Dear Sweet Readers,
There are dishes piled in my sink. My breast pump is sitting happily next to me on the couch in the living room. The clean plastic cups (I know, so ungreen of me. See: dishes in sink) from last week’s party are still sitting stacked in the dining room.
When we could have been tending to any one of those issues last night, DanO and I did some house work around O My Family instead, just for you.
Check out them fancy blue button bar thingies over there! Wait, maybe I should treat them with more respect than “them fancy blue button bar thingies” given the amount of love and work DanO put into them.
Please do take a moment to admire the fabulously designed and seamlessly functional navigation suggestion graphics in the right side bar. Thank you. (How’d I do, hunny?)
My very favorite one is ‘From the Trenches‘. I think I love it so much because it links to my posts about motherhood, and DanO chose the coffee cup design as the logo without even asking me. He’s good.
The Recipes and DIYs category is well, not all that impressive, but I know you don’t come here to read someone who knows what they are talking about (I feel like I need to hear an amen after that?) so I’m sure you’re not disappointed. It’s just that every once in a while I do actually make something worth sharing with you. So, that’s where you can find those.
Grow Baby, Grow is where you can go to cry with me over how fast this is all happening. Babbling? Crawling?! O, be still my heart!
(I wasn’t planning on doing a run down of all the categories, but, well, here we are. So.)
I’m pretty sure you can figure the “Birth Story” one out all by yourself. (But you should read it. It’s good. In my humble opinion.)
Remember the cankles? The awkward bathroom encounters and small talk? Well, if you don’t, hurry over to that “Once Upon a Pregnancy” tab and discover for yourself the fairy tale of OBaby’s gestation that has me cowering in fear of the idea of getting pregnant soon someday ever again.
(To the grandparents: That was a joke. You will have more than one grandchild. Especially if DanO has any say in it.)
“Our House” was built in the 1930s and has almost as much character as it does outdated electrical wiring. One time, we wanted to replace an old ceiling fan with a new ceiling fan and it took us 2 weeks because of the blessed wiring. Riveting, I know. Also interesting is a fully pregnant woman in a gas mask. Look for that in there, like Where’s Waldo™, only way more conspicuous.
The final category, “Walking with the Lord” contains the posts in which I wax theological from time to time. Good stuff in there (again, in my humble opinion).
So, there you have a quick verbose rundown of the fabulously designed and seamlessly functional navigation suggestion graphics in the right side bar, or FDASFNSGITRSB for short shorter.
There are two more items of business on this little housekeeping/tour we’re taking.
First, I want to thank all of you for being ridiculously awesome. I have loved every connection the blogging world has brought my way and I am so grateful for the community I have found here. Some of you are regulars at O My Family, and to thank you, I have put up a widget that links to the blogs (if applicable – Hi Elizabeth!) of frequent commentators on my posts. This isn’t isn’t ISN’T to foster some sort of competition or to be an incentive for you guys to comment more. It isn’t. It is there to thank you and let you know that you ladies (not to say that guys aren’t welcome, it’s just all ladies right now) really are an important part of this here blog.
When we were first putting it up last night, DanO was reading the names and I was saying “O, you mean Brittney of Back to the Quarry?” I knew every single one of them. I really have gotten to know many of you through comments here! I even referred to you as “my girls”, at which point DanO rolled his eyes. (But it’s true!)
The second matter of business is… HOLY COW YOU’RE STILL READING! Apparently after not blogging yesterday and pretty much just sticking up the most adorable video ever and very few words the day before, I am having a brain dump into this post. Thanks for sticking it out. The second matter of business is actually another change coming soon to an O My Family Blog near you. A Frequently Asked Questions section (FAQ). I want to know what you guys want to know. What kind of camera/lens do I use? How are the gDiapers working? What makes DanO so amazing? That kind of thing. I hope to sit down with my Lappy some time this weekend and hammer out the answers to your questions, so: ASK (in the comments, in case that wasn’t clear).
Love,
AllisonO
PS: OBaby says “HAI!”
OBaby’s smile always makes me smile! and your blog is so impressive. i would start my own, but i have no idea, nor do i have a computer/internet/tech savy hubby.
that should say i have no idea how to. :)
Oh Silly Elizabeth.. it’s SO easy. No tech savyness needed. Blogger basically holds your hand through the whole thing. You could do it! :)
She’s right. I started without DanO’s help way to the back when on http://www.blogspot.com . Good ‘ol http://theolfelts.blogspot.com . Those were the days.
well, i made one! adam laughed at the blog title, but i think it’s fitting. i’ve never met anyone who pronounces our last name right. i gave you credit for the inspiration to start a blog! http://theunpronounceablelastnames.blogspot.com/
LOVE the new buttons.. they are awesome. (Thanks DanO!) He is so good.
I cant really think of anything for the FAQ’s section, so let me think on it and I’ll be back! :)
Great makeover!!! Makes it easy for organizationally challenged people like myself!!
Blessings-
Amanda
I saw the “A Little Tour” part of the title and promptly stopped reading as visions of seeing more of your beautiful home danced through my head. Somewhere around the third paragraph I decided maybe I should read the rest of the title as the picture weren’t appearing. I learned a valuable lesson today: just read everything in the title,ok? ; )
I have a question for you: If you could have chosen what gender your first baby would be,what would you have picked?
♥
Love the updates-and I would love to know any photo taking tips you may have especially for a beginner with a nice–but basic–camera (i.e. not digital dsr).
Thanks!
Ann
(Why do I always think of things right after I click ‘submit’?)Could you ask DanO to make a blog button too? : )
I love your blog! I feel as though I can relate…somewhat. As we are (or I am) in my 20′s working on decorating/remodeling our first home and hoping to start a family soon :)
——————-
After 3 years of marriage, we are hoping to start “working” on starting a family by the end of the year. Just always waiting to be sure we are ready – paying down more debt, I want to work less if we have kids, I wanted wood floors first (in common areas) etc, etc…
How did you know you were ready to have a baby?
Wonderful blog makeover!! DanO sure is talented! You are lucky!!
oh he’s so darn cute and gettin’ so big! I think I need to plan a weekend visit soon.
Organization makes my heart happy. Nice job, Allison and DanO.
I’m hideous at coming up with fab FAQ on the spot. So I’ll think about it and report back later.
I love this new layout! Your buttons are sooo cute! And I love the linky love:) I’m serious when I say that I would totally hire DanO to makeover my blog… that is, if he had the time to do web designs between renovating your house, working, being a good daddy, being your tech guy, and husband. :) When you were talking about “your girls” I can completely understand. There are those people who you just get to “know” and they feel like your girlfriends! I call them by name to Jonathan and luckily he understands who I’m talking about! ha!
Those little bar things are fancy…love them along with everything on your blog. I’m a new reader around here, but I love every visit. Blog on!!
Ok, I have questions. Is that weird? (That’s not one)
What did you do at your “cushy office job”?
When and how did you meet Nick and Cindy?
Do you hate a long commute as much as I do?
What made you first decide to try natural birthing methods?
Are you tired of this line of questioning?
How do you not melt into a puddle every time that kid looks at you?
K, bye. :)
You totally snagged a good one in DanO’s crazy tech-savvy ways. I *adore* the new buttons! I also can’t wait for the FAQ section. I’ve seen some gDiaper negativity lately, and your stories and excitement about them always encourage me to keep heading in that gdirection!
My question was already asked but I will ask it anyway.
Why oh Why is OBaby oh so cute? How did OBaby get so cute?
Hi Obaby! ur adorable! when i am ready to update my blog, is DanO for hire? i like the changes he did around here! he’s good!!!
by the way, i am totally serious about wanting DanO to do a makeover for me sometime soon!
Love it! And I like your birth story and theological posts, too. :)
love the buttons! ok–you basically already asked yourself the question I would like an answer to!
We just started gDiapers this week for our 5 month old (inspired by your post!) and I’m curious to know what you do/don’t like about them since you have been using them awhile.
love your blog and OBaby is a-dor-able!!!
Love your blog layout! After reading your post about gDiapers, I made the official decision to use them! My baby’s due in about 10 weeks….I even dedicated an entire blog post to my gDiaper excitement. Oh, and yes, I did buy some and try them out on my teddy bear. I’m not ashamed. =)
I love the buttons… I really need to try something like that… I can’t even keep the coat closet organized, so it seems like I have bad priorities if I organize my bloggy world before my real one… or does it? I mean, I’m not the only one using the coat closet…
Anyhow, I do love them and since I wasn’t reading back when you were pregnant, it was fun to look back at those stories…
OK, you are just too cute even in your writing a “brain dump” post. I love that I can “hear” you in your posts now. Makes me smile. :) (<— See, that's me smiling.)
Does DanO do techy or graphics stuff for a living? He does fabulous work.
How did you make your old blogspot blog automatically kick over to this one?
Do you have training in photography or does it just come naturally to you?
Did you use jar baby food, make your own or skip right to the solids he is eating now?
(I’m a pretty new reader so I hope none of these are “duh” questions!)
Where do you get OBaby’s adorable clothes?? My little boy’s clothes are cute, but I love the outfits you have on OBaby. Please tell me they aren’t expensive…and that I can find them in Michigan :)
Uhm, a lot of them are Gymboree, Old Navy and Baby Gap (but O heavens, only from the clearance racks!). His fleece PJs are all Children’s Place (because the fleece is thicker than your typical PJ and I heart it), and most everything else was a gift!