog have dealt with miscarriage, I would love to hear your story, too! My friend that I mentioned above said something to me that made perfect sense, "Our babies were just too perfect that they went straight to Heaven."

And how beautiful is that????

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is His reward."

-Psalm 127:3

So, my brother plays Minor League baseball now....

You heard it right....my (LeeLee's) little brother is officially a BIG athlete! Nathan was drafted by the Colorado Rockies organization last Thursday, and we couldn't be happier....or more proud! He got on a plane Monday morning to travel all the way to the wild, wild west - Casper, Wyoming. And the team he's playing for???? None other than the Casper GHOSTS!!!! We have definitely had a couple of laughs at that one! HA!

Other than all of that excitement, we have been pretty busy with weddings, graduations and just enjoying the 150+ degree weather....and it isn't even officially summer yet!!!

Since my brother is a GAZILLION miles away, I convinced him to start a blog - which has gotten my whole family chattering about "the blog." And guess who is the newest member of the blog community? None other than my FABULOUS mother - she's really a great writer, and I know I will really enjoy reading about her crazy antics!

Sorry I have been absent from my blog, I HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO update this thing more frequently. You heard me...let's see how long I stick to it!

Busy week....

This week has been absolutely INSANE! B and I have barely seen each other all week, and it is killing me! I am ready for a low-key weekend, right?

I have recently started a sewing class - yes, I am actually going to attempt to sew. My momma and sister have always been the sewers in my family, and I am frankly just sick of always watching them! So, I started a beginner's sewing class on Tuesday night - it lasts for 3 weeks, but it is SO going to be worth it! We had the choice of making either a little girl's outfit or a boy's outfit. I asked B what he thought I should make, and he said "boy" of course, because he seems to think we are going to have all boys....Lord help me if that's true! I will try and post pictures of my progress, but you can't judge me!

I also started training to become an adult literacy tutor - which has been the most empowering and scary (at the same time!) experience I have had to date. I am very nervous about being a tutor, but I know that the training I will receive will help me along the way!

By the time I get home from my new activities, it is past 9 o'clock, and B and I are NOT night owls. B has been working overtime since it's a busy time with the bookstore, so we have our pillow talks and talks in the bathroom while getting ready, but it's just not the same.

I guess I just miss my hubby, and I can't wait until things calm down!

Oh, and our two year anniversary is coming up....I still can't believe it has already been TWO YEARS! Crazy!

Hope y'all have a beautiful weekend :)

Help April and Brandon!

I wanted to post real quickly and ask you to visit http://www.livingtolove.com/ - two of my friends, April and Brandon, have the opportunity to adopt a sweet baby boy from Taiwan. Basically, they have a very limited amount of time to raise a huge chunk of money to bring him home! April is very good about explaining the whole situation on her blog, so check it out! To help with fundraising, she is selling cookbooks for $12 each, or 3 for $20!

So please, if you can, keep them in your prayers!!!

Oh, and I'm partial, too, because they are going to name him "Harrison," and B and I have already chosen James "Harris" as our first boy's name! I guess great minds think alike :)

Thanks, y'all!

Life.

I have neglected the blog for the past few weeks, but let me tell you...LIFE just got in the way!

My older sister, Megan, finally delivered my sweet nephew Grant on March 5th! He is such a pretty baby, and Im so glad he's finally here! Below are a few pictures of him - we all love having a baby in the family!

LeeLee, SheShe (my momma), Megan and Katy at Megan's shower.

Baby Grant.

LeeLee with my sweet nephew...I could hold him all day :)

B and I have been busy with many plans for the future - there are still a lot of unknowns, but we are excited about the many opportunities we have. Basically, the only thing we know for certain is that we are moving! We have no idea where we are going or really know the timeline. It could be October or it could be March - whatever it is, we are totally excited! Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely hesitant about moving, as I have lived in my hometown for over 20 years, but I know this will be a great move for us! We are just trusting our Lord with ever fiber in us!

So, that's life right now....B is going to Louisiana with my dad this weekend to watch my brother play baseball, so I have BIG plans involving nearly a dozen yards of fabric!

Blessings! Have a wonderful weekend!

LeeLee cooks!

Yes, you heard it right...LeeLee has started to cook!

B has always commented on how he wished I cooked more and how he wished he could take leftovers to work, so I finally caved!

It's not that I don't like to cook, I do! It's the grocery shopping and planning that I hate! So, this past Saturday, my sweet momma helped me plan out a menu for the week, and then we made our grocery list. She even went to the grocerry store with me, helped me pick out meats and veggies, and she gave tons of great advice!

So, B and I have had one full week of homemade meals, and we are loving it! Our menu included chicken supreme casserole, lasagna, minute steak with mushroom gravy and homemade soup!

Aren't you proud of me? Well, even if you aren't, I am proud of myself!

I already have the menu planned for next week, and I am going to brave the grocery store by myself! There is nothing like cooking a beautiful meal and enjoying it with your special someone...heck, even by yourself!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend - I know I will, I am making a visit to my favorite fabric store in Nashville, and I have some big plans for some sewing projects!

Blessings, y'all!