Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

Baby Sullivan | Week Fifty One





We have one more week of posts before Sullivan is a one year old! Technically, in two days, he will be one and I still can't believe it. I say that every time, in every post. But, it's true! Where did this year go? Please tell me. My baby is becoming a little boy ever so quickly. He will be a little toddler before we know it. 




Since we got back from Montrose, life has been pretty much nonstop. I played keyboards at church the day after we got back and ran without practice. Monday was spent trying to get our house in some sort of order: scrubbing the tub and toilet, doing loads and loads of laundry, and mopping the floors. I worked my normal three days this week and try to cram in as much as I can in those three days. I led worship for prayer, solo on an acoustic, on Wednesday. It's been a while since I've done that and it wiped me out. Thursday night I had worship practice for Sunday. Friday night was pretty much the only evening Ryan and I were able to have some time to just be with each other. 





I don't like those days when I go to the office, leaving at 7am after kissing my sweet family good bye while they eat their waffles and bananas at the breakfast table. I then work my hardest all day at the office, consumed with quickbooks and billing. Then there are the evenings where I get to run home real quick, grab a bite to eat, kiss those babies again, and then run off of to church for one thing or another. The nights that I don't get to help with baths and tuck in the little ones are not my favorite. Somedays I only see our children for a half hour. I am not okay with that and would like to not have many of those days. 



Sullivan is still not crawling. He will be one on Tuesday. In my mom brain I'm trying to not freak out entirely about that and know that he will in due time. But, it's so hard to wonder about the whens and what ifs. That is not a good rabbit trail for my brain to go down. That's really the only milestone that he isn't fully hitting yet and I'm ready for it. I was ready for it months ago. 



This weekend was a rough one. Marin started to feel under the weather on Friday. Running nose, cough, feeling icky. Then around 1:00am Saturday morning, Sullivan woke crying and was burning up. We haven't had to deal with a lot of fevers with our babies and this one was not fun. Just today, I feel like it finally broke and he is slowly becoming himself more. Of course, all of this happens when our pediatrician is not open. Luckily, we have a support system around us to come help me out when I am exhausted and can't get Sully to cool down. We have taken a lot of sponge baths and he has hung out in his diaper only for the past two days. It's always horrible to watch your child hurt and you can only do so many things. His body was obviously fighting off something and the fever is part of that. I even ended up staying home from church this morning and I was supposed to help lead worship. My kids come first over all of that and I'm glad we have all gotten to rest today. I feel a sore throat creeping in in my throat and I need it to go away like yesterday. 



This coming week should be a good one as long as everyone is healthy. I'm only working Monday and Tuesday. After that, I have six full days off because we are closing the office for the July 4th holiday. Hallelujah. I am looking very forward to some time off. No work. No band practices. Wednesday is the 4th and is always my favorite holiday aside from Christmas. Last year I spent it in the hospital because I had just had Sullivan. I'm looking forward to hanging out with family and watching fireworks. A few days after that, we will be celebrating Sullivan's birthday and I'm excited to be with family once more. It should be a full and refreshing week as long as we all get healthy. 







The Hollen Home | Christmas 2015



I clearly have a throw pillow addiction....

Decorating for Christmas is one of my very favorite things to do in our little home. My husband can attest to the fact that this year I was a little early on the decorating and had mostly everything done the weekend before Thanksgiving. I know...I know....I'm breaking some cardinal rule but I love the soft glow of the lights and the tree. I want to enjoy them for as long as possible without heading into the territory of...So...when will you be taking your tree down? Valentine's Day? 

I bought a few new things to add to the Christmas decor this year. Since we don't have an awesome fireplace with a mantle, I use the top of the piano instead. Someday I want a house with a mantel that I can decorate. 







I still love our white Christmas tree. 



All of the presents but one or two are now wrapped and under the tree. Now if I could find a way to keep the cat and the kid away from them...that would be good. 





Marin enjoys pointing out all of the Christmas trees in our house. We have some on the TV stand. A bunch on the piano. A few in the master bedroom. They are kind of all over. The best part is that she doesn't pronounce it "Christmas" but "Criptmas." Pretty darn adorable. "Merry Criptmas!" 

And of course, we have to set out Blinko the Snowman. Marin says hi and goodbye to him every time she goes up and down the stairs. "Hi Snowman! Hi Blinko!" 



I thought it would be fun to put links to the decorating of Christmas Past. It's fun to see how our home and decorating has shifted over the last few years. 







Christmas Decor 2013


I finally bought our very own white Christmas tree this year. Every year before has showcased a hand-me-down tree. This one is ours. I bought it in October. The guy at Walmart thought I was crazy. I love it. I'll take crazy. 


Hardly anyone has graced out doorstep this holiday season so I figured I'd post some of our decoration for the Christmas season. I probably decorate all of this far more for myself than anything else. I like it. I spend most of my days making sure Geoff the Cat doesn't destroy anything. So far, so good. The tree has remained in mostly one piece. 



This season has been busy. We have spent quite a bit of time at home as a couple, which I am totally fine with. Being exhausted and pregnant also helps with the hermit mentality. Our lives are going to be much louder and crazier in just a few weeks (holy cow!!!!) 


Geoff, plotting his destruction.

I love this wrapping paper from Target.




I will be sad to take all of this down. 


Thanksgiving 2013 (Better Late Than Never)

It's officially Christmas Eve and I'm just now blogging about Thanksgiving. I think that little fact is a great representation of how insanely fast this season has flown by and how preoccupied I have been with being pregnant over the holidays. My mind is in about a million places at any given time. But, even in the midst of the chaos, I know once thing for certain: We have been blessed with amazing families and the fact that we are bringing a child into that family is very comforting and exciting. 






One of my goals for the New Year should be to take more pictures of Ryan and myself. We are always on the other side of the camera. Always. 

Happy Thanksgiving (On Christmas Eve)!

Better late than never. Right?