Walking Lady and Other Random Thoughts...

I've been slacking on the blogging lately, but honestly, it is just hard enough to just keep up with life in general, let alone sitting down to blog. Tonight though the Mr is at class and Lucy went down at 7:00 pm on the dot without a peep, so immediately I grabbed a(nother) glass of wine and settled myself down on the couch with The Office on in the background. And..."ahhhhhhhhhh". Breathe.

I had something good to write tonight, I've always got ideas in my head that I think of throughout the day (and quite often in the middle of the night) but tonight, as I sit here in a (incredibly infrequent) moment of complete quiet and solitude, I cannot think of a single thing to write. So I apologize for the mish-mash of random updates and thoughts tonight. Blame the fact I get up at 4:45 am most days...or the 2 glasses of wine I'm in the process of imbibing. You choose.

So, a lot going on right now. The biggest news? Miss Lucy Lou is walking...er..make that running. She's been hanging on to things for months now and has been really tentative about just letting go and suddenly over the past couple weeks she's been a walking fool! She always requests to "wa" in the house, to the car, in the store...everywhere! No more Mama carrying that big girl around,no sir! She is going places -- fast! It's so cute most of the time she just takes off at a little tip toe run. My big girl!

One thing about Lucy that I haven't shared before? She's got the most adorable low, throaty voice. When she laughs it is all gravelly and low, totally hilarious coming from such a tiny,dainty, sweet looking girl! She says lots of words now, her current roster includes: "Apple" "Cat" "Mama" "Dadad" "Book" "Down" "Up" "Pupup" "Done" "Bath" "Mine" "Doll" and, of course, the ever wonderful, "No No No".

I don't have a whole a lot of other news. When I'm not working I'm with Lucy and Rob. Pretty simple really. I still miss her like crazy every minute at work, so that it still tough and honestly, I don't know if that will ever change...

So, since I'm blabbering randomly tonight and am contemplating a third glass of wine (its hard to type and hold a glass of wine you know, a girls gotta have priorities) I'm going to leave you with some of out latest pictures over the past month or so:

Our Life In Pictures:

  

"These boots are made for walking, 

 and that's just what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you."

-Nancy Sinatra

Re-Do...

I randomly entered this absolutely amazing local Mama Makeover contest and realized this morning that I answered the final question incorrectly. Question: Why should you be chosen for the Mama Makeover in 1000 words or less? My answer, something quite lovely and thoughtful about what motherhood means to me etc. etc. All totally valid and true and then this morning it hit me. The real reason I need a Mama Makeover?

Today I slept in, meaning I woke up at 5:20 am. GAH! I didn't have time to shower, so here I sit, unwashed, at my desk eating a Cadbury Cream Egg for breakfast. 

If that isn't reason enough... I don't know what is!

"Working mothers are guinea pigs in a scientific experiment to show that sleep is not necessary to human life."

-Author Unknown

Rocking...

Tuesday nights Lucy and I are by ourselves. Most of the time I love having this one on one time with her. Even with my new schedule I still don't feel like we have enough time, so 4 straight hours of just Mama and Lucy is pure bliss. Rob goes to school on Tuesday nights so its our time to eat, play, bath time and read -- just the two of us.

Tonight I was tired. I didn't sleep well last night. Getting up at 4:45 am was rough this morning. Work was long. I didn't take a lunch and just worked from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm straight through. When I came home I played with Lucy, but in all honestly I was looking forward to the time when she goes to bed and I could just ...sit. Alone. Veg in front of the TV. Not need to entertain or make silly faces or watch every little move to make sure she doesn't put something she shouldn't in her mouth or take a dive into the coffee table. To just sit. Ahhh.

So 7:00 pm rolled around. We had played, we had eaten Tortellini and sweet potatoes for dinner, we played some more, we had done bath time with tons of bubbles, we had read 3 books. She went down easy, as she usually does, and I was back downstairs by 7:15.

Downstairs I sat. Sat and stared blankly at the Olympic coverage for 20 minutes. I was relieved that she hadn't fussed and was about to pick up my computer to write a much overdue blog entry when I heard her stir on the monitor. Stir and then whimper. Then "Mama...mama...mama". Then crying. 

So much for my relaxation.

I went upstairs and Lucy was sitting in her crib, holding forlornly onto her "Milo" (which we *think* is a stuffed horse, but aren't entirely sure). Crying. I went and picked her up, wrapped her in her blanket as she snuggled her head into my shoulder. In the dark I sat down into the old rocking chair in her room and rocked. Even when she had fallen fast asleep on my shoulder I kept rocking. Every time I thought about getting up and putting her back in her crib I thought about Layla Grace, and I held on. I gently rubbed circles in her back and felt her soft little feet. I rubbed her hair with my chin and I wrapped her fingers around my finger. I buried my nose into her neck and smelled her lingering just bathed baby smell. And I sat and rocked, and rocked, and rocked. Thought about Layla Grace, and her family and how they so loved her and so wanted her to stay with them.

I prayed. Prayed for that family. Prayed for the health and safety of my own. I savored the rocking, the snuggled up baby, who is growing out of her babyhood by the minute, on my shoulder. Promised myself that no matter how tired, I will not take it for granted.

Hold someone who is dear to you close tonight. Promise me you won't take any of it for granted?

"You and I will meet again
When we're least expecting it
One day in some far off place
I will recognize your face
I won't say goodbye my friend
For you and I will meet again" 
-Tom Petty

Guest Post: Let Me Just Go Grab My Checkbook...

Boy, do I have a treat for you ladies (and gentlemen?) today! The lovely and completely hilarious Jen from Maybe If You Just Relax is a guestie today. I'm sure you all are as thrilled as I am. If you have no idea who this is, man, have I got a new blogger for you!

I've been a longtime fan of this lady, in fact, I think she was one of the first blogs ever that I started following on my Google Reader (pretty much the most wonderful invention to follow blogs) and to this day I get all giddy when I see she's posted a new post -- and then I laugh loudly and inappropriately at pretty much everything she says.

Enjoy!

....

"Let me just go grab my checkbook..."

That was my response to Jillian Michaels a few weeks ago.  When I first started the 30 Day Shred.  "You don't get abs like these for free, people!"  She yells, as she helps someone do crunches.  Someone with abs that would probably break your face if you looked at them wrong.

Yeah, well, at that point, I was ready to pay someone to shred my abs while I soaked in a nice bubble bath.  Preferably, someone good looking, muscular, who loves my jokes and wants to feed me chocolates instead of encouraging me to work out.

I want to hate Jillian Michaels, just on principal.  Workout videos are obnoxious.  I hate when people try to motivate me, it just annoys me.  I also hate when people with perfect bodies try to tell me how easy it is to jump around for thirty minutes.  And I can't watch The Biggest Loser because all of the grunting and crying makes me want to claw out my own eyes, or just change the channel to something more respectable.  Like Jersey Shore.

So many valid reasons why I should hate Jillian.  But the truth is that I have a strange girl crush on her.  I've been doing The Shred three days a week for almost a month, and I must say...that bitch means business.  There is a whole side-lunge thing combined with an arm exercise that has me  all sweaty and groaning like something dirty is happening in my living room.  

Yes, I groan and grunt like a 400 pound Biggest Loser contestant.  It is about as attractive as it sounds.

BUT, I have lost about 5 pounds.  And the workout that once made me leak profanities from the blackest part of my soul?  Is not so hard.  I still have more rolls than a bakery, but I can notice a difference underneath the dough.  And I've been able to work in three days a week of running on the treadmill along with Jillian.  I'm like two workouts away from being able to give my husband a piggy back ride to the Taco Bell drive through.

Why am I hogging up Beverley's blog to tell you this?  Well, because I am a slutty whore.  That's why.  Because I'm a slutty whore, and I'm ready to change it up and cheat on Jillian.  And I'd like your help, because you are smart and pretty and your ass looks fantastic in those pants.

What workouts do you love?  What workout gurus do you love to hate?  Do you make naughty noises while you workout? 

 

"A pretty woman is a welcome guest."

-Lord Byron

2010 Resolution Check In...

Since it's been just over a month since I wrote out my lofty New Year's Resolutions(aptly named "Eat.Pray.Love" )I thought I'd do a check in to report in on how I'm doing. Here we go:

• Eat - I'm happy to report that we're doing fairly well with our cutting out processed foods. I don't think we were that big on eating them in the first place, but you'd be surprised to see where you see harmful trans fats, dyes, additives and preservatives. We avoid corn syrup and opt for products made with cane or beet sugar (we completely avoid "fake" sugars altogether because they give me migraines). We're also making an effort to eat foods that contain actual "whole grains", opting for products made with the main ingredient being whole wheat or oats, (like pastas, cereals, crackers, rice, etc). I downloaded the Environmental Working Group's  "Dirty Dozen and Clean 15"  food guide and carry it with me. It lets me know which foods I should buy organic and the ones I don't necessarily have to worry about (this is really only necessary until the Farmer's Market opens, which is when we buy all local/organic every week). To save money we buy organic produce on sale after checking the Sunday paper's ads and also buy organic at Costco whenever they have it in, we also buy organic milk at Costco, which in the end costs basically as much as grocery store milk. Lastly, we've made a concerted effort to sit down at the dinner table every night. We're selling Lucy's Peg Perego High Chair (we bought it used on Craigslist so back it goes!) and bought the IKEA Antilop High Chair that has a removable tray so she can sit at the actual table with us (review to come soon, this chair ROCKS). All in all I think I'm doing pretty good on the Eat Resolution.

• Pray - To tell you the truth I'm failing miserably at this one. I had a sweet reader tell me all about her awesome church here in Oregon, and generously invited us to join her and her family and we STILL haven't gotten around to it .Katherine, if you're out there I hope the invite is still good! It's difficult to actually go to church on Sunday mornings because Lucy still takes morning naps, so church usually equals a super fussy Lucy which is awkward when you're somewhere where you don't know anyone. Also, I really don't feel comfortable dropping Lucy off at a nursery in a strange place. So, yes, these are excuses but they are really why we haven't made it to church yet. The Pray Resolution needs work.

• Love - I love Rob. I love Lucy. I've got my two great Loves. It's just that sometimes I just plain don't Love everything else. I still complain too much, even though half the time I don't even complain to anyone in particular... I complain to myself in my head and it brings me down. I'm still getting dragged down by the things that aren't going just right. I think wishful thoughts of how I want things to be and instead of making them happen I get petulant that they haven't happened already or that it will be difficult to get there, it will be a trial to MAKE them happen. I've got to Love the journey as well. I'm missing out and I'm not doing myself any favors if I don't Love even during the difficult times. So, yes, the Love Resolution needs work too.

So, one out of three isn't so bad. Right? How about you readers? Anyone sticking to their resolutions so far? Please share!

PS. It wasn't a resolution but I did also blog in January about Simplifying and so far I've done one room and one closet. They're my zen little corners of my house at the moment. Man does it feel good to get rid of the clutter!

"The philosophy of mine earth can be summed up as this:  Sunshine creates happiness, and I create myself.  Nights are long and life is predominantly good.  Wind is refreshing.  Tea is wisdom.  Do the best you can, and be good to yourself so that you can above all be good to others. "

-Jessi Lane Adams

Millie's Bows...

Last Friday Lucy and I went over to a friend's house for a uber glam baby photo shoot for a friend's new Etsy shop Millie's Bows. Turns out Lucy is a lousy model, she's way more interested in playing with her friend Kate's toys and showing off her mad standing-almost-walking skillz to the other babies that she simply wouldn't sit still for the pictures. 

So I suppose she's not going to qualify for America's Next Top Baby Model, however, for her time (and my effort) my lovely friend Jamie of Bungalow Bee is going to give Lucy some of her sweet bows from Millie's Bows (named after her equally sweet baby Amelia). I love the thought of supporting stay-at-home mom businesses and Jamie has been a friend of mine since we were in Junior High (there are some amazing pictures out there of her, myself and her twin sister, who is one of my best friends). She's super creative and I just think her little shop is going to take off like crazy. They are just absolutely darling, my personal favorites being the tiny flowered ones and the ladybug ones, but don't take my word for it go take a look for yourself here! 

"Think left and think right and think low and think high.  Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"

-Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

Wow...

This video from Mom 2.0 just made me tear up. I WANT to go to this conference. ::Sigh:: Here's to wishful thinking, right?

So true and beautiful that it hurts. Right?

"You are writing the story of your only life, every single day. And my greatest hope for you, sweet child, is that I can teach you how to write a good one."
-Katherine Center (check her out here)