House of Hydrangeas

I know it's been quite awhile, but I do have a good excuse.  Say hello to our new daughter, Auden Emory Reutter. She was born on Veteran's Day (how fitting), November 11th, at 5:37pm weighing in at 6 lbs 1 oz and 19.5 inches and has stolen our hearts ever since. Her brother and sister, Remington and Riley, have adjusted quite well :) Here's a sneak of Auden's nursery in the background. She surprised us all by coming a little over two weeks early (my family is notorious for late babies).  After all, we'd just gotten done taking our maternity photos a few weeks earlier. All photos in this post are by the fabulous  Jordan Burch Photography My water broke at 4 in the morning (another thing I didn't expect), and she was here 13.5 hours later.  It was love at first sight. Needless to say, life hasn't been the same since.  And along with expanding our family, Jon and I also had some career changes--him land...

Last night I fell asleep pondering where we were going to put up our Christmas tree.  And yes, I realize it's not even Halloween yet.  Now this thought could have entered my mind for one of two reasons.  One, it could possibly be that my "nesting" for baby has set in (which, by the way, I feel is much stronger for those with a passion for design and fantasize about how to rearrange things all of the time anyway).  Or two, it may be due to the fact that Jon and I will be celebrating Christmas at our own home for the first time since we've been married! Yes, this will be our fourth Christmas as a married couple, and we've never celebrated at our own house.  Kind of sad isn't it? Here's why it's never happened: 2010:  We were newlyweds who lived in middle of nowhere Oklahoma and thus traveled to family in Texas and Alabama for the holiday. 2011:  We were in transition to moving to Florida and were residing in my mom's house until mid January. ...

Lately, baby prep has been on the forefront of my mind.  Getting the nursery ready, packing the hospital bag, washing all of her clothes, setting up a pediatrician and the list goes on.  Sometimes I have to step away from it all (literally and mentally) so as not to get overwhelmed.  I put this pressure on myself to get it all done and done right.  I tell myself that all of these things are so necessary for her to be a good place upon her entrance to the world. Sure cute, clean outfits and a nice room are nice things for your child to have, but how lost I can get in the worldly things.  More than anything else, I know that the best thing I can give my daughter is a great example of a good heart.  A heart that empathizes and serves.  A heart that loves the Lord and longs for his relationship. A heart that is thankful and joyful even on the worst days. It's a frightening thing to ask myself "Will she learn this from you?  Will you be able to be ...

Some of our sweet friends and family helped host a baby shower brunch for me and our little girl last weekend in Birmingham.  It was absolutely beautiful and a day I will always cherish.  Sweet, feminine and full of breakfast food--it couldn't have been more up my alley. :) The booties on the sign-in table were my mom's when she was an infant and the sweater and cap were also made for me and my sister when we babies. A 'wisdom tree' was also placed on the entry table for guests to leave their words of advice. Black and white stripes and touches of pink and green were used throughout.  My friend and hostess, Bekah, created this beauty after some Pinterest inspiration.  If you can believe it, it tasted even better than it looked! The menu was all about breakfast and included items such as pancakes, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, donut holes, breakfast casserole muffins and grits.  Delish! How cute are these mini pancakes?...