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Monday, November 26, 2012

A Different Perspective

It is easy to forget that babies are seeing and experiencing things they never have before. Elsa has made weird noises, and taken deep gasps of air because it was something new to experience. The same can be said for vision. She has started looking at the world from a new perspective. Sideways. I wonder what is so intriguing about a sideways glance?


Friday, November 23, 2012

Countdown of Thanks

This year I decided to do a Thanksgiving Countdown on Facebook. I thought this was a good place to put them all together in one place, so in the coming years I can reflect on them.

#1: I am thankful for my amazing husband and daughter. (The rest of the family is coming don't worry, I have 22 of these to do. Lol)

#2: I am thankful for the support and love from our families.


#3: I am thankful for connecting and building an amazing relationship with my sister, brother-in-law and nieces. They have enhanced my life more than I realized.


#4: I am thankful for a stable roof over our heads. We can pay our mortgage, keep the lights on and provide a safe place for Elsa. Not everyone can say that and I realize that it's a special thing.


#5: I am thankful for the stable decent paying jobs that both Steve and I have. Again, I know these are something special, because not everyone has one. And I appreciate that.


#6: I Am thankful I live in a country where I can express my rights by voting in a free election. Please vote today! Please be kind to your fellow Americans! And please respect the process and get on board with whoever is in office. No matter who that person is he is or will be our president!


#7: I am thankful for being a mom. This wasn't something that came easy, but since it finally did come it has been amazing. Everyday I learn something new about myself through her eyes.


#8: I am thankful for such a wealth of good friends. From elementary school to college and adult to mommy they have helped shape who I am. Their support is amazing and I can only hope I am as good a friend to them as they are to me.


#9: I am thankful that my husband recognized I needed some me time and got me a pamper me day. He went fishing, ulterior motive? Ha ha


#10: I am thankful for a gator win no matter how ugly it was. On a deeper level, I'm thankful for the fact that I grew up in such a great town with great people, places and teams. We have the outdoors, great museums, community events, and a superb university. Go Gainesville!!


#11: I am thankful for friends with witty kids. I truly enjoy the little quips posted on Facebook. "out of the mouths of babes."


#12: I am thankful for my fur babies. They are annoying, fluffy, smelly, adorable, sweet, eat poop, destructive at times and love us unconditionally.


#13: Thankful my mother taught me that if I have a dream about someone or am really thinking about them to connect with them. There is always a reason they are so strongly in your thoughts.


#14: I am thankful for incredible health insurance. Without it I would probably be a hermit hiding from the world with migraines everyday. My wish is for everyone in America to be provided affordable healthcare options, for healthcare costs to be realistic and for those less fortunate be provided preventative healthcare.


#15: I am thankful for my daughter having the best dad. He changes diapers, feeds her, bathes her, plays with her and makes her smile. What more could a mama ask for?


#16: I am thankful for modern conveniences. Where would I be without my laptop, iPhone, fancy camera, dishwasher, Internet, big screen tv and video baby monitor? And do much more. Probably reading a real book instead of an electronic one. ;-) (And after the actual post, I realized I needed to say I wasn't bragging, but I might need an intervention.)


#17: it's Saturday so I should be thankful for another gator win. But that's been done already. I am thankful for early morning wake ups so we can go to the Flying Biscuit Cafe without waiting in line. Love creamy dreamy grits!


#18: I am apparently thankful for a wonderful husband. Because as I was told, you can't say it enough. I do adore him and love all that he does for me and Elsa.


#19: I am thankful for a fenced in backyard. It gives our fur kids the ability to run around all crazy. Elsa loves watching them, puts a smile her little face.


#20: thankful we arrived to our thanksgiving destination safely.


#21: I am thankful for the special gifts we have received this year, especially Elsa Anna.


#22: my final thanks is for family, love, friends, peace, and laughter. All things I could not live without. And I wish this for all of you!


Monday, November 19, 2012

Abby Wambach is a Bad A$$

I had the craziest dream last night. Steve and I were driving down 16th street coming up the intersection at 43rd street. I look out to the left and I see Abby Wambach sitting sideways on a bicycle with her legs over the left side. She then proceeds to lean back over the right side and do crunches! All this while the bike is heading down the street. And I look at Steve and say "That's why Abby Wambach is a bad a$$!"

http://www.abbywambach.com/wambach/index

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Life Before 10 AM

In my non-child days I would love to go "run errands." That is code word for browse and shop. Most stores I went to did not open until 10am, so I thought why be up any earlier? Ha ha, joke is on me. Now that I am with child, we are up so freaking early. And wouldn't you know stores that cater to children, such as Toys-R-Us, are open as early as 7am! 7am people!! Who knew?

There is one really good bonus to this early morning wake up call, we can eat at the Flying Biscuit Cafe without standing in line for over an hour.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Elsa's first tooth

Elsa finally cut her first tooth.  It was a total surprise. I let her chew my finger since I forgot her pacifier while we were out. Once she chomped down I announced that we had a tooth!


Friday, November 16, 2012

Holiday Shopping for Elsa

This new mom has learned a very annoying lesson. At the beginning of October I decided to get a cute outfit for Elsa to have her pumpkin patch photos taken in. I headed to the mall. Silly me, in October there are no "fall" clothes left. Every store had Christmas and holiday clothes. I waited too long. After 2 hours and 6 stores I settled on some clearance items at Gymboree.

During this process I manage to lose my keys. So I spend another hour+ looking all over the mall for them. The staff at Belks, where I bought a thanksgiving bib, provides no help whatsoever. The staff at JCP where I didn't make a purchase put a call out to all of their customer service desks to see if they had been returned. GAP staff looked all over thir store while I was on the phone with them. And the ladies at the Gymboree store helped me tear apart the store twice to look for them. I gave up and called Steve to bring me a spare set and as I was waiting I got a call that they were found at Gymboree.  The ladies there kept looking until they found them. I was so thankful and sent a note to their corporate office. I am so glad my purchase for her outfit was made there.

And here is the end product....


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Mom in the photo

I was moved recently by an article in the Huffington Post about a mom that realized she wasn't in photos with her kids. She felt self conscious and not at her best post pregnancy and shied away from photographs. My "due date club" online vowed together as a group to start taking more photos with their kids no matter how great or terrible we felt or looked. The kids deserve to have photos with both of their parents. I am happy to say, that no matter how bad I look I always take photos of myself with Elsa. I want to have those memories for her future. Here are a few examples...again good and bad.