Somethings Just Make You Smile

This past week and a half has really been a memorable one. The weekend before Thanksgiving we got to celebrate with two friends from college as they got married. They have been together for over seven years, everyone has known they would get married for awhile and it was so fun to be a part of the huge celebration. It was just one of those weddings that every feels good about, is happy to be a part of and was just overflowing with love and joy for the couple. It was also so fun to get to see so many college friends that we don't get to see near enough.

We took Eleanor to the wedding for the first couple of hours and then it was close enough that my parents came and picked her up before her dinner time, fed her dinner, took her to our house and put her to bed. We stayed for a few more hours and had a great time dancing and visiting. Eleanor must have known that mom and dad were out a little late because she didn't wake up until 745am! Unheard of! We got a slow start, Ben worked at home for a little while and then we headed over to my parents' to celebrate my brother's 25th birthday. A friend of his that was like a little brother to  me came up and we got to meet his almost 9 month old son and visit with him and his wife. It was really nice to see old friends that we hadn't seen in awhile.

Starting mid-week, we spent a lot of time over at my parents' house because they were hosting Thanksgiving so E and I went over to keep my mom company on Tuesday and then again Wednesday afternoon. My dad was off work Wednesday and Ben came our when he got off work. We had a throw together dinner since they were preparing for Thursday but it was just a nice relaxing evening.

Thursday we spent a nice morning at our house, slept in a little, had breakfast, Skyped with our Texas fam and then headed to my parents' after E's morning nap. My parents tried something a little different this year for the bird which actually consisted of three birds; turkey, duck and chicken. Yep, that's right, a turducken. We spent the rest of the day there, my brother and his girlfriend came, my grandparents and my great grandma. It was a nice dinner, relaxing day and we went home full and happy.

Friday we were home some of the day, ran some errands and then came home and made a good dinner. I did start to get out some decorations that day but it sure is quite a bit harder to whip it all out with a baby running around!

Saturday Ben headed over to my great grandma's with my dad and brother to put up her Christmas lights and I put E down for her morning nap and then we all met over at my parents' so the guys could brew some beer, we played with E and I ended up making some gumbo.

Ben worked for awhile Sunday morning and then we spent the rest of the day finishing up Christmas decorations, lights and relaxing before the holiday was over.

I know none of this sounds out of the normal or not like any super special events took place. It was just a week full of things to be thankful for. People, family, friends, warmth, good food and relaxation. It was a "good for the soul" kind of weekend and it actually was kind of calming rather than stressful like sometimes holidays can be. It felt like a great kick-off to E's first holiday season as not a newborn!

Busy Bees

The next few weekends it feels like we are jam-packed with plans.

Sometimes I feel like we never do anything and then all of a sudden it is the total opposite and there is no end in sight.

Tomorrow I have a bridal shower for a good friend and then Ben and I are going to a brewery's anniversary party. After that we have been invited to a friend's house to hang out in the evening.

With all these plans comes some juggling with the babe. I still don't really leave her except for a couple hours here and there with my mom to run to the store or be home to get a couple chores done, uninterrupted. Over these next few weeks I think there are some events that will require a few more hours than normal.

I know, I know. It's good and I need to start and breakaway at some point but that doesn't make it any easier on my mama heart. We are sllllooowwly starting the weaning process. {Unexpected, yes and basically a whole 'nother post in itself.} So she is definitely going longer stretches between nursing sessions and eating table food really well. I think it is just a hard thing to grasp. That she is okay for that long without me. You get so used to the routine of basically being needed by this little human all the time and then all of a sudden that need starts to slow down. She is becoming more independent, plays on her own here and there, can find me in the house on her own. It is all so exciting yet bittersweet at the same time.

Tomorrow will require being away for a minimum of 5-6 hours. That would be the longest I have been away from her. Even when I say it, it sounds a little crazy! But, it has been what has been right for us. So I will leave mid-morning, attend the shower, meet up with Ben for the afternoon and then we will head home. She will most likely have lunch and an afternoon snack and maybe some coconut milk with my parents. I will come home, she will be happy and well-taken care of.

Oh you don't need to be reassured by all this? I do? Ohh, okay, got it.

Anyway, next weekend's events will require us to be away for bedtime. We were away for bedtime, kind of, once. Once in 11 months. We did the whole dinner, bath and I nursed her, and she went down soon after we left. This time, we will be leaving late afternoon and won't be back until about 10:30pm.

This instance is a little more stressful for me but I know I just need to do it and she will be fine.

We are four weeks away from the big one year birthday and I think my heart is having a hard time adjusting to this new stage.

Yes it is exhausting to be needed all of the time, but I am her mom. That's what I'm here for and what I am used to. I know the next stage is so fun as well but with this first year coming quickly to a close and these new experiences approaching, I feel like I am entitled to some sentimental time as well.

All that said, I am excited to leave her in very capable hands and get to get out, visit with some friends, have fun and feel like a normal human. I mean, I will admit to being a little socially awkward these days, but hey, friends should understand right?!

What are you up to this weekend?

Show & Tell: When I Was 17

I have been reading these link-ups for a few weeks now and always want to join in but, shock of all shocks, I never get around to it. So today, I am starting this post in the morning in hopes of finishing by the end of the day. How's that for a goal?!

From Mrs. to Mama hosts this link-up every Monday and I think it's just a fun way to get to know little random facts about people.

1. When you were 17, tell us what kind of car you drove, where you worked, and what you were usually up to on the weekends.

When I was 17 my parents surprised me on by birthday with my dream car. A white Volkswagen Jetta. I loved that car and just the other day, actually, I was reminiscing about how I loved it! I worked at a coffee shop in the little downtown part of our smallish town. It was a pretty easy job and friends would always stop in to visit. On the weekends you could find my group of friends and I at whatever game was going on at our school, or away games too, then usually some family time and my soccer games.

2. Show us a picture of you when you were 17 {roughly}.

Me on the left! ;)

3. When you were 17, tell us what you wanted to be when you "grew up."

This sounds silly, and I guess keeping with the theme of a few of these that I have read, I wanted to be a mom. However, I also wanted to be a teacher. Then for whatever reason when I got to college, I strayed away from my teaching dream even though I was at the best teaching college in the state and went with a business degree. Half my dream came true and I am a mom!

4. When you were 17, tell us the kind of boys that you dated. Did you have a type? Do you have a relationship you remember well? Tell us about it.

I guess my "type" would have been athletic, nice guys at that time. Well, I guess that still is. ;) I did have a specific long term relationship in high school, he was a year older. We had a lot of mutual friends, enjoyed spending time with each other's families and then once I got to college we started to go our separate ways since he was at a school about three hours away from mine. We had a lot of good times and I definitely look back fondly on that relationship. 

5. When you were 17, tell us where you pictured your life 10 years from then. Did it turn out the way you expected it to?

I think my life is absolutely the way I expected it to be. I expected to be married, have one or two children and either be working or being a stay at home mom. I am staying home now but who knows what the future holds whether it be me continuing to stay at home, going back to school or starting a small business for our family. It's funny because sometimes I deem myself as "so predictable" which is why I'm not surprised my life turned out as it expected but I don't think that is a negative thing either. It's just who I am. I am not one to up and move at a moment's notice or flit around the world travelling from country to country. I am pretty happy where the past ten years have brought me. I don't think I am that different from when I was 17 either. I still have so many of the same core values. Yes, I have definitely matured and things I thought were so important at 17 aren't so much now (i.e. clothes, being in style, hanging out with friends all the time, having the right friends, etc.) and I feel I am a little wiser to the world now than at 17, even though I felt like such an adult and that I knew so much at the time but for the most part, I am still a simple girl who likes simple things that make me happy!

Thanks for the fun link-up Becky! Head on over and join the fun!

Update, Memory Record, Random

I am trying to write this, drink some water, relax and decide on the theme for E's first birthday all at the same time. I know, not that crazy but still, always multitasking if she is in her crib for a nap! Can I also just pause for a minute and re-iterate that I just typed first birthday?! Can't believe that's on the radar!

I am trying not to make the decision on her party decor a huge deal, but I still want to decide on something cute. Ben just reminded me of the "bedding debacle of '11" in which I stressed and went back and forth and thought long and hard over her bedding for her crib and how I laughed the other day and said, "I think I should sell her bedding, we don't even use it." We obviously don't use the big puffy "comforter," we have back up sheets so we aren't always using the crib sheet that came with, the bumper is off because we have a breathable one in there right now, the skirt is barely visible under her crib and just the other day we took the valance down and replaced with longer, blackout curtains. You know, because her window had been draped, hillbilly-style, with a blanket to create darkness. Oy.

Anyway. Back to the randomness that is our life. Over the past couple months we have had a little bit of goings on. Nothing of huge significance but worth noting on our part. We, well mostly I, am thoroughly annoyed of our dog. Which I feel really bad about because I love her and it's mostly not her fault that she is annoying it just is the way it is. She sheds like a...well, something that sheds a lot. And with the shedding comes the dander and when she scratches, shakes, walks or breathes, she is shedding. And it's disgusting. I can't really believe I have let my baby cohabit in the same dwelling as her for this long. And crawl around in it. Sick. So, last weekend we began taking our house back. We, as embarrassed as Ben is to say this, bought a shock collar, and are training her to be an outside dog. Why do you have to train your dog to be outside? you might ask. Well, our dog is afraid of something in our backyard and we don't know what. We thought it was the chickens and then quickly learned that is not the case because she jumps the chicken fence and plays merrily with the chickens. That's a whole 'nother story. So, we have to shock her, gently, when she is jumping at, scratching at or whining at the back door. Work in progress. We also got rid of the gross area rug we bought right before Eleanor was born because I really wanted a new, clean rug for the baby except that the dog hair wove itself into the stupid, braided design that I so carelessly bought because it was onsale and I was 9+ months pregnant and just wanted something. My awesome Dyson that I got for Christmas also began promptly ripping it up as soon as I started using it. Cool. Insert new, beautiful rug we got last weekend that has not begun to come apart and which I am trying my best to keep the dog off when she comes in to sleep at night.

We finished up the season pretty well with our garden with plentiful amounts of tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash. My rosebush also bloomed that we waited like, forever, 3 months to plant. It was beautiful.

I made a trip to my beloved college town, Bellingham, the other day in search of a solution for our night time diapering situation and came back with pre-fold cloth diapers of which I cannot figure out how to get around my baby. Hopefully more practice will help.

Here I am again during a nap time with a minute to blog and I cannot remember what I always want to sit down and type.

I am still in the middle of trying to decide to cut my hair off or go long. About 8 months ago I cut it just above my shoulders and then it grew pretty quickly and is in a fairly awkward stage of length and bushiness so I am back to trying to decide if I just want to grow it long or cut it to my chin, inverted bob-style. And some color, maybe I need some color. I see pictures of both my long and short styles and I like both. So, here I stand, undecided. As usual.

We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend with some friends. It was fun because it was the same patch Ben and I went to last year while I was still pregnant and we talked about how the following year we would have a lil' baby. And we did! She loved being outside, of course, and holding herself up on the pumpkins. There were two other babies so they all had fun exploring and being out in the beautiful weather!

I have been trying to decide what type of milk product we will be offering E once she turns one year. I was on a little kick of goat's milk for awhile and trying to convince Ben we need to get a goat. Probably not going to happen at this time. However, goat's milk is slightly more appealing to me than cow's milk, not that I don't drink cow's milk because I do, but supposedly goat's is just a little more easily digestible, less likely to be allergenic and a few other things. But do you know that goat's milk is flipping expensive?! So yes, we will see. Also, Ben thinks that since I can't stand the chickens right now, there is probably a good chance I will get annoyed of a goat too. Kind of like the dog. Also, we do live in the city-limits so we may not necessarily be wanting to create such a farm-like atmosphere on our little, quarter of an acre property. We may need to sell our house someday and don't necessarily want to look like such hillbillies with goats, chickens and whatever else we may dream up. Those might be dreams for the future.

Last week, one of my college roommates was passing by our city and she stopped in to meet E. She lives in San Diego and I hadn't seen her in over 2 years so it was great to see her and have her meet E. She just turned 30 and it was kind of a shocker that meant we had met 9 years ago in the dorms. Wow. Time flies.

So, those are some of the things going on in our life. On top of that, gearing up for the holidays, E's first birthday, traveling to Texas for Christmas and just trying to enjoy each say in itself and not getting ahead of ourselves. I am trying to soak up this last little bit of E's first year still in constant amazement that some days seem so long yet I look back and can't believe December is so quickly approaching!

And, sorry for the randomness but this is how my brain works these days! ;)

Rugged Mountain Baby

...Or something along those lines.

She didn't get bit by bugs. She didn't eat much dirt. She slept. She wasn't too wiggly or wanting to be down all the time.

We camped and it was a success!

About a month ago, I think I was maybe feeling like I was missing out on summer fun, the sun, camping, swimming and all that goes with summer. Don't get me wrong, of course I am having so much fun with the babe, but it's definitely a different type of summer than we are used to. So on a whim, I declared to Ben that I wanted to go camping. Of course he was on board right away because a.) he is always up for an outing or doing things that are outside my comfort zone because he thinks he knows what is best for me...and b.) because he loooves camping. So do I. So, why not, right?!

Loves of my life!

We found a spot about 20 minutes from our house and put the invite out to our group of friends that have babies and that we go on our vacations with. The two couples with babies responded with yes so it was planned.

Yes, we still have a dog and she even got to come! 

About every other day I was skeptical. I tried to back out a couple of times and Ben was not happy about it. I was worried about E not sleeping, eating dirt, getting bit and getting West Nile or something. You know, crazy-first-time-mom-stuff.

Two Fridays ago, we began yet another new sleeping technique. We did the normal bath, cuddle, jammies, lotions, etc. routine, I nursed her for about thirty minutes and we put her in her crib. She cried. We let her cry for five minutes, went in, soothed her, patted, sung, etc. and repeat. I can't remember all the days and nights and how they went down but after a few nights of doing this at bedtime and a couple nights of not running right into her room when she fussed in the middle of the night, she was sleeping 8-10 hour stretches. Whatintheworld? Whoisthisbaby? We had in in our minds that if we went right in, got her before she was all the way awake that she would always go back down easier. Well, turns out, as of now, if we give her some time, she may put herself back to sleep. Go ahead and think it all you moms out there...well, duh, I could have told you this! I guess we had to learn it on our own and be ready to let her cry/fuss a bit.

The reason I mention all this is because she did it while we were camping too! We didn't quite let her cry too much as to not disturb the rest of the campground--which was great because it was full of families with kids and babies--or the other babies at our campsite, but I think all the fresh air, playing, new scenery just wore her our. The second night she slept 10 hours...her her pack and play...in a tent! 

So awesome.

Anyway, we had a great time, it was nice being close to home in case we thought we needed to rush home, it was great to be able to head out after Ben got off work on Friday, and it was beautiful weather. We arrived Friday night, made dinner, put the babies down, got to sit by the fire for a bit, hiked Saturday morning, had lunch went down to the river, dinner and fire Saturday night and packed up and headed home Sunday morning.

I am so happy and thankful--I think Ben was even more so than me--that it all worked out. I am by no means a negative person, but since becoming a mom, I think I can get myself worked up about all the negative or difficult situations we could encounter on such excursions and that can lead me to just not want to do them all together.

Very glad I busted out of that and we survived Eleanor's first camping trip, survived it well and are eager to do it again!

A Free Moment...

Whew.

This past weekend, yes I realize we are three days into the short week, was quite the whirlwind. Here I chat all about how we stay home a lot, haven't been getting out, don't have many plans and then all of a sudden the "inaugural" week of summer comes--Memorial Day Weekend--and we are out and about and realized it will be a little bit non-stop for the next few weekends!

Friday, we were up early-ish and out and about running errands. Replacement social security card for me, emissions for Ben, Costco for the family and then home to enjoy the rest of the sunny day. My parents stopped by for a short bit around dinner time to say hi to the baby and then we grilled and hit the sack.

Saturday morning, we were up earlier and trying to time out a feeding and then nap time for Eleanor around 9ish because we were hitting the road. Our group of college friends have been going on the same camping trip since freshman year of college and since it's less than a two hour drive from home, we decided to go up for the day and say hello to everyone. The morning was great, E went to sleep in the car and then it felt like all hell broke loose because we were picking up a friend at A park and ride but apparently there was a mis-communication about which one. Well, we ended up getting lost, having to back track and listening to our whining dog. Eleanor slept most of the time but woke up about 15 minutes from our destination. Had we not been such idiots about the getting lost and such, she would have slept the whole way! Oh well. 

We arrived at the site and hung out for a few hours. We got to catch up with some friends, have lunch enjoy being outside in the nice weather and then we tried to feed and get back on the road for another nap in the late afternoon. Well, she slept the first half hour to forty five minutes but once we got off the freeway to drop our friend back off at his car she was not having it and cried the whole rest of the way home. About another forty five minutes. Awful to listen to but we made it. We played outside a little bit when we got home and I made dinner.

Sunday morning we got up a little slower, made breakfast and then headed about an hour south to some friends' house to visit with them and their seven month old baby girl. We had lunch, some yummy burgers, and played some Xbox Kinect--which Ben even got me to play the Micheal Jackson dancing game. I am NOT a dancer. But it was fun!--and then tried to time out feeding and napping again. This time it worked perfectly and Eleanor was a perfect, little passenger snoozing all the way home!

Monday morning we got up slowly and then headed over to my parents' so that Ben could help my dad slaughter their chickens they had been raising and then we had a late lunch. It was quite the experience seeing the chickens so I pretty much stayed in the house. Obviously I eat meat and it isn't about feeling bad for the animals but more the gory details. Ben and I were talking about how weird it is that most people, including us most of the time, are so far removed from their food and where it comes from. I love the idea of raising my own food whether it be a cow or a head of lettuce.

Anyway, we had lunch, my parents played with E for awhile and then we headed home to relax for a bit before having to gear up for Ben to head back to work on Tuesday.

Come Tuesday, Eleanor and I were playing around the house and I noticed she had some sniffles--I had never seen snot come out of her nose before--as well as a little cough and some sneezing more than normal. Ben let me know he was working from home on Wednesday which he decided before we knew E had a little cold coming on. Wednesday night was not pleasant, we took shifts trying to sleep with her because she was not wanting to lie down by herself so I was either nursing her or Ben had her in the recliner. It was a rough night to say the least. It was great timing that Ben stayed home yesterday and having the both of us here was so great. Ben tried to explain to me that it was good that she had a little cold and it would build her immunity up even more and even though I know that to be true I still figured I could keep my daughter in a bubble as long as possible avoid sickness a little longer.

We used Simple Saline "Baby" to flush out her nose and although it was obviously not fun to blast something up her nostril, it help a lot and we got a lot of mucus out every time. The only downfall of it is that we were only able to use it on each nostril twice and it was five bucks for the container. Slight ripoff.

Anyway, the babe did a little better last night, is on the mend today and woke up talking, laughing and crawling around the floor. Such a relief to my heart because I cannot stand it when she can't tell me what's wrong, she has a pitiful look on her face and we can tell she just doesn't feel good.

That's what's been going on around here. A whirlwind weekend, a baby that didn't want anything but snuggles from mom and dad the past couple of days and tomorrow is already Friday again!

A Spontaneous Outing

Last Friday afternoon, E and I stopped by my best friend's house. She has an eight month old and a four year old, both boys. The baby was making noise, the little boy was running around and she kind of looked around and said, "We need to do a girls' breakfast. How about this weekend? I need a break from this!" I kind of laughed and said yes that would be fun.

We had tried to do this for a few consecutive weekends a few months back but it never ended up working out. She invited another good friend of ours but she had to work. I woke up to a text from my friend at about 7:30am Saturday morning saying, I'm ready when you are. I always talk myself out of leaving the baby, of getting out of the house, of timing out the feedings properly so this morning I didn't do any of that. I got dressed, let the hub know the plan and waited until Eleanor was hungry, fed her and then texted my friend. She came, picked me up and we went.

It was a beautiful morning and the place we picked for breakfast was really quaint. It is in a town close to ours but neither of us had ever been for breakfast. We ordered big breakfasts, took our time, visited and relaxed. This girl has been my friend since about third grade so we go way back. She was my maid of honor and I will be in her wedding next year. We have been there for all the big milestones of our lives. In fact, I was laying in be last night, or rather after our morning feeding this morning, thinking of some words to use in a speech at her wedding. 

She went out of state for college but it seemed like our bond strengthened after that. We just always kept in touch. Even if we got busy and didn't talk for a couple weeks, it never mattered. It still doesn't. 

Even though both of us are busy with babies, families, partners and many other life situations we know we can always connect somehow. We used to just pick up and go wherever together, in the car listening to music, head to the mall, to get coffee-- all those fun things young gals do but these days it isn't quite that simple. But that's ok. 

A simple, Saturday morning breakfast was just what we needed.

Lovely Weekend

Oh my goodness. This past weekend we got a little taste of summer and boy did it taste good.

It started for me on Friday, waking up after a bit of a rough Thursday night with the baby, and having invited some girlfriends and their babies over. I was actually glad that I had planned to have friends over because it helped me snap out of the bad night and move on. We all had lunch, visited, watched the babies roll around and it was just all around a fun time.

Saturday morning we woke up to a beautiful day and hit the ground running. Eleanor had slept well the night before and we were so thankful for that. It truly is amazing how sleep the night before can make or break you. We headed to the grocery store, came home and Ben did some stuff outside and Eleanor and I played in and outside. We ended the day with an impromptu BBQ with some friends and their two little boys.

Sunday we woke up, had breakfast and talked with Ben's family on the computer. It's fun for them to see how much Eleanor is starting to change. We again, got some things done around the house, washed cars {which is always fun to do in the sun!} and then got ready for dinner at my grandma's. We, of course, had to have a little photo shoot with the babe before we went.

We had such a wonderful weekend full of sun, family and friends. I just can't wait for summer, nice weather and the endless adventure we are on with our girl. She just continues to grow and change right before our eyes and time is just flying!

**4 month E post coming this week

Sunny Day Randoms

I know. I had to put "sunny" in my title because in our part of the world, it is a beautiful, February day that I have to celebrate and acknowledge!

First and foremost it is truly amazing what a little Vitamin D does for the mood, soul, skin, hair, etc. Okay, maybe a little carried away but this girl is getting a little tired of the short, dark days so I love a little brightness in my life. I also love introducing my baby girl to one of my favorite things--Mr. Sunshine!

Source: etsy.com via Allyce on Pinterest

It is so fun having friends with babies. We can get together and not feel weird about staring at our babies. Or being a little distracted because you are paying more attention to your baby than the friend you are visiting with. Swapping stories, advice or even some weird emotions you may be having is also nice.

Source: Uploaded by user via Allyce on Pinterest

It has been a long time coming but I am enjoying my Toms. I have wanted them for awhile. Tried them on and couldn't decide. Couldn't decide on a size or color. Thought they looked strange on my feet but good on everyone else. But I have finally decided and I love. And I can't wait to get a pair for Baby E.

 I have discovered the true meaning of coffee now that I have had a child. I have only been having one cup in the morning as opposed to the two maybe three in the past but I truly look forward to it and it is a nice start to the day while Baby E is at her happiest and we are waking up.

Source: earthytoastyspicy.blogspot.com via cindy on Pinterest

I am falling more and more in love with my cloth diapers everyday. Okay, well, not my cloth diapers. But Eleanor's. They are so cute, actually surprisingly easy to deal with and so much less garbage.

Source: familyoffarmers.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

The sunshine peeking out is really getting me excited for spring and our garden. Also for summer and being warm and grilling and being on the water and introducing E to nature and more.

Source: gardenrooms.typepad.com via Emily on Pinterest

I would love a garden that looked like this!

These are my thoughts for the day. I mean, I have more, but sometimes it is hard to get them organized with a sweet babe kickin' next to me so this is all for now. 

What are your Friday random thoughts?

Liebster Award

I am proud to announce that I have been the recipient of this award:

Liebster is German for loved, beloved, dear, favorite, or something like that.

and this award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers to bring attention to their blog.

The lovely Katie at Katie Lately has given me this award and I was so surprised. I started blogging two years ago really just for something to do. I enjoyed reading blogs so I figured I could do it too. I wasn't really actively trying to gain followers, I just enjoyed sitting down to get my thoughts out, post recipes and crafts and whatever else would come to mind at that time. I slowly began joining link-ups, commenting on other blogs more and even emailing bloggers. It is really fun to see what kind of connections you make and I have been so thankful for "Mommy Bloggers" while being pregnant and since having Baby E. I am slowly building a community which I am enjoying and hope it continues. 

So thank you, Miss Katie, for acknowledging my blog and continuing to read!

The rules to this award are as follows:

#1. show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

#2. award the award to five of your favorite bloggers with less than 200 followers & link them.

#3. post the award on your blog.

#4. bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet - other bloggers of course!

#5. and best of all - have fun & spread the LOVE.

I choose to spread the love by awarding:

Whit at Willis&TBoff

Holly at Where We Can Live Like Jack and Sally

Stef at The Little Pieces of Our Lives

Kaitlyn at just us.

Tatum at Watching the Weeds Grow

Some of these women I know in real life and some I have been getting to know through blogging. I enjoy reading all of their blogs and I hope you will check them out as well!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Mid-Week! I am linking up with this kind of love with some of the tidbits I am loving this week.

I am loving that I get a full weekend with the Hubs this weekend including a fun Superbowl feast and get together with the fam!

Source

I am loving waiting for the delivery man this week. I got fitted for nursing bras this past weekend. I have not worn a real bra since before I had the baby. I should be expecting those any day. I also returned our Baby Bjorn carrier and ordered the Ergo. I think it will be the right choice. My mom also ordered us some more diapers which we received yesterday.

I am loving that the sun has been peeking out here and there. Not everyday but it sure is nice to see when it does!

I am loving my new coffee creamer. Not just like Ghiradelli's White Chocolate powder but still tastes pretty good.

Source

I love that my best friend got engaged two weeks ago and now all we can talk about is wedding ideas! I sure wish Pinterest had been around when I got married!

Source: people.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: caplanmiller.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

So fun!

Celebrate Wednesday by linking up and sharing what you're loving!

Lately...

Everyday I think of topics to blog but then I never do. Either I run out of time in the day, I can't quite get a whole, cohesive post together or I just don't pick up the computer when I do have a moment and then that moment is gone. So, here is a throw together post of my thoughts and what's going on lately.

I am always happy to welcome a new year but then I do get a little sad taking down Christmas decorations and feel like our house is a little bit bare again.

Tomorrow marks Ben's start back to work after a very flexible work schedule in December. We realized that he only actually went to work 6 days in December, worked from home some days, took a few vacation days and used one week of paternity leave (he saved another week to use in March). It was awesome.

It will be interesting to adjust to taking care of the baby without Hub's help but I am definitely quite a bit more confident that I was after the first week when he went back to work for a few days.

With parenthood and a new baby, we have realized that it is kind of a few steps forward and a step back. We may have a few great nights of sleeping and eating schedule and then a not so great night. I may have a few days when I feel like, "Wow, I'm really getting this whole 'Mom' thing down," and then a day where I get frustrated and feel like I will never get it. (Not to a severe extent, you know, we all just have 'those type of days.')

I've realized that it may take 5 times microwaving and until about noon to drink a cup of coffee. But I am happy to be drinking a little bit of caffeine again.

Days. Fly. By.

We don't have too much on the docket for the next couple of months due to Hub's busy season of work so it will just be the little lady and I during the weeks and then happy to have Dad home on the weekends. We will look very forward to his week off in March.

We have taken a couple of outings. We have been in a couple of stores. On New Year's Eve, we went into the city and visited a few friends. Baby E did great, we had to feed and change the diaper in the car but it worked out. Here we are at our "rockin'" NYE party:

I am thankful that I have some dinners still stored in the freezer for days when I just may not get it together in time to fix dinner. I am sure there will be 'those days.'

I have realized that I have a really hard time focusing on TV. Maybe it is just because it has been on a lot over the past month just for background noise or out of habit but I just don't pay attention. Maybe this will make it easier to finally cancel the cable.

Breastfeeding makes me endlessly thirsty. And pretty hungry, too.

The time has come to crack down on our budget and it stresses me out a little. But it will be okay.

Sorry for the randomness of this post but seriously, my brain is all over the place lately. Hopefully I will gain some focus and write some real posts soon!

Thankful Thursday

Well Happy Thanksgiving.

I really cannot believe that it is this time of year again. I am taking the year off from hosting dinner partly because of the lil' fact that I am 9 1/2 months pregnant and the fact that it is easier for my grandma to stay home and for the family to come to her. 

I just wanted to take a moment and express just how thankful I am for the many blessings in my life.

I am thankful for:

...My husband. I know I yammer on and on about him all the time on my blog, but really I just can never praise him enough. He is my best friend and throughout this exciting time of our lives, he has been such a calm, support and can always manage to get me to smile.

...My baby growing inside of me. We are bursting at the seams to meet her. Any day now.

...Our family. Our families are so supportive and are always there to help out. They are so excited to welcome their first grandchild/niece!

...Our home. We absolutely love our house. We don't always love the location however, we have made it our own, cozy and happy and couldn't be more excited to have a home to bring our daughter into.

...Our jobs. I am obviously off work right now, however my job let us put some extra money away for my time off and Ben's job obviously provides us the constant support to live our everyday life. We are so thankful in this time to have his job.

...Friends. We have amazing friends. We may not always get to see them all the time but we know that we have such supportive and loving friends. We have friends who are in similar seasons of life as us and some that aren't but that's okay. All of them offer different strengths to our lives.

...The troops. I don't always express how thankful I am for the military service men and women but during the holidays it really hits home because while I am home enjoying a warm and cozy meal with my family, they are overseas fighting for us. Not getting to enjoy time with their families. For this I am beyond thankful.

I know these are a few generic things to be thankful for but I tend to think that the everyday aspects of life often get overlooked. I don't like to take anything for granted and know that we are blessed beyond measure.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful, relaxing holiday and don't forget to count your blessings!

Unlikely Friends

I think friends are so important in life. I have had many friends throughout different seasons of life some who have remained and some whom I have lost touch with. I used to get really bent out of shape about losing touch with friends but I guess the way I see it is that unfortunately life gets busy and for whatever reason, it is a natural progression to lose touch with some people. I don't see it as a bad thing anymore. I do love the type of friendships that you may not talk to or see the person for quite some time but if you do, you pick right back up where you left off.

I have always had a close relationship with my mom. I can talk to her about anything, we talk multiple times a day and she is always there for me to help with anything I need. I mention this because the friendships that I am about to talk about kind of relate to a motherly relationship. They are friendships with women who are around my mother's age. Ben kind of makes fun of me for being friends with these older women {not in a mean way, I just think he finds it humorous that we always call ourselves "old" and then I kind of prove it by being friends with older women.} The reason I mention the relationship with my mom is because I think I would be more likely drawn to women this age if I didn't have a good relationship with my mother or she wasn't around.

I worked with both of these women in two separate places. We grew to chat and see each other outside of work. And I just really enjoy their company. I have always enjoyed the company of people older than myself but obviously this goes beyond a little older than myself. We have conversations about anything, we can go for walks, out for a drink, to get coffee and it never feels weird to me. The age difference is not weird to me. It just feels like I am hanging out with a pal. The other interesting thing is that it never feels like I am hanging out with my mom. Even though they are around that same age, it doesn't feel like either one of the women are my mother.

I think it is healthy and important to have a diverse group of friends. I love being able to call different friends for different reasons or think of one friend who would help me better with something than another friend. Though it is amazing and nice to have so many friends in the same season of life as me, it is also very nice to have some that aren't. They offer insight, anecdotes and company in a different way than my friends who are married with a baby or baby on the way like myself.

Do you ever find yourself in an unlikely friendship? Do you have different reasons to be thankful for each friendship? Do you feel like you have a lot of different kinds of friends or mostly all the same?

Monday Mumblings

I love a rainy fall day that I get to stay home all day in my pajamas. I can do chores at my own pace, relax, watch a TV show here or there. It's really nice.
Someone else posted about this this morning but I have to chime in. Desperate Housewives is just losing me. I want to watch because it is the final season but more often than not I wander off to do something else and realize I have missed 15 minutes of the show! Would Tom and Lynette just figure things out already?!
I am definitely feeling more at peace with being ready for the baby than I was last week. All of a sudden I get overwhelmed by things but then realize that we are ready. We just need the baby.
I am coming to terms with the fact that this will be my last week of work.
I am getting a little over anxious to decorate for Christmas. I know, I know. It's still early. I think I can hold out for two more weeks!
For some reason I have been loving frozen, chopped spinach. I usually eat one package at a time but I could probably eat two.
I am so lucky to have such loving, generous and wonderful friends and family.
I need to get some new house plants to put in a planter Ben made.
I don't feel like I really have any TV shows that I am so in love with these days, but for some reason I have having a hard time with pulling the plug on the cable.
I think that our dog senses the addition to the family and she is needing some extra attention lately.
It was really cold and clear the past couple of days and I loved it.
We put our fleece sheets on our bed a few weeks ago and I LOVE them.
I watched quite a bit of football this weekend {for me}, like actually really watched it, and I enjoyed it!
There is a lot of tag removing and washing that comes with having a baby.

What are your randoms for this Monday?

35 Weeks

I thought I would do a survey since I haven't in a long time!

How far along? 35 weeks 2 days 
Size of little miss? Babycenter says that she could be over 18 inches by now. I had my appointment with the midwife last night and she estimated the weight to be around 4 1/2 or 5 pounds. Babycenter says to pick up a honeydew melon to compare the weight.
Maternity Clothes? Pants definitely need to be maternity or stretch pants. I am wearing regular dresses and some regular shirts. 
Weight Gain? 34 pounds. The midwives are happy with this weight gain.
Stretch Marks? None yet. I have been putting on the Palmer's stretch mark lotion daily.
Gender? Precious little girl! 
Movement? She moves a lot but the movement has begun to feel differently because she is running out of room I think. It is more big movements than the little jabs I used to feel. Fine by me; it's wonderful to know she is growing in there! 
Sleep? Not so great lately. I have been sleeping sitting up and when I go to turn over, I wake up. I wake up because of heartburn. I toss and turn to get comfortable again. I have taken naps during the day the past couple of days.
Food Cravings? None lately.
What I Miss? Feeling "normal." Can't wait to be able to eat like a normal person again instead of nothing ever sounding good to eat.
Symptoms? Braxton Hicks, tired, nausea, achy back, heart burn
Best Moment of the Week? Visiting our friends' sweet new baby girls, one is almost 6 weeks old and one was 6 days old when we met her, and realizing that it won't be too long until our girl is in our arms! Also, my girlfriends are putting on a baby shower for me this weekend that I am so excited for!

33 Weeks

33 weeks brought with it our appointment with our midwife. So great to hear her heartbeat again as well as hearing that all my vitals are great, my weight gain is looking good and that it appears she is making her way toward the head down position. She also gave us some handouts regarding when to actually call the midwife if we are in labor, a list of supplies to bring to the birth center and a list of pediatricians. Of course I have read tidbits on this information in different places but having it actually come from the midwife made our impending milestone seem that much more real.

Week 33 also continues with the heartburn. I slept sitting up the whole night last night. I was tempted to come out to our recliner chair but it makes me sad to think of not sleeping in my own bed!

I am happy to report that I still don't have any stretch marks. I really hope I didn't just jinx myself with that statement.

I had my first shower with family and family friends this weekend. It was so much fun and nice to be surrounded by loving people who are all excited to welcome this sweet girl. As I was sorting through our gifts this morning I think the whole ordeal sort of hit me. We are really close to having a baby. Sorting through clothes and blankets and deciding it's time to start the washing process made it all seem very real.

The only thing I can really say I am missing these days is life without heartburn. It just feels constant and gives me a constant unsettled feeling. If asked before I was pregnant how I thought my eating habits would be when I got pregnant--I would have answered with a resounding, "I can't wait to eat anything and everything all the time!" {I mean, that's a bit of an exaggeration but I thought I would have no actual problem with eating.} However, this pregnancy has brought with it an inability to come up with food that sounds good and actually feel satisfied when I eat it. Major bummer. I love to eat. Which I talk about here, here, and here.

BabyCenter tells us this week that she is just over four pounds and around 17 inches long. She is continuing to lose her alien look and look more like a newborn. Also, her skeleton is hardening.
Isn't my husband so lucky that this is how beautiful I look on a Saturday night?! Yikes!

Diaper cake by my mom

My cute mom. Thanks for the wonderful shower, Mom!

Handmade blanket, so adorable.