Sunday, March 25, 2012

Then & Now

Then:
 Now:
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 Then:
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And everyday... It just gets better...

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Will She Like Cupcakes?


As if the title of this blog wasn’t a big enough hint, I am a sucker for a cupcake.  All sweets, really – but something about a cupcake really does it for me.  At my wedding, I even opted for cupcakes instead of a wedding cake!

So anyway, lately Cameron Kate has been developing her little personality.  It’s so fun to watch her figure things out and blossom into, well, a little person.  We’ve concluded she has quite a silly side to her, and all of her recent developments have me wondering what kind of toddler/child/teenager/person she’ll grow into.

Will she like cupcakes?

Will she enjoy running, like her dad and I do?

I wonder if she’ll prefer cleats or ballet shoes.  Will she prefer pigtails with bows or a messy ponytail?

Will she be a planner, like me, or more go-with-the-flow, like her dad?

Will she love having her nose inside of a book, like her Bammy?

I wonder if she’ll like school as much as I did.  And if she’ll get into trouble for talking too much… like I did.

Will she like putting on makeup?  Will she be into dolls, and jewelry, and dress-up?

Will she enjoy swimming as much as her dad does?

I wonder how tall she’ll be and what color her eyes will settle into.

Will she like Minnie Mouse?  Or Sesame Street?

Will she like the beach, and the sand, and the ocean breeze?

I wonder a lot about my sweet girl, and can’t wait to see what her future holds.  As a toddler, as a little kid, and even as a teenager.

And truth be told, as long as she’s healthy and happy, I’ll be okay if she doesn’t like cupcakes!
 Hi!
 C's new best friend
 Running with my mom is exhausting!
 Practicing sitting like a big girl!
 Friday afternoon happy hour on the back porch!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Everyday I'm Shuffling


I’m the type of person one looks at and says, “Live a little!”

         What they probably should say is, “Live a lot!”

I’m mildly Type-A, love checking off boxes on my To-Do list, revel in making plans, and have to take deep breaths when those plans veer off course.

However, since Cameron Kate was born, I obviously have had to laugh in the face of my Type-A personality on many accounts.  There’s nothing like a baby to teach you how to live in the moment.  And, since going back to work, my personality is in a constant state of back-and-forth between not taking a single moment for granted and making sure all of the zillion To-Do’s are completed in the short time I have to get it all done.

Enter my New Year’s resolutions (see previous post), which included being more spontaneous and not taking a single minute for granted.

         Yeah, I’m still working on that.

And although my husband may say I have a long way to go, I think I’m making some progress!  I really am trying to enjoy every nook and cranny of my days in this new life as a wife and a mom.  And I really do love this life!  I just wish I could get even better at being more spontaneous, not sweating the small stuff, and soaking in every single second.  It’s a process, I guess.

So anyway, every Friday afternoon when I pick up C from school, we jam out and dance to the “Everyday I’m Shuffling” song by LMFAO (I can’t remember the actual title… but every time I hear that line, the song gets stuck in my head for like 48 hours.  It’s probably stuck in your head now, too.)  It’s our little tradition, celebrating the fact that the weekend is here and we have two whole days to spend together.  So last Monday morning when I got into my car, the song was still cued up from Friday.  My first reaction was to change it – that’s the Friday song, not the Monday song!  But then I thought, why not?!  And I proceeded to car-dance all the way to school, with the song on repeat.  I even practiced my steering wheel finger dance I learned from my mama. J  No joke, I was literally out of breath from dancing as I drove down the road.  People drove past me and looked at me like I was a lunatic.  BUT, most of those people ended up smiling and laughing at me.  So hey!  Maybe the positive energy was contagious, which we all know is needed on a Monday morning.

These days, I’m all about relishing in little moments like that, moments that can unexpectedly put a smile on your face.  Cameron honestly makes me want to soak in every second, because it’s all going by so fast now that she’s here!  (How is she five months old already?!)

These days, I’m living for her smiles, her giggles, those sweet fat rolls on her thighs… The way she discovers something new everyday, and the way she looks at her daddy with such adoration.  I’m living for red wine and Cadbury eggs (the candy I HOARD when Easter goodies hit the shelves), Skinnygirl Margaritas and home-cooked meals.  I’m living for the moment when I lay my head on my hub’s shoulder after Cameron’s in bed and we’ve finished dinner, with a sigh and a smile that another wonderful day has passed.  And we kicked butt as parents.

What I’m trying to say, I guess, is that I’m attempting to live… A LOT.

         Everyday I’m shuffling…

 Twins?
 Me and my girl
 The surprise I brought my hub on Friday night!
 Sweet baby

 5 months old and showing off a lil' leg!
 I can't believe five months have passed!


Sunday, March 4, 2012

A Dusty Hairdryer

I have only used my hair dryer twice since October 10th.  Isn’t that pitiful?!  When I pulled it out to use it before Cameron’s church dedication, it had collected dust.  Now, before she was born, I would blow-dry my hair religiously every.single.day.  Like most twenty-something females, I was decently concerned with my appearance, putting quite a bit of thought into how I looked each day… from my outfit, to my hair, to my makeup.  I would agonize over a pimple – vanity at its finest.

These days?  Obviously, that’s changed quite a bit, proven by the ½ inch or so of dust that has resided on my hair dryer.  And my straightener.  And my curling iron.  And half of my makeup collection.

         These days, I’m lucky if my clothes are clean.

No really… the other day I got to school and realized my shirt was soaking wet.  I was so confused… then I remembered when Cameron had spit up before I left for school.  However, when she spit up, I couldn’t find it (remember the scene from There’s Something About Mary?... it was just like that, only less crude).  So anyway, when I got to school I realized her spit up had soaked my shirt, and I didn’t realize it until I was already at work.  Delicious.

I also spend a lot less time in front of the mirror these days, unless you count the ten minutes or so in the mornings where I throw on some makeup and brush my soaking wet hair.  So the other morning on the way to school when I looked in the car mirror and saw my eyebrows, I was shocked – where did THOSE come from?!  Let’s back up… I’ve never had good eyebrows.  My hair above my eyes is like that on my head – fine and thin.  So right before Cameron was born, I’d decided to try to let them grow without plucking at all, just to see what they’d do.  So, about four and a half months later, I realized that I hadn’t touched a pair of tweezers in… well… four and a half months.  YEESH.  I then proceeded to spend ten minutes in front of the school where I work in my car plucking my eyebrows.  (Where did I find tweezers, you ask?  Well, remember my more vain days?  I carried a pair of tweezers in my purse, and it was still there!)

Even more embarrassing is the fact that I got halfway to school one morning and realized I hadn’t put a bra on.  No, I’m not kidding.  I had put on a nursing tank top, so I guess the support of that had me fooled until I went over a large pothole on Reynolda Road.  Maybe I need to tweak my checklists a bit.

         I’m a mess.  But I’m a happy mess!! J

We’re still having a blast with Cameron Kate, and I’m actually reverting back to tears on Sunday nights at the thought of going to work on Monday and being away from my girl.  She just gets more fun everyday!  The hub and I spent most of our weekend at home smiling and laughing with our bug.  And this whole rice cereal/oatmeal thing is a blast.  I look forward to it all day long!!  We’ll be doing it for a few weeks, then we’ll move on to veggies.  I can’t wait!  But, I can – because she’s growing up so/too fast.

And by the way, I’d trade well-styled hair and well-groomed eyebrows for all of this any day.  (But I’d better hold on to my bra.)

 Happy girl!
 Excited to try oatmeal on a Saturday morning!
 Working on sitting up like a big girl!
 She looks so tall here!
 FEET!  Of course.
Headed to church!