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Showing posts from 2008

FWD: Happy New Year!

So - let me just say . . . . Happy New Year. No, I didn't coin the phrase - but it is from me to you. And - this isn't a public, google-able, blog. So - if you have my blog address, it is because I actually want you to read this and/or vote on my poll or post a reply. If you are reading this, it is because I truly hope you have a beautiful day tomorrow (New Year's Day) - and a good idea of what will make your 2009 better than any other year of your life. Adam and Lily and I will be enjoying some down time tomorrow - as none of us have to punch a timeclock on the first day of the new year. (yeah!) We are really learning to cherish these fleeting days. I don't think we'll ever get them back once they are spent. Happy January 1st. To you and yours. Love, - adam's wife

2008 Holiday Season with Lily . . .

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Better than we ever could've expected. Thanksgiving was awesome. We had a nice, short drive down to the mountains to spend time with some cherished family members that we seldom see. My brother and his wife and son. They are so very important to me and Adam. They treated us like we were weary travelers in need of a peaceful respite in their home. My brother had prepared the guestroom; my sister-in-law had bought sweet little gifts for Lily and she made an incredible Thanksgiving dinner; and my "all-grown-up" nephew gave up a weekend of college-life to spend the holiday with us. Just before we left town, my sister-in-law insisted on a trip to the local babystore so that she could be assured that baby Lily had that one item that all mothers of crawlers need . . . the (formerly banned) baby-walker. And what an investment. I've never quite been a fan of the "exersaucer". I mean - sure - it seems like it might be fun for five minutes, but a baby like ours needs

Caring and Feeding and . . . . good advice

Recently, I found myself wondering how I would ever regain my mojo. Really. I'm not trying to be cute. It was a daily question I had. Each morning, I would wake up - hoping to find some part of my former self. And, each evening I would retire, missing the old, fun-loving, girl I used to be. Not only did I miss the old girl - but i missed her boyfriend too. That roughneck boxer that used to write poetry for her. I just didn't know that it was going to be so much of a challenge for us to get back in the saddle of marriage and togetherness. Now don't get me wrong. Nobody's complaining here. Adam and I are as happy as two fleas on a dog's tail when we think of our Lily. Adam is the most natural father that I've ever seen. Lily is so completely enamored with him. She is just more precious than either of us ever imagined. And, regularly, I find myself in amazement at how my love for her continually grows and changes. But what about us? What about our marriage? The glu

Dude, Where's my Husband!?

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The day we came home from the hospital with Lily, we were new people. I was the mom. He was the dad. We were confused and frightened and elated - but feeling all of these things separately. Like many idealistic young couples, we thought we had a pretty good idea of what family life would be like: pregnancy, birth, homelife is bliss, we all go back to work and maintain a "balance" through perseverance. Adam and I had declined all offers of postpartum help, and opted to stay home with her for the first week together. My maternity leave provided me six weeks to stay home and learn to be a mother. Then, our plan was for Adam to work, full time, during the weekdays, while I would work one evening shift and two long shifts on Saturdays and Sundays. On paper, our plan was unbeatable. We could both be full-time, stay-at-home parents and wage earners. We wouldn't have to sacrifice anything ! (Enter greed, pride, and a precious sort of ignorance). After about 5 months of this plan

Five What?! (and a family update)

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Yesterday, Miss Lily had her 4 month check-up. And, she had been very fussy. I had felt the sharp edge of a budding tooth last week. So, I was pretty sure she was having some discomfort from teething. Enter the nurses . . . giggling at my girl; making sweet faces; talking in excited voices - all in vain. Miss Lily was in no mood for socialization. She was interested in one of three things: chewing on her fists, chewing on her mom, or closing her eyes tightly and screaming repeatedly. The doctor enters - sweetly cuddles Miss Lily (while being harshly chided in babyscream) - and begins the examination. Here's where it gets interesting . . . . we open her tiny mouth. And we began to count. There were five teeth. Two front top teeth, two big bottom molars, and one bottom side tooth. There were also four bottom front teeth visible, but way beneath the gum surface. Seriously!? Back when Lily was eight weeks old, my older sister (registered nurse and mother of three) told me she though

A Tribute to my Lifemate . . .

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I just want to put this in print . . . in cyberprint I guess. My husband is working hard today - at a "J.O.B." He goes there every morning. He likes it well enough - but if he had the choice, he'd be doing something more fun. He could be shopping, going for a long walk, updating his blog, playing with his newborn daughter or enjoying a cup of coffee on the front porch - but he chooses to go to work and pay the bills so that I can do those things. Sure, the life of a "stay-at-home-mom" is full of work too. But it isn't a "J.O.B." I have the freedom to take Lily to the zoo and pay the bills tomorrow. I can catch a playdate with some other moms and put off the laundry another day or so. I wouldn't have those luxuries were it not for my husband. He misses a lot of fun here at home each day. But do I ever hear one complaint? Do I ever have to drag him out of bed and kick him out the door to get him to work? Nope. In fact, he gets up and helps me i

The Dry Erase Calendar . . .

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This morning I was trying to figure out which day of the week my mother's birthday would be this year. I was in the kitchen, and, out of habit, glanced at our dry erase calendar on the side of the fridge. About a year ago, I picked up this large, plain, dry erase board at Target. With a permanent marker, I made 35 equal squares on it, to represent the days of each month. It became The Family Calendar. And, for about a year, every month, I would take the calendar, fill in all the dates of the month, and write down all of the engagements we had for that month; indicate which bills needed to be mailed on what day; excitedly write in birthdays, special events, anniversaries and parties to attend. The calendar was color-coded. Adam's engagements were written in blue, mine in green, and joint engagements were in purple. Organization at it's best. Well - this morning, when I glanced over to find the date, I was disappointed. The last calendar update was made on May 11th, 2008 and

Top 10 Reasons to LOVE Life with a Newborn Lily . . .

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so far, being a mom is the most lovely experience of my life. my sweet baby Lily is 11 weeks old and an absolute blessing to her father and me. here are ten reasons we are loving life with her: 10. Smiles, coos and baby giggles. 9. Drool on the left shoulder is good luck. 8. She's still breathing - and we'll check to make sure in another five minutes. 7. Perfect excuse for cancelling plans. 6. Learn to do anything . . . one-handed. 5. She's so advanced ! 4. Who needs "grown-up" conversation? 3. Projectile bodily functions . . . of all kinds. 2. More LOVE than we've ever known before. 1. No chance we'll oversleep!