Random

• As I was driving to work this morning my coffee cup slipped and spilled coffee on my pants and shirt and I didn't have a tissue nearby to sop it up. Great way to start the day.
• Last night baby girl was sleeping and hubby was working late... as I was walking through the house locking up and dodging toys and whatnot I was smiling so huge I could barely stand it. 
• Hubby and I usually take a week long vacation. The past couple of summers we didn't plan one but ended up on vacation anyway... This year it just isn't in the cards for us. We had to fix our roof and the car has been in the shop more than in the driveway and we just can't swing it and IT IS SO FREAKING SAD! I'm trying really hard to plan some little trips here and there but it isn't the same. AND everything is so expensive. ugh. 
• Hubby has officially started daddy daycare and I LOVE and HATE it at the same time. I love it because I am super excited about the fact that baby girl and hubby get to spend all this time together. I hate it because I cannot be there too!!! I also am trying really hard not to tell him what to do with their time. This is the HARDEST part.
• I had the house professionally cleaned about a month ago. It started because my best friend had her house cleaned and organized in anticipation of her second child. I had been thinking about it for a while because it was becoming overwhelming... the dust bunnies were about to ban together and strike about the working conditions being so bad. I swear it was that bad and I couldn't even think where to begin. It was a little pricier than I was expecting (listen to me whine two bullets ago about expenses... this was before the car decided to move in with the mechanic!!) but totally worth it. She came over to assess the damage and talk about what needed to be done, that prompted me to spend most of Sunday cleaning up the clutter and clearing the way for her to do the deep cleaning that the house needed. It was SO AMAZING to come home to a clean house! I wish we could afford it more often. But it has helped me to keep up with it a little better. 
• For the first time in my adult life I bought a pair of white jeans!! AND I wore them and didn't get a thing on them! For me, this is quite an accomplishment.
• Full disclosure... book club is at my house tomorrow night and I haven't even LOOKED at the book much less opened or read a word of it! FAIL!
 

See you some other random time! 

 

 

14 months

For the record I have started a few posts and just never got around to posting. Yes, it has been a whole month since I last posted. Little lady is 14 months today! 
She is precocious and amazing and really starting to communicate. She lets you know what is up! The pictures tell the whole story. Enjoy!!

13 months

I can't believe I let this one slip by. My beautiful girl is 13 months. She weighs about 22 pounds, walks everywhere and is the BIGGEST goof ball EVER. She likes to laugh, pretend she is talking on the phone and lately she puts a kitchen towel over her head and tries to walk around. I don't love that one but she thinks it's hilarious.
She is breaking four molars at once so there are a lot of whiny moments and lots of needing to be held. I hate that she is in pain and I want to hold her whenever she wants me to because I want her to feel better. When I do finally put her down she instantly falls to the ground with wails and sobs; DRAMA! It doesn't generally last long, especially when she realizes that it isn't getting her anywhere. She knows and says more words everyday. She loves to point out dogs and her nose and we've spent a lot of time talking about what sounds animals make; she tries to mimic me and she does pretty good.
The weather is finally getting better so we can walk after dinner and take trips to the park for turns on the swing.
We are having fun!
On Saturday I finally brought her into the pool with me at the gym. She LOVED it. She was a little weary at first but warmed up quickly. The hardest part was getting us both showered and dressed. I'm sure that will get easier with practice.

xo
S&C
(I wrote this a few days ago and have been waiting to put a pic with it... might as well wait forever!)

Mother's Day

What a great day! At the very beginning of the day I got a gift that I didn't ask for and didn't even know I wanted or needed.... we slept until 8am! What a difference those last few hours make. I had to get up at 5:30 to feed Calli but she fell back asleep right away and cuddled with me until 8. Loved it.
Hubby and baby girl took me out to eat at our fave neighborhood spot and then we went to the park for swings, slides and a peek at the waterfall.
I also got to spend some time with my own wonderful mother for some retail therapy and a quick dinner with my sister and her family.
What more could a gal ask for... oh yeah... flowers, chocolate and a special steak dinner! Yup. On top of all that it was the first GORGEOUS day of the year. Wonderful.

Meal Planning

Lately this has been the most difficult thing in my house. Calli is getting bigger and eating the same kinds of food that we eat but I can’t seem to get it together to make one meal that we all eat. Some of the difficulty comes from the fact that we all come home at such different times. Calli gets home at 3:30 and isn’t generally ready to eat until 5:30ish; it all depends on if she needs a cat nap. Hubby gets home somewhere around there and is usually ready to eat around 5:30ish; usually depends on if he needs a snack before that. I get home anywhere between 3:30 and 5:30 depending on if I am doing the pick-up that day and if I have class or an evening event and I can eat whenever.

There is the problem right there… they are all ready to eat the minute I get home and at this moment in time and I don’t have a plan in place; so what happens is that I scrape something together for Calli to eat and hubby will either already have eaten some leftovers or will make something else for us to eat (Calli usually doesn’t eat it because she will already have needed to eat or it is too spicy for her). THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE. When I have time and my sh*t together I usually make some bigger meals on Sunday or will roast lots of veggies and have them available to fill out any meal during the week. As of late (because of class, shooting weddings, baby’s birthday, Easter and other various obligations) I have not had any weekend time to prep and have resorted to eating popcorn or my favorite tortilla chips with melted cheese for dinner.

I have some ideas on how to do it but I don’t quite know how to get started and to sustain it. My dream is to have a dinner plan for the whole week that we stick to so that whoever is home first can start it and we can eat as a family all at the same time at the dining room table. I realize that this is probably not going to work every night and that the key is being flexible and up for anything (I am not sarcastic when I say that I love tortilla chips with melted cheese and salsa for dinner).

So bloggie  friends… I ask you… how do you do it? What works for you and what do you find challenging for family meals and planning?

Thanks peeps. Xo

S

1st birthday

Dear Calliope,
Today is your first birthday. I can remember the first moment I saw you and thought wow, you're here I am so happy and now what?! Haha. Instead of crying you squeaked. It was so cute. The rest of that night was such a blur and the moments were so fleeting and they took you away so quickly because I wasn't feeling good and I kept wondering where you were and when I would see you again.
The doctor came to meet you that morning and asked me if I had inspected you yet and I was so surprised to say no. When you were finally in my arms again I couldn't stop staring at you and whispering to you how long I had waited for you and to tell you how amazing you were that I hadn't had the chance to check you out. The doctor and I inspected you together; every inch and fold and crevice. It was confirmed that you were perfect.
Every day you continue to amaze me. Your smile, your coos, and now your words and games. Every day my love for you grows although I can't imagine that I can love you any more. Lately you have been waking me up by saying mama and giving me kisses, nothing makes me happier. Seeing your smile and getting your kisses is the BEST way to wake up in the morning. You are so happy and confident and fairly easy to please. You love daycare and the kids and daycare providers love you right back and that makes this mama happy as can be. I know that you are in good hands and showered with love. This family can't get enough of you. If they aren't around or can't get to visit you in person we have lots of FaceTime visits full of love and smiles and kisses. You talk/babble up a storm and are always ready to ham it up for FT. It's a love fest.
I love you so much. I love our time in the car when we can chat and sing and listen to music and just be plain silly.  Last week when we visited the park and you had your first swing I envisioned the summer and what fun we have in store. You are amazing! Can't wait for dips in the pool this summer and running around the sprinkler and more trips to the park.
Love you,
mom

Morning shenanigans!