10 Reasons Why I Love You: 5 Months

Two months late, but better late than never…right?
{5 Months}


1. You rolled over, back to front, for the first time unassisted!  February 15, 2014.  We were in Big Sky, Montana on a family ski trip, and you casually rolled back to front like it was no big deal.  Dad led us in a rousing cheer, and you smiled your sweet gummy smile in silent pride.  We’re so proud of you!  You then continued to show off your mad roll skills a handful of times later that day.


2. You are such a calm, mellow baby.  Many people have commented on your relaxed, easy going, and calm demeanor.  And they’re completely right, you are a pretty “chill” baby, your dad says you definitely get that from him and not me.  He’s probably right...  


3. You’ve become much more skilled at finding your thumb while sitting up. In the car seat, seated on the airplane, leaning on mom’s shoulder, you’ve improved your aim at engaging that left thumb with a comfortable suck.  It’s the sweetest.


4. We’ve discovered your infatuation / fear of bubbles.  It is hysterical!  You are awed by the soapy bubbles floating through the air, but often terrified as they pop before your eyes, throwing your hands back with a sharp gasp.  It provides endless entertainment.


5. Since you mastered thumb sucking at a mere 6 weeks, I guess it was only a matter of time before you discovered it is also possible to suck your toes.  This is your latest endeavor on the beloved changing table, grabbing your feet and pulling them up to your face, with an occasional  toe meeting lips.  Oh, my flexible daughter!


6. I love your deep, contented sigh.  Sometimes, after a gaze that takes it all in, you exhale this deep breathe and shrug your shoulders a tiny bit.  It’s the most adorable thing.


7. You’ve discovered how to sit up in the bath tub, reaching your little fingers forward to grip the opposite edge of the bathtub, reaching for the little rubber ducky and frog.  It makes mommy a little nervous, but you’re always eager to explore, and I don’t want to stand in your way.


8. Every day you become more aware of your environment.  The lights glowing on the ceiling, the clouds in the sky, a car started behind you.  You look, stare, survey, and gaze at everything, knowingly taking it all in. I wish I knew what you were thinking as your big blue eyes gaze around at this big world we live in.


9. You’re a ticklish little one.  I hold my fingers high above your head and slowly wiggle my fingers creeping closer and closer to you. You usually giggle in anticipation as my fingers come closer and closer, and you definitely burst into a fit of giggles when my fingers meet your skin.  It’s so much fun to play with you.

10. Every night we tell you what we’re thankful for.  You, of course!  We share specifics, thankful for a family member, a good day at work, but usually our thanks are everything to do with sweet, wonderufl you, the latest giggle, a new milestone, we are thankful for you every day.

Dinner Last Night: Dinner Strata

I've decided to escape my spaghetti rut and get back to meal planning.  My husband has been traveling for work, leaving me to play single mom for many weeknights this past month.  I admit, in spite of all my efforts, I did fall into a spaghetti + red sauce, frozen pizza, and pancake of a dinner vortex which I am finally emerging from in need of healthier food, and even better, variety.

A quick scour of the Food Network this weekend merited some promising recipes, even a few from the FN host everyone loves to hate - Rachael Ray.  I've never been a huge Rachael Ray fan.  It bugs me how she refers to olive oil as "EVOO" (i.e. extra virgin olive oil).  Really, does it take THAT long to say that phrase?  (Sigh).  Ultimately, I'm not her biggest fan. I would rather watch Giada, Ina, or even Ree chop, sauté, and flambé any day.  However...the girl does know how to put together an easy weeknight meal - hence my attempt at Dinner Strata.  Always a fan of a breakfast casserole, this strata is essentially a casserole through a dinner lens.  Works for me!

What's your favorite weeknight dinner recipe? I'd love to add to my inventory!

image/rachaelray

A Day of Snuggles

Today I took a sick day.  My little bug was up most of the night, with what turned out to be a double ear infection. Poor thing.  So today, instead of my usual grind of corralling and attempting to inspire 26 first graders, I spent the day at home, snuggling with my baby.  I'll admit I was tired, I didn't get much shut eye last night either, but somehow that didn't matter.  Cuddling her soft little body against my mine, her tired head heavy against my chest, little hands curling around my fingers in our laps.  Today was a day well spent.  A day where I can't get enough of being a mom, of the sweetness and wonderfulness of my little one.  Snuggling on the couch together, listening to her soft breathing beside me, and coaxing out a few "I'm feeling better" smiles.  These are the days I want to remember.  Days where I wore my yoga pants all day long, my hair is in a messy knot atop my head, not a stitch of make-up has been applied.  Days where the sink is full of dishes, and I'm dining on frozen pizza for dinner, but even in spite of this darn ear infection, everything in my life feels perfect.

image/maryruffle

Link Love

+ Paul Rudd's lip-sync off feature on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, his rendition of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" is PERFECTION, and um, has he aged at ALL since Clueless?!?  Love him!

+ Can't wait to make this cocktail - the Mexican hipster (P.S., love the name!)

+ Bette Midler's "Wing Beneath My Wings" at the Oscars…did anyone else cry like I did?

+ Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm photo bomb NYC tourists!

+ Parents lip sync spot-on to the Frozen soundtrack in the car, while their bored daughter in the backseat.  HILARIOUS!

+ The walking on eggshells CHALLENGE!

image/isuwanee

Divergent

Don't let the overzealous CGI fire swirl of a cover deter you.  This book is pretty gripping!  At a girlfriends dinner a few weeks ago, I realized all of my closest friends had read this book, and peer pressure got the best of me...I downloaded it via kindle that evening to catch up in order to fully participate in the "Divergent dialogue" that I know will ensue at our next gathering.  Yes, we are that cool!

So…Divergent.  It kind of has a futuristic post-apocolyptic Hunger Games world combined with Hogwart's sorting hat and a splash of The Giver for a plot.  Does that help in the slightest?  It's the first in a trilogy, and it's pretty good so far.  And of course, there's already a movie debuting March 21st, I swear Hollywood moves at lightening speed these days, remember when it took years, decades even for a book to become a movie?!

Have you been sucked in yet?

image/amazon

Life Lately

Hello, out there.  Remember me?  It's been weeks since I've even opened feedly, and my latest glance at my own blog revealed a measly 11 posts this year.  Eleven.  Pathetic, I tell you.  My apologies  to the any loyal readers who are still out there.

While going back to work in January hasn't been consistent smooth sailing, I feel like we've finally fallen into a routine that's comfortable.  Needless to say, with only a few limited hours with my sweet girl, blogging has definitely been the short straw in terms of priorities.  However, I do really want to keep blogging, I love knowing that anecdotes of our life at this exact moment exist.  Words to capture the everyday snippets of our daily routine, the growth and sweet milestones of my daughter's life - so I can one day look back on these with warm nostalgia and remember when.

But between teaching 26 first graders all day long, running errands, making a semi-nutritious and/or healthy dinner, quality time with my husband, and of course playing, giggling, and loving up my daughter…sometimes at the end of the day, a heaping glass of red wine - boxed, of course ;) - and kicking my feet up while I indulge in an episode of Scandal is all I can manage.  And don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint in the slightest, as I sincerely love my life, and everything in it.  But truly, I'm curious, how do you find balance?  Somedays, I feel like I'm a master juggler, all the balls are gloriously floating through the air harmoniously in sync, others, it feels like I'm callously dropping balls left and right.  Is there a secret formula I am missing, or does it just take time and practice?  

What's your secret to balancing everything in your life?

image/bloom

Let It Go

This made me smile today, have you seen?  
What a great song.  Now, I MUST see this movie!  Have you seen Frozen?