The Things That Matter

In honor of Carrie Underwood tickets going on sale tomorrow (you can count on me being at her concert here in Houston in April) I thought I'd post the lyrics to one of my favorite songs So Small.  It is the perfect song for this post.

Being a mama can be hard.  Having a newborn baby can be hard.  Keeping up with the house work can be hard.  Being a good wife can be hard.  Thinking about going back to work and leaving your precious new baby with strangers is really hard.  Working with children that have cancer is hard.  Life is hard.  With post pregnancy hormones raging through me and all of these things I've listed above I'll admit I cry once a week (I'm 100% sure this is normal).  Sometimes it's when I hear a sad song, watch an episode of Grey's Anatomy or because I'm just plain tired.  But here is what I always come back to..... 

It's so easy to get lost inside

A problem that seems so big at the time

It's like a river that's so wide it swallows you whole

While you're sitting around thinking about what you can't change

And worrying about all the wrong things

Time's flying by, moving so fast

You better make it count 'cause you can't get it back

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing

Is just a grain of sand

And what you've been out there searching for forever

Is in your hands

Oh, and when you figure out love is all that matters after all

It sure makes everything else seem

So small

Time does fly right by.  Life is hard, but it is so worth all the sweat and tears.  When I take a step back I can clearly see that all the things that build up and make me anxious....they aren't mountains.  They are just grains of sand.  I have the life I've always dreamed of.  God has given me the most precious babies and a husband with the best heart.  I am forever grateful for these things.  Here are a few pictures that capture my life, at this moment, perfectly.  

The cutest little love bug I've ever seen.  So very blessed.

These two have my heart.

I read so many blogs about women struggling with anxiety and the pressures of being the perfect mom.  So, if you're reading this, remember to go easy on yourself.  You are doing a great job!

Beach Attire Part 2

I did a post last month with my Beach Attire wish list.  I thought I'd do a follow up post with some real pics and some cute stuff for baby boy!

This white shirt from Baby Gap is adorable and a must have for little boys!  It can be left as a long sleeve shirt or rolled up like in the pic.  It even washes really well.  William got chocolate ice cream all down the front.  With a little bleach and 2 washes you'd never know!

We've paired the white shirt with dress pants for church (see pic below. note the cute Sperry's), with gray shorts and blue/white striped shorts (also in picture below).

These Havaianas flip flops are adorable and perfect for the beach and pool!

I'm lovin' my new Kendra Scott necklace.  Great pop of color, a little trendy with the tassel and it keeps William entertained for long periods of time.  :)

Every girl needs a few flowy blouses in the summer.  Especially if you live in a hot, humid town like Houston!  Pair it with some skinny jeans and you are good to go...to the beach, on a date, to happy hour.....

I love these shoes by Cynthia Vincent.  Do you think Gordon would let me add them to my closet???  Probably not....but YOU should!

Boys shirt | Cargo shorts | Havaianas Flip Flops |  Top | Necklace  | Shoes

Not In College Anymore

....and thank goodness for that because I hate test taking!!  In October 2006 I took the CPHON exam (certified pediatric hematology oncology nurse exam) for the first time.  This should have been my last time but like a dummy I let my certification expire in 2010.  I was so busy planning our wedding and buying our first home that it just wasn't on the top of my priority list.  So, a year ago I decided I'd give the test another go.  Things have changed a little bit from 2006.  Husband, toddler, a job at a different hospital and 10 years out of college....it was definitely challenging to get back into "study mode" a month ago when I started preparing for the exam!   
Yesterday was the big day!  I dropped William off at daycare, grabbed a cup of coffee at Starbucks and headed downtown to take the CPHON exam.  185 questions and 100 minutes later I was thrilled to see PASS pop up on the screen.  YIPPEEE!!  I will not be letting this one expire because test taking is for the birds.
Back in 2006 I was a single gal living in Midtown.  I celebrated that night at my one of my favorite restaurants, Ibiza, with a college guy friend (at the time Gordon was just a college memory that hadn't reappeared in my life).  Now nearly 8 years later I celebrated with my guys at home and then had a celebratory drink with one of my favorite co-workers out here in the burbs! 
I'm so happy to have passed and to have the test behind me.  Now I can focus on enjoying SUMMERTIME with lots of pool time, trips to the lake, reading and catching up on blogging!

Up next....our annual trip to Rosemary Beach!!  Here are the links to two of our past trips to 30A.

{RB1}{RB2}{RB3}



Beach Attire

Can you tell I'm getting excited about our upcoming vacation to the BEACH?!?!  I wish I could buy new bathing suits and a new outfit for every day that we spend at the beach!  Obviously, Mr. G wouldn't approve of that.  But, a couple of new items to mix and match with things I already have will work just fine.  :)
I like to browse the internet before I head to the stores to actually shop.  This helps give me a better idea of what I like and what to keep my eye open for.  Being in such a large city there is lots to choose from!  I would love to just buy everything online but I have an un-proportional body...especially when it comes to bathing suit shopping (it's even worse since having a baby and nursing for 18 months).

Anyways, back to the beach clothes that I've been eyeing....

1- I love this bathing suit from Free People.  The bandeau top is perfect for a smaller busted person and I love the colors and floral print! 
2- Adore this outfit from Banana Republic.  So classy.  If I didn't have a toddler, that can make a hot mess in a matter of minutes, I'd probably already have it in my closet.  The straw bag would be a perfect beach accessory and my new Kendra Scott tassle necklace would add the perfect pop of color for summer time. 
3- Airy blouse + white jeans = perfect combo for a date night on the beach!
4- I've always been a lover of cover ups....that love has quadrupled since having a kid.  Sometimes less skin is better!  I don't know about your kids but mine is always grabbing at me and pulling on my clothes.  Having a light coverup on while playing in the sand is the way to go (you don't end up flashing everyone, you stay cool and you still get some sun).
5- I'm not a huge hat wearer but this one from Anthropologie is super cute!!  Great way to protect that sensitive skin on your face (think wrinkle and cancer prevention) and look good while you're doing it.
6- Love these Edgewood wedge sandals from Anthropologie.  The coral and cork go great together.  They'd look fabulous with the bathing suit, coverup and even outfit #2.  I may just have to purchase these!  It'd be $65 well spent.        
 

Cover Up |  Blouse |  Swimsuit  |  Shorts  |  Sun Hat |  Shoes

Happy summer shopping everyone!  What's on your wish list?!?!?

Summer Reading

Summer is around the corner and my pale body couldn't be happier!  There is no better way to sun bathe than to have a good book in your hand (and an adult beverage in the other!).  Since our annual beach trip is right around the corner I decided I needed to start thinking about what book I'm going to read.

Before I had baby boy I read a lot!  It really is one of my favorite things to do....has been since I was a little girl.  In elementary school I loved The American Girl books.  That was followed by Goose Bumps and then Nancy Drew, yes, I'm a dork at heart.  Hopefully, once I'm done studying for the CPHON exam I can make some more time for one of my favorite hobbies! 


So, here are a few books on my Summer Reading List! 


1. love. love. love Emily Giffin (she and Jodi Picoult are 2 of my favorites at the moment).  This will be my beach book.  Her books are easy reads, funny and usually very relatable.  Love The One Your With is probably one of my favorites by E. Giffin.  I can't wait to upload her newest book to my Kindle!  Actually, I may just buy the real book.  There's something about turning the pages of a book while laying on the beach listening to the ocean that's so peaceful.  Heaven on Earth!


2. My mom says that Heaven is For Real is a must read.  It's about a little boy's trip to Heaven and back.  This will be right up my pedi-oncology-nursing alley!  I'm sure I'll cry my eyes out. 


3.  Eat That Cookie by Liz Jazwiec.  This is a book I wouldn't typically read, but I recently heard Liz speak at TCH and she's hilarious.  Why she's a nurse and not a stand up comic I don't know?!?!  Her book talks about creating a positive workforce during negative times.  Let's be honest folks....who couldn't use a little extra positivity!  Doesn't matter if you're a nurse, stay at home mom, or attorney.  Everyone can use a little extra sunshine in their day. 


4. Mary Higgins Clark and I go way back.  When I'd read all the children's mystery books that had been published back in the 90s I moved up to MHC.  I'm always happy to see a new book with her name written across the front.  Again, easy read and a little mystery to them!  I love wanting to read a book faster and faster to see what's going to happen. 
  
5. Divergent.  I love reading a book and then seeing the movie.  It just doesn't work out the other way around.  When this hit theaters I did some googling.  Sounds like it has a bit of a love story and has been compared to The Hunger Games.  I'm sold.  The Hunger Games and The Twilight books are my favorites.  Again, yes, I'm a nerd.

The One And Only | Heaven Is For Real | Eat That Cookie | Daddy's Gone A Hunting | Divergent

As you can see I don't take my reading very seriously.  Reading is my me time, my "down time".  I don't want to be depressed or have to think too hard.  :)  I want to laugh and be taken into the story. 



What's on your summer reading list?  I'd love more book suggestions!

Sick Baby 101

Every baby gets sick.  No matter how careful you are it's going to happen.....and to an extent it's a good thing.  I'd rather William get sick now versus his first years of school.  Missing a day of daycare is no big deal but missing kindergarten and 1st grade would be (I think they are allowed 12 days of absences).  Over the past 23 months William's had 2 ear infections, 2 cases of hand, foot and mouth, had pneumonia and been on antibiotics 3 times (not too bad if you ask me).  Luckily, William's first fever didn't occur until he was 9 months old.  Since then he's had something come up every 3 months or so.  There was a cluster of sickness when we moved daycares and he got exposed to a whole new "batch of germs" this past November. 

Here are some of the "life savings" things we use when baby boy is sick.  Having a little one that doesn't feel good can be so heart breaking.  Sleep is hard to come by and the snot is plentiful.  :)      

Our ear infections usually start off as a runny nose (yucky green snot).  The first two ear infections gave him 103 fever.  This time around he had low grade fever (100-101) for 8 days!!!! 

• Simply Saline Gel is great for their little dry nose.  We use this even when he's not sick.  I put it inside his nose to help reduce nose bleeds due to the crazy weather changes we've had lately (we also run a cool mist humidifier).  
• I spray a little bit of Saline in his nose before suctioning. 
• Nose Frida.  This thing is a life safer.  Every parent should have one!!!  It gets all the yucky stuff right out.  Thankfully, they now carry it at places like Babies R Us.
• Aquaphor is great for dry, sensitive skin.  Since William is allergic to a couple of other lotions we just stick to this.  He got a little rash under his right eye because of all the eye drainage and rubbing he was doing recently.  Aquaphor to the rescue!   
• I didn't put it in the picture but we also rub Vicks Vapor Rub on his chest and little feet at bedtime.    

HAND, FOOT, MOUTH:

The first time William got hand, foot, mouth we thought he may have the chicken pox!  He hadn't been vaccinated yet, he had a high fever and started getting bumps all over his legs.  The bumps pretty much stayed on his thighs.  He had a few on his hands but luckily nothing in his mouth.  His pour little legs looked awful.  The sores oozed, eventually scabbed over and when the scabs came off more than a week later his skin was discolored (a lighter color) for about a month.  AND THEN some of his toe nails fell off.  Yep, it's a yucky virus that you just have to let run its course.  No medication will get rid of HFM.  :(  Click here for more info on HFM. 

We just tried our best to keep William comfortable!

 

• To help with his itchy/irritated little legs we did Oatmeal Baths (fragrance free).  You just add a package to warm bath water.  We kept William in footed PJs for a week during all of this.  We didn't want him to scratch at his legs and/or contaminate everything. :)
• We used the Coconut Oil on his legs once the sores scabbed over.  I had read a lot about coconut oil's benefits so we gave it a shot.  It was a great moisturizer that smelled great too.  Here's a couple of links with more uses of coconut oil at Wellness Mama and Doctor OZ. 

The second time William got HFM it presented much differently  He had a high fever, his eating decreased and I noticed him drooling more.  At first I thought the drooling was related to teething.  NOPE.  He got fever on Sunday and on Tuesday the mouth sores reared their ugly head.  Weirdest thing, he only got a couple of sores on his hands and no where else!  Luckily, my mom was able to fly into town and stay home with William the rest of the week.  He didn't eat much for 4 days but was able to drink milk.  Thankfully, we were able to avoid an ER visit.  We offered him every type of food constantly throughout the day.....mac n cheese, yogurt, push pops, ice cream, mashed potatoes, soggy cheerios, noodles with butter....anything soft, easy to swallow and not spicy!  It was a rough week but we all survived.  :)



Our pediatrician gave us instruction on how to make a mouth wash using Maalox and Benadryl to help with the pain.  We found that the Orajel swabs worked well too.  I would swab one around the inside of his mouth 15 minutes before meals and bedtime.  Poor William would just cry and hold his mouth.  Broke. My. Heart.  We did around the clock, alternating Motrin/Tylenol. 

Since baby boy doesn't eat much when he's sick and antibiotics can be so hard on the tummy, I decided to make him a yummy smoothie!  Over the last week he lost 1 pound so I added ice cream to it for extra calories.  YUMMY and super easy.

• 8-10 oz frozen fruit (we used a berry blend)
• 2 containers of vanilla yogurt (~10 oz)
• A few scoops of ice cream (~3 oz)
• Splash of milk

Leave the rest up to your blender!  Daddy and baby loved the smoothie.  William eats yogurt most days but we really try to increase how much he has while on antibiotics.  The live, active cultures, help your body to restore a healthy and balanced intestinal tract (that can be disrupted while on antibiotics).  The smoothie is a WIN WIN!

No Such Thing As Super Mom

I just got done reading a blog post from So Wonderful So Marvelous and let me just say she hit the nail on the head!  Everyone should read this post.  Mom or not.   This momma talks about not being super mom and says, "We all are making the best of our collective situations, but it doesn’t mean we have to be assholes to each other."  HOW TRUE IS THIS!  Each of us has our own story.  It's good to be different.  I think it's what makes the world go around.  Here's another great blog post about mom vs. mom.  The blogger from Loving My Lot says many of the same things about mothers judging other mothers. 
Here are a few of my thoughts on the situation.
I work full time.  At this very moment it's the only option for my family.  And guess what, I'm happy with this.  I choose to feed William organically when possible.  If you don't want to do the same that's okay!  I was lucky enough to be able to produce milk for William and I did it for 16 months.  Yep, that's right.  This past weekend was the last time I nursed my baby forever.   Unfortunately, I feel like people judge me for this.  I have friends that had a hard time producing milk and they felt judged for not breast feeding their baby.  Come on people....let's be nice to each other.  We are all doing the best we can.  The thing is....you just never know what someone is going through.  So, be careful before you judge.  I have no idea what anyone things of me.  Nor do I really care.  Years ago I probably would have cared but now I just have to do what's best for my family.  William is 100% dependent on us so a lot of what I do is for him.  I also try to take care of myself/my body, raise our child going to church and believing in God (as G and I were) and I try to keep a good healthy marriage.  No area gets 100%.  It's just not physically possible.  All I can do is try my best.  As long as William, Gordon and I are happy that's all that matters.

Here's a video that everyone should watch.   You can also go to You Tube and Search for "If We Could See Inside Others Hearts by the Cleveland Clinic"  It's AMAZING.  Being an oncology nurse I realize, maybe a little more than others, that everyone has "a story" (and a lot of them are very sad).  Gordon and I have had our own scary times.  I didn't have an "normal" pregnancy.  I left a lot of my doctors appointments in tears because our baby wasn't growing and they didn't know if he was getting everything he needed inside of me.  After he was born I had to leave the hospital without my baby.  I've gone into surgery not knowing what the outcome would be.  BUT, I'm grateful because I know there is someone out there with a story much worse than mine.  I wish I could hug them.  At least we have William.  He is our little miracle.  I've seen family and friends go through infertility and it's heartbreaking.  In This Wonderful Life  is another great blog that tells the story of a family that's been through much more heartache than I can fathom.  All I can do is count my blessings and pray!

If you could stand in someone else's shoes....

Hear what they hear.

See what they see.

Feel what they feel.

Would you treat them differently?

 

Don't worry if you're not super mom.  Nobody is.  Just be the best that you can be.  Do what's right for you and your family.  Be kind.  We are all fighting our own battle.  Hug your babies and your fellow mommies! 

 

Some of our scariest days

 

Sweet Baby Boy

 

 



Birthday Party Details

I know this post about William's birthday details is a little delayed but I figured it's better late than never!  Having his party at the zoo was a bit difficult because we had to bring everything in, set up, take everything down and load it back up all in 2.5 hours.  I wasn't able to hang things where I really wanted....but by the time the party started I really didn't care.  As long as everyone was having fun!  I will say I'm looking forward to having W's party at our home next year.  :)

 

These adorable invitations came from Bering's.  You really can't go wrong shopping at Bering's!  If you live in Houston you must go. 

 

 

We had two long tables to work with so one of them was used for presents and the other for food.  My mom bought the white tablecloths online and I found the yellow chevron table runners on ETSY.  William's adorable birthday cake and smash cake were made by Elizabeth with Eggleston's Edibles (you can find her on Facebook).  One of the cake layers was strawberry and the other two vanilla.  It was delicious.  I made the fabric banner hanging behind the presents.  I had originally planned to use it as a photo backdrop but there wasn't a good place to hang it from.  I got the fabric at Wal-Mart, cut it into long strips and then tied it onto white rope.  William had fun helping with this project! 

 

 

One of my favorite things were the centerpieces on each of the tables...sweet William's hand prints on pots!  Half of the pots were yellow and the others white.  The white pots had giraffes on them (I don't have a very good picture of the final outcome) and the yellow had zebras.  My mom found the pots at hobby lobby and spray painted them all white.  I then spray painted 3 of those yellow (over the white).  The yellow turned out to be my favorite AND they held the hand print color better.    

 

Once the spray paint dried we did William's hand prints.  As you can imagine, this is no easy task with a squirmy little guy.  I found the ink pads for his hand prints at Michael's.  The giraffes were orange and the zebras were white.  To make the handprints into animal I used a Sharpie marker (black for zebra and brown for giraffe).  His thumb print made the head/neck and his pinkie the tail.  The chevron boxes that some of the pots sat on were just cardboard boxes wrapped in paper I found on Etsy.    

At our wedding instead of having a traditional sign in book I made a photo book for people to sign/write notes in.  I love this book because it has all of my favorite pictures and our closest friends/family wrote us sweet notes in it.  So, I decided to do the same thing for William's birthday party.  This is such a great way to get all of your pictures into one place and to help remember the people that celebrated a special day with you! 

Photo book from Snapfish

I had a mason jar with primary colored pens next to the photo book and pictures from William's one year photo session. 

 



The chalk board in the back of the above picture said "William is One".  I put all the things he loved at that time.  :)

 

I made William's birthday banner with my new Cricut.  I'm so glad I bought this...it's super easy to use and fast (two things that every mommy is looking for).  I was able to make the entire banner in less than an hour!  I can't wait to do another project and to have a little craft area in our next house for my fun gadgets.  For this banner I used 3 different layers of paper.  Blue, yellow chevron print paper and green.  I'm planning on doing primary colors again for his 2nd birthday since our labels didn't make it in time for this party so maybe I'll use the banner again too!  

 



The marshmallows were dipped in green candy melts (yummy) and put in a clear jar with banana runts on the bottom.  The water bottles were wrapped in green ribbon and had a zoo animal on them.  We also had chocolate cake balls with William's monogram on them.  They are Gordon's favorite! 

 

 

I got all the party favors at Oriental Trading Company.  Everything was zoo themed of course. :)  Each bag had bubbles, a note pad, an egg filled with m&ms, and a stamp.  I got William's initials (that are on the table in the picture above) at Wal-Mart too.  They are just wood letters that I painted green. 

 

If you're planning a party I'd highly suggest starting as far in advance as possible (less stressful that way).  It's nice to buy things a little at a time.  Hobby Lobby and Michael's are both great places to find party and craft supplies!  That's where I got my Cricut, all the paper used for the banner, the Wilton candy melts for the marshmallows, the cellophane bags for the party favors and much more.  Etsy is also great if you prefer to shop online.  I was able to find his monogrammed bib and birthday hat on Etsy as well as the other stuff I mentioned in this post.

 

 

Happy birthday planning to all you mommies out there!  

  

Random stuff & 13 months

Since William is now a year old I decided to change his monthly updates to every 3 months.....since his gestational birthday isn't until June 10th and he's changing so much every day I thought I'd say a little something about 13 month and post some random pictures from our iPhones! 

Baby boy has become quite the talker.  He just babbles and babbles and started saying "mama".  He can get from point A to point B in the blink of an eye and is pulling up on everything.  He loves pushing things and walking.  He can stand up and let go of your hands but he hasn't taken a step alone yet.  He's tried kiwi, pineapple, and chickpeas and he loves maple cinnamon puff sticks.  He ends up smelling like a little French toast stick all day.  :) 

Flowers from my sweet baby boy
Look at those tiny little bumble bee fingers!

Itzy Ritzy!!!

 I got a couple of new things at Doodles while we were in Rice Village a couple of weeks ago.  These Itzy Ritzy items have been great.  The bag on the left is the Wet Bag.  It is perfect for diapers and/or wet bathing suits.  The smaller bag on the right is the snack bag.  Things get lost in the diaper bag so having this has helped me keep up with his snacks.  I got the giraffe freezer pack so fruit would stay nice and cool in there.  They are SO cute and easy to clean!  Our car seat handle cushion (that I post here) and infant car seat peek a boo cover are also by Itzy Ritzy.  The car seat cover is a must have.  People love babies and I found that they want to touch them....so, I just kept William covered up in public so nobody knew what was under there!  (there's a picture of the cover in my last post about car seat safety!)  Once people saw William and how tiny he was they would ask to hold him or would hover and try to touch him.  Yuck. 

He loves standing up

Look at all of his hair :)

 

At Britton's b-day party trying to play with the big boys.

Pick me UP!!!

Up next....our Memorial Day weekend here at home. 

Car Seat Safety

The main reason I started this blog was so I could remember every little thing about my life with Gordon, William and everyone else in my family.  A scrapbook of sorts that my family can look back at.  If anything were to ever happen to me, heaven forbid, I'd of course want everyones life to move on happily....but it is very important to me that William know just how much I love him.  Most recently, I've realized how much blogs can help out other mommies with questions (they sure have helped me).  So, I decided to do a post on car seat safety! 
When William was discharged from the NICU I mentioned being so grateful for the car seat education that I'd received.   I know not everyone has time to go to a class while they are pregnant.  I sure didn't have the time since I was put on bed rest so early.  This link, Texas Children’s Injury Prevention, talks about Childhood Injury Prevention.  Each year, injuries kill or disable more children over the age of 1 than all childhood diseases combined. 

Here are some quick pointers on car seats!!!  There would be no point in having nice car seats if you aren't educated on how to properly use and install them.

• Babies should ride rear-facing in the back seat until age 2 or they outgrow their car seat harnesses.
• Their car seats are buckled tightly in the car and should not move more than one inch when you pull it at the seat belt path.
• Their harness straps should be at or below their shoulders when rear-facing.
• The rear-facing car seats should recline at a 30-45 angle.
• The chest clip should always be placed at a child’s arm pit level.  I seem to notice this mistake the most often.  It shouldn't go around the kids belly.  :)
• Try to avoid using non-regulated products (anything that didn’t come with the seat when purchased). Head pillows, car seat mats, and mirrors are all examples of non-regulated products.  So many people have mats to protect their leather seats! I'm so glad we learned this rule before purchasing one.  
• The baby's harnesses should be snug at all times, flat against their shoulders and can’t be pinched at the shoulder when buckled.​  Gordon has a hard time following this because he thinks William is uncomfortable.  But, you gotta do it!!!

We have the Peg Perego 30-30 car seat and have been happy with our choice.  William is still in this car seat but will be moving to a "big boy seat" in the next 2 months.  For his "big boy" seat we decided on the Evenflo Symphony.  Any car seat you find at a store like Babies R Us passes all safety standards.  You just have to decide what fits best with your baby, car and budget.  We chose the Evenflo seat because it is wide and cozy so he'll have lots of growing room.  It also reclines back for those long car rides!  I know lots of parents turn their baby around to front facing at around one year.  We plan on waiting until William's two.  Kids who ride in rear-facing seats have the maximum protection for the head, neck and spine! 




















Hope this helped anyone out there that had questions.  Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend!!!!

TCH Guest Blogger

Never will I ever….. That’s one of the things I used to say about my life after our baby arrived. Never would I ever stop having date nights with my husband.
But, let’s be honest, things do change. Your life is busier, you’re more tired, and there’s way more that needs to get done. You are after all trying to keep a helpless little human alive, well and loved 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s time consuming!
So, how have I ensured that my husband and I spend quality time together?  It may sound cheesy but there is one single word that I try to keep in my mind….I remember. When exhaustion is setting in and our comfy bed is calling my name I think back to the day I met Gordon. Back to the day I walked down the aisle to his big happy smile, to our lazy days in Hawaii during our honeymoon , to the first kiss he gave me after William was born and the way he held my hand when I went to the NICU to meet our baby boy for the first time. When I close my eyes and remember all of these precious moments I get a burst of energy and dinner and a movie with my best friend sounds much more appealing. I truly believe that to be the best parent to your child you have to be happy with yourself and your relationship with your partner. I’ve only been married for 2 ½ years and I’m far from perfect, I’m by no means an expert, and I’m definitely not a marriage counselor but so far this works for me. So, to all you soon to be parents out there….know that things will change but you can still make time for each other. Make it a point to eat dinner together every night. Find a weekly show on TV that you both enjoy. It will give you something to look forward to! And, every once in a while dial that babysitter or grandparent up and schedule a date night. Get out of the house for a few hours and talk about something besides that beautiful baby (you can talk about them some of course!).

Remember. Remember the couple that you were before and the couple that you are now and be proud of yourself for spending some alone time together! Sometimes you have to put the vacuum aside and let the dishes sit for a few more hours, because you know what it will all get done eventually! So, have a little fun with that mommy or daddy that helped bring your beautiful baby into this world!



Always laughing!

 

....and loving



....even when things are scary & not how you planned.

** I really enjoyed writing this blog!  Like I said, I'm no expert but everything I wrote is how I feel.  Life is tiring and it's hard to keep up sometimes.  Working full time, being a full time mom and wife takes every ounce of me.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  This is how I envisioned life.  Crazy busy!  Gordon and I always find a way to cuddle and watch a movie together (it took us 2 nights to watch Flight...better than nothing right?!?).  My new favorite time with him is while I'm cooking dinner.  He used to come home after work and then go to the gym so he wasn't home while I cooked.  Now he goes to the gym from work and then comes home so he's there when I'm cooking.  He talks and plays with William, I cook and we talk about how our days went.  It's so funny to watch William and Gordon together.  Melt my heart! 
Every stage in our life has been so happy and full of fun.  When you get engaged you have so much to look forward to and are so excited.  Once you're married things settle down and you have all this time on your hands to just chill and live life.  Then you are pregnant and fantasizing again!  In some ways parenting ages you (lack of sleep. ha.) and in other ways it makes you younger and so excited about life.  :)   We have so much to look forward to!