R&R

We had a great weekend.  My in-laws came down to stay with the girls while Marshall and I took our belated wedding anniversary trip.  Our anniversary is in May, but I was very pregnant and very miserable (just ask him) so we decided to wait until after Alexa arrived to take a little getaway.

We were gone for two nights and stayed at Il Lugano, which is a fantastic little hotel on the intracoastal and only about 8 miles away.  I am so glad we ultimately decided to stay nearby.  The two days were just what we needed to reconnect.  We relaxed, had some delicious meals, got asked for ID when we went to the wine bar and had such a great time.  It was nice to get away and be us.  It is amazing that we still know who we are independent of being a parent.  Sometimes you lose yourself in that role and forget who you are.  I try to look parenthood as adding another layer to who I am  rather than replacing myself entirely with the updated "mom" version of me.  I mean afterall, being a parent does change you, but it doesn't change you completely.  Frankly, I don't want it to.  I like who my husband is and I assume he likes me most days.  That's probably why we got married in the first place.  Why should all of that disappear?

I know how hard it is with the girls, the house, our jobs to stay connected.  Marriage is hard by itself, let alone adding everything else into the mix.  Anyone who is married knows that.  I do not want to be the married couple who after the kids are gone realize that we don't know each other outside of the role of "parent" and during these years we have drifted so far apart that we no longer have anything in common.  Afterall, we are the foundation of this family. 

Sometimes it's easy to forget the root of it all especially after seeing how far you've come in 3 years.  I'm sure as the years go by it will get harder.  We will be more wrapped up in their lives.  School, extracurricular activities, Saturday night stake outs when they're on a date with a boy who you just know is trouble.  (Beause they all are, of course!)  All of these things will keep us occupied.  So it is especially important every now and then for Marshall and I as individuals to get together and remember why we decided to do all of this in the first place.

Daniela and Aryana's visit

When I think back on my life so far, I have a feeling of joy.  I don't have really any complaints about my childhood, which is great when you all the craziness that came along with it.  Hell, if I came out of my youth unscathed hopefully my children will too.  :-)    College was a great time for the most part and I must admit, I am enjoying my thirties more than any other period of my life.

Thankfully, I've had a friend who has been there through most of it all.  Daniela and I met in junior high school when I would copy off of her science homework every day.  She was kind of shy and quiet and I've never met a stranger, so I am positive I talked her ear off.  I still do.  Let's face it somethings will never change.  Once highschool rolled around, we became inseperable.  We had the best times together.  We were yin and yang.  She was definitely someone that I looked up to. 

She went off to Memphis for college after highschool graduation.  At that point, it probably would have been easy for us to fall into our own lives and drift apart.  But it didn't happen.  When we did see each other, it was like we hadn't missed a beat.  It is still that way to this day.

We were in each other's weddings, we've seen our children grow, we call each other after a fight with our mothers.  Daniela is a wonderful mom of 3 children, so she is my trusted authority on all things baby.  She has answered her phone in the middle of the night when I'm driving around a screaming child and I'm crying myself because in that moment I don't think I'm cut out for motherhood.  Everyone should have a friend like this.

She and her daughter Aryana came for a visit last weekend.  Aryana is 20 days older than Ellie.  Eventhough we live in different states, it was so awesome to go through pregnancy with your best friend.  It was so cool that we both had daughters and that they are so close in age.  I get to see Daniela and her family roughly twice a year, sometimes more, but we have promised ourselves that we will get all of our girls together every year for a weekend in Florida.  This is a tradition that I am so excited to begin.

These little girls had a blast.  I don't know if they had more fun or if Daniela and I did.  They sat on Ellie's little princess couch, shared everything from toys to sippy cups, and chattered in toddler babble.  It was such a crazy thing to see, the two of us with our daughters.  These are the things we as girl's talked about growing up.  "When we get married..."  "When we have kids..."  Now we are those women.  It is almost beyond my comprehension.

I wish so much for my daughters: happy healthy lives, much success, friendship, love, wonderful families of their own one day.  But I also wish for them that they have a best friend like I do.  Someone who knew them during their formative years, someone to share a limo at their proms, someone to visit when they all go to college, to stand beside them at their weddings,  to share the joys and frustrations of marriage, parenting, and everything else, someone to call up and bitch about their own crazy mother... 

1 month! (Sort of...)

Alexa was 6 weeks and 1 day when I took this photo, but I didn't have the stickers for the onesies yet.  Woops, sorry Alexa.  Your mama stinks.  The second child syndrome is already setting in.  I notice how different I was with Ellie.  I was on top of it all.  Okay, not really- but I was way more diligent with things like this.  Alexa is lucky she got a baby book, and even luckier that it is somewhat filled out.  Maybe it is a blessing for her.  Sure, she'll get all the hand me downs, but won't we be more relaxed since we are supposed to have a better clue as to what we are doing with our second.  Or are they so close together that it won't even matter?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I'm feeling more comfortable with 2 children.  It seems like we've almost hit a stride.  Well, not a full on stride, more like a limp or a hobble but we are making progress is the point I'm trying to make. 

So happy 1 month (6 weeks and 1 day) to Alexa Lynne.  I'll do better at your 2 month photo, I promise!

Ellie's 1st Birthday

I know that her birthday was in May, but I really wanted to show it on my blog.  I know first birthday's are more for the parents than the actual child and this birthday was no exception.  I wanted to really celebrate her first year and go all out.  I wanted to celebrate her life, the love she has given us, and the fact that she appears to be doing very well.  Although it is too early to tell what permanent damage she has suffered for having me as her mom.  :-)

The dessert table

We went with an owl theme.  I did a lot of the projects myself.  I had so many more ideas, but like I said in my first post, I lack execution- so we had what we had!  I made the banners and the topiary that was on the dessert table as well as her high chair banner that we ended up placing behind the high chair.

It says "I am 1"

Ellie's little birthday outfit was so stinkin' sweet.  I ordered the cutest onesie, hairbow, and personalized owl bloomers from Bella Claire Baby and I made her tutu myself!

I tried to make her smash cake all by myself.  Lord knows I tried, but I failed!  I can't ice a cake worth a damn!  So off to Publix I went with photos of my idea and they made it happen.

Ellie's smash cake

 Needless to say she enjoyed her party!!

Pictures

I'm new to the whole blogging thing, but I do plan on adding photos here and there.  Especially for my recipes.  I'm a visual person and I prefer to see a picture of what I'm making.  Just a head's up.

Ellie's First Beach Day

What a great weekend we all had.  The weather was absolutely beautiful.  We decided to head up to Palm Beach, initially just for the night, but we ended up staying the entire weekend.  On Sunday, we took Ellie to the beach. 

Ellie and Uncle Luke

She's been to the beach a handful of times, but this was pretty much before she could walk.  She'd tag along with us in her carseat.  But this time was a blast.  She was a little afraid of the tide at first- when it would wash ashore on her little feet, but she is fearless!  In no time she was splashing around like she was born to be in the ocean.  It was so sweet.  Uncle Luke says he's going to teach her to surf, and when that time comes- I have no doubt she'll love it.  She's not much for getting messy, though.  When the sand would get on her hands she'd make a little scowl on her face and hold out her hands.  She really is a hoot.

Alexa stayed behind.  Gigi and Pawpaw (Marshall's grandparents) watched her for us while we went.  It is so funny the way you change when you have your second child.  We always toted Ellie along wherever we went, having someone else watch her wasn't really an option for us.  I was like a mama hawk and there was no way I was letting my little Ellie out of my sight.  Now, we have no problems asking someone to watch over them while we do this or that.  Not that Gigi or Pawpaw mind.  I know they love spending time with our girls and we are grateful for that!

Reflux

This reflux business has been very trying on our little family.  Especially since our special angel won't sleep because of it.    Thankfully, we have a great pediatrician.  She gave us some medicine (Zantac in a liquid form) for Alexa.  On Monday she told us that we should have some relief by the weekend. 

Last night and the night before were great.  I don't know if it is the medicine doing it's magic or the fact that we have her swaddled tighter than a crazy person in a straight jacket, but I'll take it.  I am waiting for 4 good nights in a row before I declare a success on this front.

Sweet Ellie has a mild fever.  Don't think for one second that it is slowing her down.  I love my girls so much.