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A Hosting Home

Styling and Inspiration + Handcrafted Designs

Baby & Family, Coffee with Cathy

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Layne!

Happy First Birthday, Baby Layne! // A Hosting Home Blog

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Layne!

I was telling Rob this morning that it’s hard to believe that we have a ONE year old. The day we met Layne’s little earthly body (after he spent 38 minutes battling in the NICU before meeting his Savior) feels both like it was just yesterday and a thousand years ago all at the same time. I have vivid flashbacks to that day often. And as much as I vividly remember every second, every emotion, every ounce of pain… I just as vividly remember how my God showed up for me that day and every day to follow.

If I’m being completely transparent, I’ve been dreading this day since March 28, 2019. Which sounds down right awful. However, it’s because I didn’t know what those 365 days in between would hold for us. We were walking by faith and not by sight into a time of suffering. A time of suffering that no-one but Jesus could help us through. And I’m honestly so freaking proud of myself (and Rob) — because there were some days this past year that I really didn’t know how I was going to make it through. But, God did. (Because let’s face it, He had to walk with me, carry me… and drag me through every day.)

READ ALSO: Life Lately | No. 07 – Layne Thomas’s Birth Story

READ ALSO: Life Lately | No. 08 – A Letter to Layne on His Due Date

Happy First Birthday, Baby Layne! // A Hosting Home Blog Happy First Birthday, Baby Layne! // A Hosting Home BlogLayne Thomas Birth Story // A Hosting Home Blog A Letter to Layne on His Due Date / A Hosting Home Blog

March 28th, 2019 changed me as a person. The events of that day shook and changed me down to my core. I’m not the same person I was just one year ago. (And I’m proud of that!) God has stretched me past my limit (and then some), and I’ve grown and learned to lean on Jesus in a way that I never have before – and in a way that I never want to stop. While some days still trigger me and remind me just how broken this world is (and I am), I am reminded just how faithful God is, even in my darkest moments.

In the past year, so much has happened. Between navigating the raw grief of Layne’s death, getting pregnant again, having a miscarriage, and now being pregnant again with Baby #3 in the midst of a global pandemic — to say it’s been a roller coaster has been a bit of an understatement. If you had told me on this day last year that I would be pregnant with our third baby, I wouldn’t have been able to believe it. To be honest, I’d probably slap you. But, here we are. As we come up on Layne’s first birthday, we are not only celebrating his 38 minutes of life and how his brief life has impacted the souls of so many. We are also celebrating God’s continual goodness and faithfulness in that He has given us the gracious gift of Baby #3… a perfect and happy baby #3…

READ ALSO: Life Lately | No. 17 – BABY #3?!

Happy First Birthday, Baby Layne! // A Hosting Home Blog

Today may be Baby Layne’s birthday, but this isn’t the only day that we celebrate his life or talk about him. I often wonder what he’s like. He looked so much like his daddy when he was born. (Although I’m told he has my nose!) I also often wonder what his personality would have been like. While it may make me cry, I actually do love to talk about him. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid that people will forget about him. But even more so I think it’s just like any other momma talking about their baby. I love talking about how handsome he was, the things he might have loved, and what I wish I could’ve gotten to do with him.

I also love getting to have raw conversations with others about how his brief 38 minutes of life has inspired, changed, and is continuing to change the lives of so many people. We celebrate our little man daily, and we talk about him constantly. His birth and story is so ingrained into our lives and who God is shaping us to be, that it’s impossible to go a day without him being a part of it.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” – Philippians 1:3

Today, Rob and I went to visit Layne’s grave (like we do regularly). We brought him balloons and a stuffed bear, and we sung him Happy Birthday. I lost a balloon on the way, and I ugly cried (thinking, total #momfail!) However, my sweet Rob said that Layne just wanted his balloon up in heaven. We then spent the day at home planting some flowers and enjoying the sunshine before having a nice birthday dinner and cake (made and delivered by my favorite person – Cake Envy  – thanks to my mom and dad!) It was the sweetest day full of the kindest messages and phone calls from a few of our family and friends who wanted us to know that they still love and remember our baby.

Happy First Birthday, Baby Layne! // A Hosting Home Blog Happy First Birthday, Baby Layne! // A Hosting Home Blog

 

Baby Layne… Happy Birthday, my little man. You would have been one today — and even though our hearts ache to have you with us doing all the things that little one year olds do, we praise God that you are in the place we all ultimately long to be. We love and miss you big…

March 28, 2020

« BABY #3?!
Modern Farmhouse Guest Bathroom Makeover Reveal »

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  • Life Lately | No. 17 - BABY #3???BABY #3?!
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Comments

  1. KRISTEN says

    May 2, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    I JUST STUMBLED ONTO YOUR site AND WOW! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR PAIN AND LETTING GOD BE GLORIFIED IN YOUR STORY. It’s incredible how he can hold us and help us through heartbreak and seeming hopelessness and give us His strength and hope.

    Reply

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Atlanta based Award Winning Interior and Event Designer and Home Blogger Cathy Nugent

Hi, friends! I'm Cathy, a nationally published award winning designer of spaces to gather and southern belle writer based out of a small(ish) town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. However, most people know me as the Monica Geller of my friend group – a coffee connoisseur and dog mom with a huge heart for hosting and an eye for design. The heart behind what I do is simple. I want to help you be intentional on creating spaces to gather and celebrating life's precious moments - whether that be weddings, parties, or something as simple as having loved ones in your home. Living Simply, Loving Generously, and Hosting with Heart.

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Spring gardening is right around the corner, and I Spring gardening is right around the corner, and I’m already starting to get ours prepped thanks to @walmart Lawn and Garden! #AD With a newborn and a toddler, running errands can be quite the task. But thanks to #WalmartLawnandGarden, I’ve been able to get everything I need to kickstart our garden this year in one place — from the convenience of snuggling my babies on my couch with Walmart.com and the app! The time it saved me from running all over town, I got to spend making core memories with John as we taught him how to start his very first set of seeds in the @jiffygroup seed starting tray. 

Here’s a look at what we got to kickstart our garden this year:
- The @jiffygroup Seed Starting Greenhouse Kit: to grow our own seedlings and get a head start on the season by starting them indoors! 
- The  @ferrymorseseed Seed Starting Heat Mat: to give our seeds the best chance possible to promote germination and improve transplant results 
- Ferry Morse Seeds (flowers, tomatoes, and peppers!) 
- @pennington Rejuvenate Potting Mix and Garden Soil: to give our seedlings the nutrients they need once transplanted into our garden 
- Pennington Rejuvenate Tomato Plant Food
- @scottslawn Landscaping Fabric: to keep our garden clean and free of pesky weeds
- The @flexonhose Flextreme Advanced 100ft Hose: to keep it all watered without fighting kinks as we move easily around our raised garden beds

Add this kit to your cart now ➡️ https://click2cart.com/59600bc

Get a jumpstart on your spring and summer garden this year by shopping everything you need at Walmart, in-store or online at Walmart.com. And stay tuned to see how our garden comes together and grows this year! 

#GrowYourGardenatWalmart #GreenThumbAndGardenVariety
Tired of constantly charging your Dyson? (Or reall Tired of constantly charging your Dyson? (Or really, are you tired of forgetting to charge your Dyson?) Because I was. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Enter in: a DIY-er’s solution ➡️ stick a @dewalttough battery on that thing and vacuum for weeks on a single charge. 

But really, I’ve been using the same battery charge for a couple weeks now on vacuuming the downstairs of our house — and with two kids and two dogs, I do a quick vacuum every single day (sometimes multiple times a day!) The best part? Can rotate and charge with all our other Dewalt tool batteries. 

Comment LINK 🔗 for a DM with links to shop or shop via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/432TF

#ahostinghome #ltkhome #diy #diyhacks #diyhack #diyprojects #diyproject #amazonfinds #dyson #ltkfamily #ltkfind
Wait for it… ✨ Still can’t get over this stu Wait for it… ✨ Still can’t get over this study transformation we finished right before baby got here! Officially my favorite room and project in the house right now. 😍 #ahostinghome 

Color Details: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint (Marquee, Eggshell) from @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

Wallpaper : @wall.blush (See the full mural on the other wall on my stories saved to the ‘STUDY’ highlight bubble!) 

Comment LINK 🔗 for a DM with a link to shop sources or shop via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/42XaB

#diy #diyprojects #diyproject #diyhomeprojects #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomedecor #diybuilds #diybuild #diybuiltins #builtins #builtinshelves #bhghome #bhg #mybhg #bhglivebetter #whodatwithponderosa #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #diyideas #diylikeamother #diyhome #homedecor #homedesign #interiordesign #ltkhome
James Kayleb Nugent January 20th, 2023 💛 James James Kayleb Nugent
January 20th, 2023 💛

James was born last Friday morning, and spent the first 5 days in the NICU for some breathing issues and fluid in his lungs. While those days were extremely rough, trying, and brought back a lot of emotions from Layne’s birth — God is so good, and my heart is just overwhelmed by His faithfulness. My favorite moment in life thus far was surprising John before bedtime the night we were finally discharged to come home. I’ll never forget the look on his face when I walked through that door. Thank you, Jesus, for my babies. 🦋💛 #ahostinghome
10/10 recommend just going for it and painting the 10/10 recommend just going for it and painting the entire room black. ✨ #ahostinghome

Color Details: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint (Marquee, Eggshell) from @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

Wallpaper : @wall.blush (See the full mural on the other wall on my stories saved to the ‘STUDY’ highlight bubble!) 

#diy #diyprojects #diyproject #diyhomeprojects #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomedecor #diybuilds #diybuild #diybuiltins #builtins #builtinshelves #bhghome #bhg #mybhg #bhglivebetter #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #diyideas #diyhome #homedecor #homedesign #interiordesign #traditionalhome #traditionalhomemagazine #modernfarmhouse #modernfarmhousestyle
✨ STUDY REVEAL ✨ I got a lot of nervous respon ✨ STUDY REVEAL ✨ I got a lot of nervous responses when I said I wanted to design an all black formal study right off my entryway, but I’m completely obsessed with every detail of this space. Rob has always wanted a study, so my goal with this space when it’s finished is to have almost like a moody, swanky cigar lounge feel. When we moved into this house this spring, I told Rob I was done playing it “safe for resale” with designing projects. Here’s to more of doing whatever the heck I want design wise in 2023! 👏🏼✨ Next up: let’s get this space styled and furnished! #ahostinghome

// Paint Color: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint Marquee (satin on built ins, eggshell on walls) at @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

// Wallpaper: @wall.blush 

// Light Fixture linked via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/3Yy4l #ltkhome 

#diy #diyproject #diyprojects #interiordesign #homedesign #builtins #diybuilds #diybuild #diyideas #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomeprojects #diyhomedecor #diylikeamother #diydesigntherapy #traditionalhome #traditionalhomemagazine #traditionalhomedecor #traditionalhomestyle #homerenovation #bhg #bhghome #mybhg #bhgcolor #bhglivebetter #bhgstylemaker
It’s been a year. ✨ & I can’t wait to see wh It’s been a year. ✨ & I can’t wait to see what the next one holds. #ahostinghome
“And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end. “And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end.” ✨🎄 When do you take your Christmas decor down? The Christmas decor got put away earlier this week, and the house always feels so empty every year when it gets taken down! I was going to wait till next week to take it down, but with only 3 weeks left until baby arrives I’m finding myself in total nesting mode right now. Behind the scenes we’ve been putting finishing touches on the study while Rob was off work for Christmas, so I’ll be sharing all the photos and updates on that to the feed soon. In the meantime, who wants to come organize closets and baby stuff with me?! 😜 #ahostinghome

#bhghome #bhg #bhgholiday #bhghowiholiday #bhgchristmas #bhgcelebrate #homedecor #christmas #christmasdecor #christmastree #traditionalhome #traditionalhomedecor #traditionalhomemagazine #homedesign #interiordesign #tablescape #tablesetting #tabledecor #tablescapes #centerpiece #tablecenterpiece
✨ Christmas Karen-ing ✨ It’s like caroling, ✨ Christmas Karen-ing ✨ It’s like caroling, but from your least favorite neighbor. #ahostinghome 

#christmas #funnyvideos #funnymemes #funnyreels #momsofinstagram #christmasdecor #christmastree #christmastime #karen #bhghome #whodatwithponderosa #bhgholiday #bhghowiholiday #bhgchristmas #bhgcelebrate #sourhernliving #hgtv #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #countryliving #momlife #momreels #christmaskaren

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