Thursday, May 31, 2012

I know, I know.

I know posting has been...shall we say, "light" this week.


This whole Monday as a holiday thing really threw me off my game - how is it already THURSDAY?! I have accomplished nothing this week!


Truth of the matter is, my FIL and his lovely bride are getting married in two days. And I have NOTHING to wear.


(I know some of you may find that hard to believe. But, alas, 'tis the truth.)


And, we leave tomorrow.


So...


Evelyn Rae is ten months old


...and hopefully she can be a model for good behavior today while I drag her to and fro.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sun Day

Did everyone feel like this weekend recharged them in a way that you forgot was even possible? Because that's how it made me feel! (brag, brag, brag...)

Our Monday turned into a beautiful Sun Day (haha, get it? GET IT? Like SUNDAY? But, Sun Day? I am so v. v. clever.) with an impromptu picnic dinner on the beach with our friends the Mazzios.

We were lucky enough to find a deserted bit of beach on Memorial day, of all things, so we took the opportunity to snap some photos.
















Come on Mommy!



























Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and I made the dress and matching flower she is wearing. Because why make a pillowcase dress out of a pillowcase when you can make it out of seersucker?



Friday, May 25, 2012

Mommy Truth

Sometimes, when I am in public, I echo back the baby gurgles and sounds that my daughter makes.

And then I realize there are other people around.

Looking at me like I am insane.

Cool.


Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and at least I know when she starts talking I won't look crazy anymore.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Ten Month Link

Hey Folks.

I have officially caught whatever my baby had. And it stinks.

But, I finally got around to posting this, while laying on the couch while my daughter contentedly played on the floor near me. Bless her.




Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and that bow is so ginormous and ridiculous that it is cute, right? that's what I tell myself anyway.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Oh well.

Well, I had some awesome "get things done" motivation cranking already today when I woke up.

And then the universe laughed, and found another way (besides the rain and the humidity) to make sure that my clothes were nice and damp today.

::shudder::

Have I mentioned how much I HATE wearing damp clothes? Ugh.

As I went in to grab Ev from bed this morning (after I had already been in to get her soothed back to sleep because she uncharacteristically woke up at 4:30 am) I saw that she was standing, ready to greet me as usual...but with a whole bunch of snot and tears running down her face.

And then sneezed 3 or 4 times in a row.

Baby sneezes. Pitiful stuff I tell ya.

Oy.


Can you see the snot glistening on her face? 
My poor little darling.


No fever to be had, so I am thinking it is just a little nose bug, or early onset of seasonal allergies? Who knows. She ate a good breakfast and nursed normally...but then came nap time.

She actually went to sleep fairly easily and with little fuss...for about 5 minutes.

Then again...for about 7 minutes.

Then again...for about 5.

Oh my. The poor little thing just needs to let this snot drain and flush out whatever is wrecking having on her red little nose. So, I mommed up and picked out a shirt I could sacrifice to baby snot, tears and drool today (have I mentioned she's teething too? YAY!)


Sorry Bucky. 
On Wisconsin.

And I headed to grab my weapons for the day.

Moby Wrap.
Nose Frida.
Boogie Wipes.

Check, check, check.

The poor baby seems to be in good spirits (besides all the gross stuff running down her face), since she is still blissfully unaware that the stuff running down her face is indeed gross. And I imagine that we will be spending much of the rest of the day like this.


It will be a miracle if I get anything else done today, but if I have a back to her normal self baby by bedtime tonight - cross your fingers, friends - that will be just fine by me.


Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and have you ever tried brushing your teeth with a curious and strangely mobile baby attached to you via baby carrier? I do not recommend it. <3

Monday, May 21, 2012

Rainy Day Crazies

What am I going to do for the next week?


Lose my mind, that's what.

What happened to APRIL showers bringing MAY flowers?!

Last time I looked, it was May.

I want my flowers.


Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and this post was brought to you by the grumpy woman who takes over my body when the weather is dreary and gray and my clothes get damp from going anywhere. Harumph.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Best Job I've Ever Had.

As many groan worthy and frustrating times that there can be in my days lately, it occurred to me in a particular moment of misery...



(baby melting down in the middle of the commissary with only half of the grocery list checked off - the day after payday - and everyone staring kind of misery)




...that this whole mom thing is unequivocally the best job I have ever had. 




Ever.


Now, I know that I am young, and was just heading out on my "career" and all. And I haven't even held that many jobs. But still, this one is a calling. A game changer. A life changer.

I've had some challenging positions, some independent positions, some positions that I was passionate about and, let's face it, some downright pull-my-hair-out-going-crazy boring positions.





Once upon a time I was a sorority consultant (no, we didn't just 'plan parties'. Ha. If only...).

Then I went to grad school - where I was a student and professional, I worked the best internship job ever in existence for a summer and fell in love with my chosen career path all over again, went back to school and back to my job there until graduating.

I scrambled to find a job in our "new" town and finally found one. I got a "real job" that consisted of some of the most miserable professional and personally trying experiences I had ever had. Ever.


::shudder::

But, regardless of the experiences, I was happy.







A floaty kind of happy that comes to a person who likes, and sometimes even loves, the work that they are doing. 

The kind of happy that comes to a person who is good at what they do, has really always been good at what they do (because I don't play games I'm not good at, or didn't), and revels in the occasional challenge that would come along. 

The light natured happy that accepts the praise that inevitably came from meeting that challenge head on and more often than not, succeeding. Because what other choice do you have?






This job, though. This "job" is challenging in a way that I never knew existed. 

At times it has made me question that I was ever, in fact, good at anything. 

It is challenging almost every minute of every day. 

It is all consuming, often without vocalized praise, and never with monetary gain. 

It is different every day, and yet sometimes maddeningly repetitive.


I have never, ever, struggled to succeed so much in a job before.





And yet, I love it. 

I love it, and I love my kid. 

Can I separate the two? I don't think so. 





I love being a mom in such a deep way, that I now know that I am truly happy in my chosen profession, occupation, career, "job"...whatever you want to call it.

I am just so intrinsically happy - in a crazy, "STFU Parents" kind of way - that fills me to my very core. 

Even in the hard moments.




I have always been happy at home. My friends and family, and most importantly my husband, have always made me feel fulfilled there. 

But now my profession and my home are one in the same. 

And it is amazing, and hard, and awesome.

On Mother's Day, while putting my baby to bed, I held her to me and nursed her.

As I rocked her and I and looked down to caress her light, crazy, fluffy hair and stare at those fluttering eyelids with those impossibly long eyelashes...tears began to roll down my face.






I know that this phase won't last forever, and there will come a day where I will crave heading back into a workplace.

But, for now, I finally know that what I am doing is truly worth all the work, and I find myself fulfilled and grateful and happy.

And I don't know that any other job will ever be able to measure up.




Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and I also don't think I will ever have a coworker quite like this one.



Wednesday, May 16, 2012

What you need when...

It gets nice outside, and your baby loves playing out there, but you need something to keep them both contained AND happy so that they don't eat all the weeds grass in your yard...

A swing.

Yup, that swing.


I had only ever seen this in blue, and then I started looking around. You can now buy it in shades of pink, almost anywhere, and Walmart has it in purple.

BUT, the ONLY place you can get it in this happy shade of green is at Target.

You all know how I love me some Target.
And green.
So cute.

(P.S. It is cheaper in the store than online so get thee to an actual store.)

So, we went with that one, and Ev's Daddy risked life and limb climbing a ridiculously high tree in our yard to hang this baby.

I really, really wanted to take pictures, but *someone* didn't think the whole situation was as funny as his wife and daughter may have...

We have been out to visit the swing almost every day since putting it up and baby girl LOVES it.




Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and next on the playing outside list is a bike for Momma with a seat for my little bug. So excited about that!



Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Happy Mom's Day!

We had quite a lovely Mother's Day 'round these parts.

A certain baby let us sleep in, which was appreciated from both Mommy and Daddy. Evelyn gave me my Mother's Day gift - a charm for my bracelet with her birthstone on it -and then the three of us headed to breakfast.

My mother in law came over and brought me these beautiful flowers -



After that, we headed to Richmond to see my sister-in-law and her husband with my MIL in tow so that we could all lunch together for the day.

It was a long one, but a good one. The husband snapped these at the end of our long trek to commemorate our day together. Getting a picture where the little lady and I are both smiling is proving to be more difficult the more of a mover and shaker she becomes.




 Yes, our porch desperately needs to be cleaned and painted. Please don't judge. Guess whose job that little task is? Hint - not me.






Skeptical baby.




Blowing raspberries is still a favorite pastime...




And my favorite from the day...



I hope you had a great day too!



Evelyn Rae is ten months old

...and WHAT?! HOW DO I HAVE A TEN MONTH OLD BABY?!