christmas season

The Christmas season is upon us! Tomorrow is December first and so begins the 25 days of Christmas! This Christmas is our second Christmas with Ellie but it really is our first that we get to truly enjoy what it means to have a kid around Christmas time. Last year, Eloise wasn't even 1 month old during December so we didn't do much. And putting her on a strange guy's lap at a mall was totally out of the question! But, this year, we are going to do it all. Here is my list of things we are going to do to celebrate the best time of year!

- Take Eloise's picture with Santa

- Go see the tree lighting in Sea Bright

- See the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center

- Watch the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center

- Watch Julian's favorite Christmas movie (Home Alone) and My favorite Christmas movie (miracle on 34th Street)

- Let Eloise pick out a new ornament for our tree

- Send Christmas cards

- Drink hot chocolate while Julian puts the lights on the house

- Decorate the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music

- Buy Christmas presents for a needy child

- Send the SPCA a gift basket for a needy dog

- go look at Christmas lights

I am sure there are way more things I want to do, I just have to make sure I don't make my list too long and then we don't accomplish anything! I think this is a great starter list. Next year, I can look back and see what we did and maybe add to it!

Thankful Mondays

31. I am thankful for birthday parties and kids running around
32. I am thankful for a big family who loves my daughter
33. I am thankful I got to see Eloise taking her first steps
34. I am thankful for a good nights sleep
35. I am thankful for a quiet house
36. I am thankful for online shopping/cyber Monday
37. I am thankful for method anti-bac wipes
38. I am thankful for eloise having more than one lovey now
39. I am thankful for our basement and that Julian let Eloise take over some of it
40. I am thankful for beautiful November afternoons


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My baby is one!

It's her first birthday and I'm documenting every moment.

7:15am I woke her up singing Happy Birthday and taking her picture! Look at her crazy sleepy hair. So precious. She didn't mind the singing but wasn't too sure why I was waking her up early.







Then she got to open her presents from us and her cousins!












Duke got in on the fun with a 5 person booty scratching tunnel








Don't mind my kitchen, I had guests. Things got real messy.

Then we got dressed and waited for a certain daddy to hurry up. This means we played with the best toy EVER - empty box.





Once we left for the party I didn't take many pictures due to the fact that I hired my sisters friend to take pics.

Anyshways, birthday girl partied hard and had an amazing time. She was super spoiled and loved every second. So she easily fell asleep on the ride home-




Someone please brush the cake out of that sweet girls hair!

Then we got home and opened up so many toys and played and played.




The big one year old lovessssss to slide. Then it was off to bath and bed! It was an amazing day!!

(12 month post coming soon!)

Thankful

There are just so many things to be thankful for. I'm thankful for my family and friends. I'm thankful for my beautiful, healthy daughter. I'm thankful for a husband who is truly my soulmate. I'm thankful for all the men and women who protect our country. I'm thankful my house can hold 11 people and 3 dogs. I'm thankful for the past year being the best year of my life.


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Being a mommy

I have to say, being a mommy is the best thing in the whole world! But, at first, it's kinda hard figuring out your niche in this mommy thing. What kind of mom are you? What kind of mom do you want to be? There are so many decisions that factor into it all. Will you co-sleep? Will you work? Will you start solids early or later? And these decisions start even before the babies are born. Will you get ultrasounds? Will you get the flu shot while pregnant? Will you find out the sex? Will you have an induction? But what I know for sure is that no matter what your decisions, they won't necessarily be what everyone else thinks and that is OK. As long as the happiness of your baby and family comes first. Everyone has strong opinions on mommy things (co-sleeping, ultra sounds, nursing, etc) but no one else has your life. I have learned that my choices aren't always the best for everyone else AND everyone else's choices aren't always the best for me.

I am nursing Eloise past a year- is that a popular choice? No. Do I know anyone else who has done it? No. Do I care if someone else isn't doing it? No. I am comfortable with my decision and that is all that matters.
Am I a working mom? Not at the moment. But I will be in March. I think staying at home is great option but I also think being a working mom is a great option, too.


Sometimes it's hard not to think your choice is the best. And it should be the best - for you! if someone were to ask my opinion, I can only tell them from my experience.
Yes we planned to get pregnant, yes we found out the sex, no I didn't have an induction, yes I nursed past a year, no I didn't delay solids until 6 months, no she's never had a bottle, no I didn't work at all her first year, no I didn't co sleep, yes I still rock her to sleep for naps and bedtime, yes i do the majority of parenting, no I didn't give her the flu shot.

I've loved every minute of my mommy experience so far and I wouldn't change one thing- not one. I would recommend each of my decisions to someone but if they chose differently, I wouldn't care. Everyone has to do what is right for them.

Great moms come in all shapes and sizes! Just be secure in your decisions and it'll all work out.


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Thankful Mondays

21. I am thankful that Eloise can be flexible when it comes to her schedule
22. I am thankful for free baby sitters
23. I am thankful for twilight (which I'm seeing tonight!!!!)
24. I am thankful for having an SUV
25. I am thankful for Target (what mom isn't?)
26. I am thankful my WHOLE family gets together for Thanksgiving (my moms side, my dads side, and my in-laws)
27. I am thankful for surviving and enjoying my first year as a mom
28. I am thankful for open mouth baby kisses
29. I am thankful for sleepy socks so I can sleep comfortably
30. I am thankful for pedicures!


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Go-to recipes

Whenever I'm making one of my 'go-to' recipes, I think of a particular scene in American Dreams (Netflix this show) where JJ didn't want to play football anymore. He got in a big fight with his dad about it, and his mom is explaining to him about how sometimes you have to do things you don't always want to do. She tells him how sometimes she doesn't feel like cooking dinner. And since this show takes place during the 60's - he's shocked. He asks her what she does when she doesn't feel like cooking. She says 'I make tuna casserole' to which he replies, ' but we eat tuna casserole a lot'. Hilarious because we eat my go-to meals a lot, too.


So whenever we eat baked chicken or creamy spaghetti or caribbean rice and beans- you know I didn't feel like cooking. They are my go- to recipes for the days I just don't feel like doing the cooking thing. (once a week! Lol) They are the perfect combination of easy and I always have the ingredients.
Sometimes I just don't feel like cooking.


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Thankful Mondays

11. I am thankful for still being able to nurse Eloise
12. I am thankful for Costco because it has amazing things!
13. I am thankful for my iPhone!
14. I am thankful for peppermint mocha lattes at Starbucks!
15. I am thankful that Julian (and his family) have helped me to strengthen my relationship with Jesus
16. I am thankful Eloise is healthy!
17. I am thankful for Duke making me laugh every day
18. I am thankful for nap time
19. I am thankful my house now has two zone heating and cooling
20. I am thankful Eloise has friends already (Blake, Ryan, Noah, and Brooklynn).


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Another baby?

No, I don't have any announcements... Just an urge to add to my family. I absolutely love the place I am right now with life. But, I can't help but feel a pull towards adding another child. Realistically, I don't think I am ready for another baby. But, when are you ever ready? If I waited until I felt financially and emotionally ready, we might not ever have more children. Who is ever ready to get fat, not sleep and leak breastmilk?

Sometimes I think Julian and I have a propensity to over think these things. We will never be that couple that just let's it happen. Before we got pregnant with Eloise, we discussed it to great length. We knew we didn't want a baby before I was tenured and we didn't want me to be pregnant in Hawaii. We discussed financials, responsibilities of who was expected to do what, etc. This discussion probably started in May and we didn't start trying until we hammered out all the details - in Late December. So, the fact that I'm thinking about it definitely does not mean we are anywhere close to baby #2- it just means the discussion has started.

(don't mind me while I continue to ramble)

Sometimes I'm upset that we won't just 'let it happen' but on the other hand we were totally ready for Eloise. It just isn't us to not plan. We think, we plan, we research, we prepare! It takes all the surprise out - but that isn't always bad.

This next pregnancy already has requirements set by myself and Julian. For example, we want baby #2 to arrive AFTER Eloise turns two. We want to find a church to join, and I have to try the work thing.

Just because I have babies dancing around in my head does not mean we are ready! Obviously :)
But with all of that aside, Miss Eloise is growing by the second. She is going to be one in thirteen days!!! Where did this past year go? I can't even handle what a big girl she is! Soon I'll be calling her a toddler and not a baby!! *tear* Crazy how time flies!





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Thankful Mondays

I got this idea from another blog, but the point is to find ten things to be thankful for each Monday. It helps to get in the spirit of the upcoming holiday and also reminds us what the holidays are about.

1. I am thankful for a daughter who stopped considering Puffs a food group.
2. I am thankful for hardwood floors! Especially with a dog who throws up as much as Duke.
3. I am thankful for a husband who is handy and can knock out a 'honey-do' list super fast!
3. I am thankful for the beautiful weather lately!
4. I am thankful there were a lot of people who stopped by the grand opening at Wayne.
5. I am thankful we leave near a park we can walk to.
6. I am thankful I'm not currently teaching.
7. I am thankful that I have a great job waiting for me in March.
8. I am thankful Julian is obsessed with all things Christmas!
9. I am thankful for the doctors taking care of my dad and uncle!
10. I am thankful my brother found someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.


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