If I Should Fall Behind...

I have a handful of things I've been meaning to blog about lately, but something distracts me or I lose energy late at night. So, this is a very random brain-dump of what I'm feeling at this very moment. Warning, the topic is blog-cheese :)

I'm sitting at work, in the dark and it's nice and quiet. The office is closed today, but my team has to be here. Brian is home playing with Madelyn, and she is all smiles to be hanging with Daddy! I have Van Morrison radio on Pandora, so really, it's all good. Our wedding song just came on, which was a pleasant surprise. I was instantly flooded with emotion. Everything was tuned out as I went off into my own world for a minute.

We took our first dance song at our wedding very seriously. We both love music and we wanted our song to be different, yet represent us. We danced around so many songs, but we couldn't actually pull the trigger until a month before the big day (much like picking our daughter's name!). Our choice - If I Should Fall Behind by Bruce Springsteen.

Then, the song signified our journey as a couple.  I might have waited a little for Brian in the beginning of our relationship ;) But really, the song fit the bill. It was from one of our favorite musicians, it was a little different, and signified our journey to that point.

Now, it's been a wonderful two years of marriage and that song means SO much more, it's really so us.  It's about the endless support that you learn about in marriage, that makes the triumphs and defeats equally rewarding.  It's about unwavering love and friendship, and always being there. It's about growing as individuals but always growing together. It's about us!

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend with your loved ones!

 We said wed walk together baby come what may
That come the twilight should we lose our way
If as were walkin a hand should slip free
Ill wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me

We swore wed travel darlin side by side
Wed help each other stay in stride
But each lovers steps fall so differently
But I'll wait for you
And if I should fall behind
Wait for me

Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
So lets make our steps clear that the other may see
And I'll wait for you
If I should fall behind
Wait for me

Now there's a beautiful river in the valley ahead
There neath the oaks bough soon we will be wed
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
Ill wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
Darlin I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me

The day is (almost) here...

Our little munchkin is starting daycare tomorrow! O.M.G. She'll be going part-time, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I have no doubt, she'll love it. Me, on the other hand, I'm a frazzled mess about it. I haven't had a chance to even think about leaving her tomorrow, I can't even go there. I'm mostly consumed with making sure we pack everything.  I certainly don't to be the unorganized mommy that forgets her lunch on her first day! Brian and I are taking her together tomorrow morning, because I know I'll need help out the door, on the walk to the car and probably on the drive into work... not to mention a box of tissues too.  It'll be so good for her, she will love the play time and all the friends she will make... but I can't just call them during the day and ask for them to send me a picture of her or let me hear her voice. I think I can, I think I can.... 

Here are some pictures of Miss M from the last week. She's almost 10 months old, wow!

A day at the park - my first time with M on the swings!

My birthday lunch with my sweet girl - made my day! 

 Ready for the party - Addy's Christening celebration

Rushing

How often do you feel yourself rushing? Rushing to work, rushing to daycare to pick up your little one, rushing home at the end of the day to squeeze in a bath before dinner and bedtime. Whatever it is, I often find myself racing the clock or feeling rushed as I go from one place to another. Yesterday, I was feeling it big time. It was a long day and I just couldn't wait to get home for some time with M.

I got tied up at work so I got a late start and I had to stop at Walmart on my way to pick up formula. I felt like I was making good time, as I hurried to and from but then I got in the car, leaving Walmart and it was already 5pm. I like to leave my parents by 5pm or so, so that we get home by 6:15pm and my dinner routine with M isn't rushed before she crashes by 6:30pm/7pm. Ugh.

I texted my sister (while driving no less) to let her know I was running late... this is how our convo went:

Me: How come when you are in a rush, you always end up behind the slowest driver of all time? Oy
Sara: Always the case! I like to think of it as God's way of saying - no need to rush :) Because no matter where you are trying to go, it's okay if you are late!
Me: :) (insert big sigh)

She did it again... My sister, Sara, is wise beyond her 24 years, always has been. Her quick, wise response jolted the anxiety right out of me. Yes Sara, I thought to myself, you are totally right. This was a stop-and-smell-the-roses moment for me. As I walked in their house, I let out a sigh and smiled to myself... it's all good! Do yourself a favor and don't get so worked up if you are in a rush... chances are, no matter where you are trying to go, it's okay if you are late! :)

Girly - Girl

I can't describe my style, I'm just me. Growing up, I wasn't a tomboy, but I certainly wasn't a girly-girl either.... somewhere in between and non-descript. I love sports like a tomboy but I never really cared for playing them, just watching. I appreciate good style and great accessories but don't really care enough to pull myself together that well all the time...

Anyway, as I've mentioned before, I pictured myself with little boys and was nervously-excited to find out we were having a girl! (and it's funny now that I can't imagine it any other way). I'm slightly embarrassed to admit how having a little girl has brought me out of my shell.  That, and I am embracing and loving everything girlie! The tutus, the bows, all of the pink, you name it and I love it! Don't worry, we're not talking like Toddlerss and Tiaras or anything :)

All this ramble is leading into a shout out to two great ladies and their work.  One I have known about for years and the other is a new find!

1.) QupieDoll Boutique - is a Facebook boutique of homemade headbands for girls. After Madelyn had received an adorable headband from her boyfriend Anthony, the headband love affair began (for me!).  Check out the boutique for any of the little/young girls in your life. The headbands make great gifts and additions to all outfits, and she can custom make anything you'd like.

Here are a few pictures of Miss M sporting her QDB headbands:

2.) Shop Lissy - Also an online boutique hosted through Etsy.com. Shop Lissy is owned and operated by a friends friend, Lissy. She hand-makes party hats, and all sorts of gifts for babies. I enlisted Lissy's help during our wedding and she made custom clutches for my bridesmaids! It was so neat to have unique gifts to give the girls that they'd be able to use again, and that were hand-made. Madelyn's first birthday is quickly approaching... I can't decide which hat to get :)

So my lesson here, is to keep an open mind... you never know what you'll find to love!

Mr. Monkey

From her very first days, it was pretty apparent Madelyn wasn't a fan of pacifiers.  I know paci's can become an issue as they get older, but I've always thought its so sweet to see little ones curled up, so happy to be sucking on a paci. Oh well, not our little one. Instead, Madelyn quickly began sucking on her fingers. I've shared a few pictures here and there where she has them in her mouth, always her pointer and middle finger on her left hand.  It's easy to distinguish when she's tired or ready for a nap because her fingers go in and I say she "blinks heavy." As we learned on our vacation, there is 1 other thing that we must have on hands at ALL times, no matter what.... Mr. Monkey.

Miss M has probably 10 different lovies. Different sizes, different textures, different animals... some with tags, some without, none of which she ever really took a liking too. I made sure to always have one in her diaper bag or the car, but she never really cared for them.... until Mr. Monkey.
Mr. Monkey was an impulse buy. About 2 months ago, my mom and I had Madelyn along for a walk through town when we stopped in a store that was having a big sale on kids clothes. We picked up a few things for her and while I was checking out, we distracted Madelyn by showing her a cute monkey lovey. It was honestly love at first sight. The minute she saw him, her face lit up and her hands when up trying to grab him.  Oh, you like him?" I said to her... Ok, guess I have to buy this too. I remember thinking what a waste of $ - he was $18. She seemed to like him though and it had been a while since I splurged on anything for her.  So, we left the store, Madelyn clutching Mr. Monkey and her fingers in her mouth, she was as happy as could be!

So it was love at first sight and it is safe to say, she is completely obsessed with Mr. Monkey. Well flash forward our vacation Day 1 at the beach, we brought Mr. Monkey and sure enough, she napped:

On our next beach outing, which happened to be our last day, we packed everything up including lunch and hit the beach. It was a picture-perfect day and we had a few hours to relax in the sun before hitting to road to come back home.

M was ready for a nap, so we timed it that she would (hopefully) fall asleep in her pack and play again while we were there. We forgot Mr. Monkey... bad Mommy and Daddy, how could we forgot Mr. Monkey? To be honest, until then I think I underestimated the need, and her love for him but boy did we learn a lesson.  Cue - her first real mealtdown... she whined and cried for most of our time on the beach. There was no way she was falling asleep while we were there, she made that very clear.  So, even though she was exhausted and barely able to keep her eyes open, we played and played until it was time to go home. We got home, gave her Mr. Monkey and that was that, she was passed out for 2 hours until we woke her to hit the road. Note to self - do not lose Mr. Monkey, ever!

Here are a few more of M and Mr. Monkey, before nap time:

 

We're back!

We got home late last night from our week on the Vineyard.  I am so glad we have a long weekend at home to unpack and unwind from our awesone trip!

I'll share pictures and some highlights later this weekend. For now, I'll just share this picture of our munchkin hanging at the beach!

Happy Friday!

Pre-vacation checklist

We leave tomorrow for Martha's Vineyard for 6 nights at the Tower House (a.k.a the Gerges home on Chappaquiddick) I am beyond excited for time away with my family and hopefully (finally) some time in the sun! I've been keeping a mental checklist of the things I was hoping to get done before we left.  This morning, I decided that I need to make note of all of these things because it'll force me to have a productive afternoon and night. I've really been slacking lately and once again have left just about everything to the last minute!

Pre-vacation checklist:
* vacuum the house
* get a haircut
* bring Quigley to the vet for a follow-up
* do our laundry
* do Madelyn's laundry
* pack me
* pack Madelyn
* pack Quigley
* dump run
* get Madelyn a float
* buy gluten-free food to bring along
* get Madelyn new food
* sync my new phone with work email 
* charge camera battery
* get both of our cars washed
* get a pedicure
* buy Bren's birthday present (his b-day is 8/15 while we're away)

We're leaving tomorrow at 10am, or as soon as Quigley is done at the vet. As long as we get everyone in the car and our clothes, I'll be happy. I think I'm just so excited for the time together, that I can't get myself organized! This mommy-brain is already checked out and on island time! Have a great week!

playtime and 9 mo stats!

I was slacking on taking pictures over the last two months but I've made up for lost time with lots of pictures over the last two weekends. Hopefully when we're on vacation we'll actually get some family pictures :)

At our check up today, the Doc confirmed our baby girl really is getting big! 

 her 9 month stats:

height: 28 1/2 inches - 95%

weight: 20lbs 4 oz - 75%

Currently _____

I  just read a post on The Davis Daily where Sara outlines all the things current in her life... what a cute idea! I thought it would be fun to put together my own list, and share it with you!

loving: every second I have with my little girl.

reading: see my list of blogs. In addition to my US Weekly subscription that I am psyched to receive every Friday, that's the only reading I've been doing lately.  I'm hoping to break out the kindle a little on vacation next week :)

waiting for: Thursday at 5pm when our vacation officially begins. I cannot wait for time on the Vineyard with my family! 

staying here:

beach-ing it here:

taking in a few sunsets like this:

excited about: today and what's in store for our tomorrows.... life is good!

missing: a few friends that I haven't caught up with, in a while. Sometimes life is so busy... I'm hoping our calendars line up soon.

trying to: lose weight... the never-ending battle continues. 

working on: finding balance and making the best of every situation. When I need a reminder, I turn to my hubby because his response to everything is - "what are you going to do? It is what it is" Yes my dear, you are right.

enjoying: having the time to go on walks with Madelyn! I've always loved going for walks and lately I've made time on the weekends and after work (thanks to shorter summer commutes) for walks with M!

using: our grill pan, all the time. The funny thing is, I bought it for the cooler months when grilling outside isn't as practical but we've used it more than our real grill this summer! I swear, my cooking has never tasted better!

wearing: lots of white and navy, tis the my season :)

planning: Madelyn's 1st birthday, craziness! Think pumpkins, hayrides and fall fun!

singing: Call Me Maybe... its in my head alllllll the time


needing: new couches. We really need new couches, especially because the ones we're using are hand-me-downs (thank you mom & dad). The problem is we have a tricky space to work with, a budget and most importantly Quigley has an obsession with couch pillows. He treats them like toys and bites holes in them to tear out the filling, true story. So, we'll have to figure out the perfect solution before we buy.

learning: how to practice serenity.  I've always loved this -"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference" and I like to remind myself of it often.

listening: our little girl has started to talk! Its like music to my ears, her little voice is the sweetest!

wishing: for a cleaning lady... I'm at the point now where I see this as a necessity, not a luxury.
  

 This makes me LOL

                                      


doing: I've been doing a lot of organizing and purging old stuff around the house lately, it feels so good.  I recently bought a new table for our entry way (which I am obsessed with) and that sparked a total overhaul and swap of all of our pictures and accessories in the house. I got rid of old books, cookbooks that we never use and random nick-knacks for a more clean and updated look around the house.  The few little changes have made a big difference.

praying for: (as always) good health for my family and friends and strength & guidance to be a good parent

dreaming of: a mudslide on the Shanty deck (this weekend, hopefully)

                                  

That's whats current with me - hope all is well with you!