Continuing with the whole fall theme, today I'm going to share with you the list of books I want to read this coming fall/winter. Now--before you go and freak out that there is no possible way that I'm going to be able to read this many books in the next eight-ish months--

I. KNOW. 

But a girl has to have options when it comes to reading (and shoes).

If I feel like reading a novel, I have choices. If I want to read an advice/self-help book, I have options. If a need an easy read, I have a selection. If I need something thought provoking, I have alternatives. If I need...

...you get the idea.

Anyway, once I realized how much time this whole breast-feeding-thing takes, I decided it was time to make the most of it. Reading just seemed to be the logical solution. I have way too many books that have sat, untouched, on our bookshelves. I have the classic problem of buying a book with every intention of reading it, only to get 'too busy' and never get to it.

Yea, I guess there are worse things to deem a problem.

But, seriously, can you tell me how to get a hold of Book Hoarders Anonymous? 

Aaaand this post just continues to digress. Let's just get to the point. Here is my list:

A Light in the Window by Jan Karon

*7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

*Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

The Sweet By and By by Sarah Evans

The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine

Beautiful Things Happen When a Women Trusts God by Sheila Walsh

Created to be his Help Meet by Debi Pearl

The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World by Debbie Williams

*My Life in France by Julia Child

*Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

*books I have already read, but plan to read again.

There you have it! I'm sure this list will change--it always does! Nevertheless, I'm really looking forward to the cooler weather and snuggling up on the couch with little Daniel and a good book!

What is on your fall/winter reading list? 

Feelings on Fall

Today is my birthday. So, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite things...Fall. 

Around here, August has been so mild this year. Temperatures haven't gone above the low 80s and, in fact, it feels like a majority of August has been fall-like. After a ridiculously hot July, in which I spent my last month of pregnancy, this cooler weather is completely welcome! So, with the start of the new semester (we live in a college town), the cooler temps, and the noticeably shorter days, fall seems to be knocking on our door. 

This time of year always makes me want to go shopping. I want to buy sweaters, scarves, cute shoes, and lots and lots of gorgeous leather bags. I know, weird. But I think it's my way of getting ready to "hibernate" for the winter. I also tend to get the urge to crochet more and read more (more on what I'm planning to read, coming in Thursday's post). 

Anyway, I thought I would share with you some of the things I'm liking for fall.

1. Black and White Polka Dot Sweater
Target did a great job with this sweater. I actually have it in a redish color from last years line and it has worn really well! I like that it isn't just a basic sweater, but rather has a little interest to it with the dots. The fit of it is also great. It is a nice length in both the arms and on the torso. Could you imagine this paired with a fun colored blouse underneath?

2. Brown Braided Belt
A simple braided belt can be the perfect accessory! Throw it on around a shirt dress or even to cinch in a cute sweater. Then, of course, you can always use it in a conventional way by putting it around your waist.

3. Red Penny Loafers
Now, Gap has these listed as "driving shoes," so I'm not sure how well they would fare in our harsh winters here in NY, but I still think they are quite adorable! Plus, with a $50 price tag, they are resonably priced too! These would be an easy way to add a bit of attitude to an otherwise straight laced outfit.

4. Leather and Canvas Bag
I'm pretty sure this bag was originally from Anthropologie. But for some reason, I can't seem to find it on their website anymore. No worries! Just click on the link and it will take you to some great alternatives they have. What I really love about this specific bag is the fabric and leather combination. The leather gives it a little something extra.

5. Stary Scarf
I really love the simplicity of this scarf. It would look great with a beautiful trench coat or just paired with a t-shirt and jeans. I also like the color--it makes it feel very earthy/bohemian.

6. Sheer White Top 
I love the versatility of this shirt. It can be worn on a warmer day or paired with a cardigan for the cooler weather. It can also be dressed up or down--paired with a skirt for a dressier number or thrown on with jeans for a more casual look. Plus, it comes in a bunch of different colors!

What season is your favorite? What do you do enjoy most about it?

Daniel: One Month Old

I cannot believe our little boy is four weeks old! Time has just flown by as I enjoy being this little one's mom. What a blessing he is to us.

Daniel celebrated his one month birthday by gaining 12 ounces in 4 days (yay! the supplementing is working!) and sleeping 5 1/2 hours straight. But he also decided, after eating at 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning, to continue to celebrate by spitting up everything he had just ate. Projectile spit-up went everywhere. He proceeded to cover his pack-n-play, his changing pad, and then a bit later, one of our comforters. So a 5:30 a.m. bath it was! Then, at that point, we snuggled up on the couch and both caught a bit more shut eye. There is nothing like a freshly bathed baby snuggled up on your chest.

He now weighs 8 lbs 14 oz and is still 22 inches long. It amazes me the difference that the formula has made. He just feels heavier to me. My arms are getting sore now, which never was the case before. I am so thankful that he is gaining weight. Even though I really wanted to exclusively breastfeed, I'm truly ok with the formula. I just want a healthy baby boy!

I have no idea what is considered a 'good' or 'bad' baby, but in our opinion, he has been such a good little boy. He goes down easily and usually only takes a bit of rocking, if anything. He eats like a champ (still don't know why he wasn't gaining weight, but that could have been so many different things). He also seems to be very content. He is happy to just hangout and look around the room and really enjoys interacting with whomever will give him attention. He has started to coo and smile. He loves when you tap his nose and usually rewards you with a big, open-mouthed grin.

He is currently enjoying a mixture of cloth and disposable diapers as mommy navigates this whole new diapering world! He doesn't seem to mind either and looks so stinkin' cute in cloth. He is in a mixture of newborn and 0-3 month clothing. The newborn stuff is just a bit small (especially when he is sporting a cloth diaper) and the 0-3 month clothing is a bit big.

Daniel has enjoyed meeting lots of family and friends in his first month at life. He took it all in stride and was always happy to oblige to tons of snuggling. He also handled his very first vacation, like it was no big deal. He loves his car seat and often falls asleep pretty quickly once the car starts moving. He will occasionally tolerate his bouncer, when mommy needs both of her hands to do something. He seems to also like his playmat, but mommy doesn't like that the dogs look at it as a personal invite to get in his face...

I cannot wait to see what the next month holds! He has become much more active and alert. Plus, those smiles just kill me every time! We love you dooders. 

Our Family's Cabin

Last Saturday--we packed up our car, grabbed the dog, and our little cutie, and headed to the best place on earth. 

Visiting our family cabin is a summer tradition. Some may think it is a bit ambitious (and stupid) to take a three-week-old into the middle of nowhere, but to us, it was the perfect time. And you know what? We had a great time! I think Daniel loved it. 

There were a couple of boat rides,

 

many long naps,

 lots of grandma snuggles,

and there was even a bit of milk dribble. 

It was a quick trip--we drove up Saturday and were back Tuesday evening--but it was just the taste of relaxation that we needed. We look forward to many more trips to our little piece of paradise. 

We're Back!

Daniel took his first vacation this past weekend. Let's just say that traveling with an infant isn't as bad as I thought it would be! He slept most of the way there and home! He loves his car seat.

Smoke Lake is where our family's cabin is located in Algonquin Park, Canada. Built many years ago by my great grandfather, we hold this place dear to our family! We couldn't wait to get Daniel up there. Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long.

Today we are playing catch-up--doing laundry, unpacking, getting a grocery list together--but expect some pictures from our adventures soon!

Introducing Our Son!

Allow me to introduce you to the newest, and cutest, member of our family:

Daniel Joseph Geiger 

Born July 23rd at 1:42 AM

9 lbs 10 oz and 22 inches long

I know this is a two-week-plus late post, but we've been a little preoccupied by snuggling, lovin', and taking care of our new little one. 

He is the best--let me tell you.

We are so glad he is here!

Things I want to remember about our 2 1/2 week old and our life right now:

How well he goes to sleep and stays asleep--we are truly spoiled right now.
His raspy cry. It sounds like he has been crying for hours, but it usually is seconds.
His facial expressions as he falls asleep. It involves a lot of
eye rolling, smiling, and crossing of his eyes.
His long toes and fingers.
How he holds his hands together while he nurses.
How alert he is when he's awake. He is constantly looking around.
The excitement of waiting to see what his little belly will look like once his cord falls off.
How much his daddy looks forward to seeing him after a long day's work.
Our little morning routine. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it's fun waking up to and snuggling our beautiful baby boy.
As un-fun as it sounds, I have been enjoying the spontaneity of each day to some degree. God is challenging me to be flexible and learn how to go with the flow.
How he stretches every time I wake him up.
His eyes.
His hairline in back is the cutest thing ever.
How he looks in all of his clothes--so stinkin' cute!
How Jonathan and I are parents and so thankful for the opportunity!

Step #1: Take It All In

Let's get started on our master bedroom, shall we? 

Just to remind myself of how far we have actually come, I have included the above pictures of the space when we moved in. I would say that we have come a loooonnnngggg way from the days of water stains, pink wall paper, and gross carpet. And if you guys have been with us since day one, you will also remember that our floor plan changed a bit upstairs, when we took our two itsy bitsy bedrooms and made them one gigantic room. 

Then

Now

We love that we were able to open it up and create way-too-big-of-a-space for ourselves. Once it was gutted, we added the molding detail which, we felt, kicked it up a notch. We love that it added visual interest, when you walk up the stairs. Plus, the carpenter loved the idea, because it meant that he didn't have to finish any of the drywall corners. 

Now, I look at the above picture and think, "Wow, what an open and airy space! It is beautiful!" But then, I look at the picture below, which is a semi-current picture of our space, and all I see is a dark cave. 

It feels way more traditional then we will ever be. So, it's time for things to change a bit! If you remember, in this post,  I outlined a few things that I would love to add in the long run. Today, though, I'm going to focus on a way to spruce up our space, without spending money--if I can help it! 

As I said in my last post, the first step to renovating your space with little to no money, is to take a step back and really analyze your space. Upon doing this, I noticed a few things. 

1. Our floor plan was not working. 

In about two months, we will have a wiggly baby boy joining us. For the first few months, at least, we are planning on keeping him in our bedroom. The current floor plan just wasn't going to work for that change. I wanted to add a bassinet, some clothing storage, and space for a changing area and ,well, with the way the room is currently set up, there isn't much space to do so. Plus, I sleep on the side of the bed closest to the windows (in the above picture). Which means,  if I need to go downstairs, at any point in the middle of the night, I will have to walk across the room and down the stairs. I know, not that big of a deal, but I want to be able to be as quiet as possible and let Jonathan get as much sleep as I can. After all, he will be the one going to work everyday. So, floor plan had to go. 

2.) Something needed to be done to lighten the space a bit.

Visually, our bedroom is feeling very heavy to me. It might be the darker, more saturated colors. It could be the black furniture. Maybe it is the dark curtains and the color of the floor. Whatever it is, it needs to change. So, I need to figure out what it is, and fix it...or at least find a way to mask it for now. 

3.) The space doesn't read 'Jonathan and Liz.'

Like I have mentioned before, our master bedroom is the least like us, compared to the other rooms in our house. The problem is definitely the overall traditional feel that comes through. This needs to change and a rustic country house feel needs to be brought in. This is the part that I'm most looking forward to!!

So after taking it all in, these three things are the problems I discovered. I'm going to first tackle the floor plan and then we will go from there. The floor plan is something small to start with, which is step number two on my list. But we will save that for the next post! 

What space needs to be changed in your home? After taking a step back to take it all in, what are some things that you noticed, need to be changed? What is the first "small thing" that you are going to try?