Year in Review

Wait, it's New Years already?! How did this happen, I feel like we just got married! It was a year that brought big changes, both good and bad. It was year of extreme highs and some unexpected lows. Though there were some rough blows to take, I am going to focus on the highlites.

The Top Eleven of 2011

In no particular order:

1. Aruba

Olivia's first stamp on her passport! 

2. Vegas
Our mini-moon went much to fast, though we were ready to come home. It was a wonderful, much needed weekend of just Chris and I.

3. New house
Note to self- moving with a one year old, the month before your wedding. Not the best timing.
We did it though, and it was worth every panic attack it gave me.

4.  Olivia walking

Memorial day weekend Olivia decided she'd start waking. And the rest of the summer, we followed her around making sure she didn't get too close to pool.

5.Olivia's first birthday

Was it a celebration she made it to 1, or a celebration that we made it through our first year of parenting?
Either way, we definitely celebrated right.

6. Bachelorette Party
Though, no where close to as crazy as the movie, I had a fabulous weekend with my amazing friends.
Did we stay out and party all night? No, I'm much to lame for that.
But laugh till our sides hurt, like we were back in high school, we did

7. "Mommy"

The day this word made me cry, is definitely a high one on my life moments.
There is nothing like hearing your baby say that first word.

8. Riding the bull
What did I want to do for my birthday?
Ride the bull at a bar. And my man made it happen.
I failed miserably, and thank god don't have the pictures to prove it.

9. Getting to the other side - of colic
This was huge at the time. When you have a baby with colic other mothers say "you will wake up one day and the colic will be gone". I didn't believe it, I couldn't imagine Olivia not screaming the.entire.time.she.was.awake
And then the day after she started crawling, she woke up and smiled at me.
 And the screaming had stopped.
Praise the Lord!

10. Settling in

We've hit our stride as a little family of three. We have our routine and know what works for us.
A few years ago, I would have thought this life was boring. Today, I wouldn't change it for the world.
I am a very, very lucky lady.

11. Our Wedding Day

The day I had been planning since I can remember.
It came and went in a blur, but I had a wonderful time and married the best man I have ever met.
It was everything I could have hoped for!


Here's to the year that was and the year that is on the brink!

18 Months!?!

Olivia Jo,

18 months ago, your Daddy and I had no idea the ride we were about to embark on. The ups and downs that have come our way, we never could have imagined experiencing and never want to forget. How far we have come, the three of us! A year ago, Daddy and I were unsure how we would continue to survive, let alone thrive, with our colicky little girl. We were slowly beginning to see glimpse of what was to come in the next few months. A faint smile here, a quick giggle there, all gave us hope for the future.

And now here we are today with our little bundle of personality, our toddler. When did you get so big? You are now in 2t clothes and size 6 shoes. Santa had to bring all new shoes, because none of yours fit anymore.

You are long past walking and have now taken up the art of running. You run circles around our house, laughing the whole time. One of your favorite activities is to push or pull your baby stroller back and forth in the kitchen over and over again. You can't get enough of it.

Mickey Mouse has won the viewing war in our home, far surpassing the bad reality TV and sports. You love bath time, hate having one of us brush your teeth {would much rather do it yourself}, have developed a pension for throwing hellacious temper tantrums when you don't get your way, and love to sit in your room and read book after book.

You are talking up a storm. Some times I have no idea what you are trying to tell me, though I'm certain it's something. You will repeat me whenever I ask you to, sometimes clear as day other times not so much.  Some of your clearer words are:

• Mommy- still what we hear most often. If you don't see me for 2 minutes, you yell "mommy" just to make sure I'm still here
• Daddy
• wawa - for water
• pease - for please
• duck 
• Mimi - for my mom 
• bawl- for ball
• bamba- for more.  i still haven't quite figured this one out
• this and that - for when she wants something but can't quite tell us what it is 
• ho ho ho - this one meant anything that you saw that was Christmas related 
• babee - whenever we see a baby you say "babee, shhhhh"
• ededamame- for edamame. baffling I know. and it came before hi, go figure
• bye bye- you will only say this one when asked to. your go to is still waving
• hi - said with the cutest little southern accent, but only when asked to do so
• booboo - whenever you see a scratch, score, freckle or mole. always followed by a kiss to make it better
• up 
• on

You are such a lover, little girl. It warms my heart to see. You come up from behind and give Daddy and I  the biggest hugs around our legs. When Daddy and I are loving on each other, you with out fail, come and join in the love fest. And you don't just love on us. Whenever aunties, uncles, Mimi, or momom come over, it's big hugs and kisses for all.

You have officially outsmarted the baby locks on the drawers and cabinets in the house. You open them and re lock them just like an adult would do. So needless to say, I can never find anything!

You are a pro with the iPhone and ipad, this one really amazes me. You can unlock the ipad, find the videos app, find a mickey movie, push play, and turn up the volume. When did you learn this? And then there's the iPhone. You are constantly calling people, sending text messages and emails, and your favorite, taking pictures and movies. It always makes me giggle to see the pictures you leave me.

You have rhythm more than your Daddy and I combined. You find a beat in anything and everything and stop in your tracks to shake your little butt. It doesn't matter if it's a commercial on TV, music in a store, or the sound of a shopping cart in the parking lot at the grocery store. You will be dancing. I can't wait to put you in dance class.

Olivia you are a little sponge right now. You amaze me daily with a new word, dance move, or new skill. You are the light of my life Olivia, the way you look at me and your daddy, with such love and admiration in your eyes, makes even the worst day sweet.

It's been an amazing 18 months and they will only continue to sweeten the ride, as your personality grows.

Olivia Jo
18 months
{thanks to some incoming molars, this is as good of a photoshoot that i could get}
{so an iphone pic it is for now}

Christmas recap

The week before Christmas seemed to fly by. It was filled with Christmas Mickey on repeat, lots of last minute wrapping, delivering our Christmas cookies to neighbors, and enjoying Chris' long weekend by spending lots of time with each other. 

Christmas Eve we got all dolled up and went to church with my family and Chris' mom. Liv, was very good and was fist bumping the secret service in the vestibule...too funny..

After church we went to a local Italian restaurant that we've gone to every year. We enjoyed great food, good wine and laughter. We missed my mom at dinner, wasn't the same without her. She was having a very hard time, and didn't think she could sit through dinner. 

After dinner we came home and Olivia opened her first present, Christmas jammies that Santa dropped off early! Then we went to bed and waited to see if Santa would come and bring his goodies.

And come he did! We were all as spoiled as ever. When we woke up, we waited for my parents and Chris's mom to come over so we could begin the festivities. Olivia opened her presents and Chris and I exchanged gifts. After a quick break my siblings came and we started the second round of presents. Then after a wonderfully delish brunch that my mom made {breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, and cheesy english muffins} we started round three with Chris' brother, sister-in-law, and sister.

After a quick nap, power clean, and change of clothes we were off to Chris' aunts to see his side of the family and have a late lunch. It was great to see Olivia play and interact with her older cousins. She so looks up to "big kids". By this point in the day, Liv completely understood the gift gig and was all ready to go when the present time came.

livvy got a big girl potty!

And then we were off again, back to our house for yet another meal and more gifts. This time it was my grandparents, his mom and sis, and my parents. My mom was nice enough to start dinner for us so it was in the oven when we got home. Olivia was so tired by this point she kept stopping what she was doing and closing her eyes for about 15 seconds. I kept thinking she was going to fall asleep standing up. After we opened gifts from my grandparents, we whisked her upstairs and tucked her in tight for a long nights sleep. 

At the end of the day, I think it was a very successful Christmas. We all seemed to enjoy watching the magic of Christmas through Olivia's eyes. And all the drama I was afraid of between my parents, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. 

Christmas Traditions

To get into the spirit of the season we did a few different activities as a family with the hopes of them becoming yearly traditions. Here's a quick look at our season:

The obligatory visit with Santa. This is as close to sitting on his lap as we got this year.

Liv was more of a fan from afar.

Olivia loved all the lights around town, so we packed into the car for a trip to Longwood Gardens to see their fabulous, annual light display. Evidently tickets needed to be bought in advance this year,  I didn't know that.

Mom fail.

Instead we headed to this house in town, that does it up like nothing else I've seen. Olivia loved every second of it. 

In reality it was much better suited for her than Longwood would have been.

And I used to go there every year as a kid.

Liv and I baked lots and lots of cookies. She absolutely adored helping me.

I absolutely adored baking the same cookies with her that I grew up baking with my mom.

Every year Chris and his family come over and we make pizzelles from his Mommom's recipe. 

This year Livvy got in on the action.

I had such grand intentions of doing so much more this year, but as life goes, it didn't all get done. Oh well there's always next year! 

starting to feel the stresses

I've always been a Christmas person. Christmas in our house growing up was a huge event, where my mom outdid herself year after year. I have looked forward to it every year. I've even managed to make it something Chris enjoys, as he wasn't totally into the whole Christmas thing when we first started celebrating together 6 years ago. This year feels so different though. I have been looking forward to seeing the holiday through Olivia's eyes. She is so into everything; the lights, music, movies, decorations, the Nativity, Santa {though from afar}, and of course the presents. It brings such joy to see her experiencing this all in such a first hand way this year. But, with all that being said, this year feels so different.

I am so beyond stressed out about the whole Christmas thing. It leaves me finding it hard to catch my breath and not sleeping. This is my family's first holiday season where my parents aren't together. It is hard for me to even type those words. It isn't supposed to be like this. I am supposed to be overjoyed at the idea of our fist holiday together as a married family, our first holiday season in our new home. But I'm not. Instead I feel pulled in so many different directions that it has been hard for me to "keep my eye on the prize", a season of creating memories and traditions for my new family unit. Instead I feel like the referee in a he said-she said match, trying to show both my parents the love and support I know they both need. Trying to be the big sister I have always been {more like a second mom really} making sure they are all getting through this, with as little hurt and pain as possible. This shouldn't be my responsibility, but just as it has been since our nannies left, it seems to have fallen on my shoulders. And it has me feeling defeated and exhausted.

I feel pulled to make everyone happy. Make sure this season is wonderful for Olivia and Christopher first and foremost, but also my mom and my dad, my sisters, and my brother. I know this isn't going to be possible. Even in good times, my family is hard to please. Not only are there a lot of them, but everyone has such high expectations. Everyone has been catered to for so long that everyone thinks they should get their way. {This doesn't paint the prettiest picture of us, but it is very true}. We have been spoiled by the way our life has been for so long. The mom, the dad and the kids doing everything together. And this year that has all crumbed apart. This year it's who's doing this with mom and whose doing that with dad. None of us want to leave either of them feeling left out. But in the end, we all feel left out. We don't get to experience the things we always have with BOTH parents. This hurts me so much.

I'm trying so hard to keep this holiday "normal". I've been watching my favorite Christmas movies, baking the cookies, decorating the house, throwing the parties, buying and wrapping the presents. We will go to the traditional Christmas Eve mass followed by the same Italian restaurant we've been going to for years, for the traditional seven fishes dinner. And just as it always has been, it will be both my parents, all of my siblings, Chris, Olivia, and my wonderful mother in law, and me. That's were the normalcy will end though. What will Christmas day be like? I'm scared to think about it.

I know I'm not the first person to go through this. The reason Chris didn't look forward to Christmas the way I did, was because he grew up with his parents divorced as long as he can remember. I never understood it, how could Christmas not be a time of total joy and love? I get it now.

For now, I am trying to remember that it is not my job to make this holiday happy for my parents and siblings. My parents are adults and can take care of themselves. My siblings have my parents, who are still responsible for their happiness, married or not. My priorities are Chris, Olivia, and myself. It was time to create new traditions for our little family anyway. This may not have been how I imagined them starting, but it's a good a time as ever. Right?

another day in paradise

What's the day in the life of a mom and hubby and her amazing little girl? Here's a look into our lovely life courtesy my iPhone...

monday musings

To start the week I thought I'd post some randoms, because, well that's how my brain works. 

    * This morning Liv and I joined my mom for an impromptu trip to Target. {it may or may not have been our third trip in 3 days). Standing in line I realized that I didn't have my debit card. or my target card. or my credit card. Thank god my mom was there to save me. I'm pretty sure I'm already recognized as the crazy lady who returns EVERYTHING, so it would have been mildly embarrassing to add the crazy lady with no form of payment to my title. 

  

  * After picking up the same toys constantly, I've added a new ritual to our family's Christmas traditions. We are going to donate our outgrown toys, to other families who aren't as lucky as we are, every year before Santa brings us some new loot. Olivia {as well as Chris and I} are very lucky to have such wonderful opportunities, and I want to instill in our family the desire to help those who have not been blessed in the ways we have. I tried my best to explain this to the little girl, and she was so excited to put all her toys in the bags. And then I tried to take them out to the car. Holy tantrum. They did get taken to the church though, and although she doesn't quite understand yet, I hope one day she will see the beauty in helping others. 

  * It's safe to say that Olivia takes after me in the sleep department. She will stand at the bottom of the stairs pointing up to her room. When i rock her at night she points to her crib begging to just be laid down.  If you say "Livvy are you ready for a nap?", she gets so excited. its as if you just offered her candy. It's a beautiful thing, my little girl loves her sleep and knows when she's ready to call it a day. But? I miss rocking her to sleep in my arms. Miss holding her little sleeping body, her warm breath on my neck. I can't believe that it has been more than 6 months already since I stopped nursing her to sleep every night, it has gone much too fast. 

  * Tonight, after fighting Liv so hard to get the saline in her little runny nose and then the buggers out, I left the mascara she had gotten into, on her face. I didn't have the heart to pin her back down and go at her with another wipe.

I'm off to bed, like daughter like mother  

wedding pictures!

They've arrived! I have been patiently waiting stalking my photographer waiting for my pictures to arrive of our big day. This is the one part of my day that I way over paid for (ok my dress was a little ririculously priced, but it was SOO worth every penny and last minute alteration- you will agree when you see!) but knew that for the pictures i wanted, the price for getting rob was gonna be worth it. And i was right! There are soo many amazing ones that I cant choose a few favorites. So instead of debating over which few to post I am going to post as many as I can during an episode of Mickey..

And there is the hot dog dance so that's all for now. The rest will be part 2!

*all pictures by Rob Nicholson of Humbled Eyes Photography

where or where has my baby gone?

Today Olivia and I had a play date with our favorite group of mommy and babies. We've been doing so for about a year now, after we all met at gymboree. We had a wonderful time eating our lunch, watching the girls play together, and had a little early Christmas gift exchange. It was a great afternoon, but i was left with a little pit in my stomach as we pulled away. The thing is, I felt like i had literally just watched my little girl go from baby in front of my eyes. I don't know when it happened, but it did.

It seems like just last week we were watching the girls sit nicely next to each other in their high chairs,  putting whatever they could reach into their mouths, while we sat around a table eating our lunch. Then we evolved to the park in the spring, sitting up shop next to the sand pit trying to make sure not too much sand was ingested. Then came summer and the pool, with our little ladies running around and trying to make sure there was no one swallowing too much water. And now here we are playing ring around the rosie, trying to teach the art of sharing, and enforcing the no hitting policy.

Watching these four little girls play with their new baby dolls and tea sets made me realize how far we have come in the past 17 months and what a wonderful age Olivia is at. Somewhere in the everyday routine of breakfast, playing, cleaning, nap time, Mickey Mouse, and time outs I had lost the magic of the toddlerhood. She has become such a little sponge, soaking up everything around her all the time. I swear it seems like she is learning new words by the hour. (Her favorite of which is edamame..too damn cute) She is so fun to play with, actually interacting and understanding what we are doing. It makes me one proud momma to watch, and after yesterday I realized I need to not just watch her growing and learning but enjoy her growing and learning.

This afternoon the girls weren't the only ones who received gifts. I was brought back down to the moment and to the magic of the little moments, and that was the best gift I  could have been given.

The Formal Introduction

I have finally decided to get my act together and do this blogging thing. For one, I have been faithfully stalking reading others, for what seems like forever now. Secondly, I love the idea of keeping an almost daily account of the days that seem to be flying by faster and faster each month. So, the hubby may be the only one to read this but I am dedicating myself to this here and now.

Here's the scoop:

I am a 24 year newlywed who has been with my man for going on 7 years.

 Don't we look hot?

..wish I could say we look this good at all times..

Momma to the amazing Olivia Jo, est. June 29, 2010

I could go on and on but then I wouldn't have anything to blog about next :)

xoxo