Back from Paradise

We have returned safely from one paradise (Hawaii) to another (Florida).

I recovered from a sinus infection just in time to board the plane, only to come back to another cold/sinus thing that I hope clears up in the next day or so. Please! I really hate how near impossible it is to tackle my ever increasing to-do list while being sick-blah. All I know is my ears still haven't popped from our three flight marathon, and I'm ready for my head to feel like its not under water, in a vice grip and having helium pumped in it all at the same time.

The trip was truly amazing, and I'm hoping to write about it and share pictures very soon. We also brought co-sleeping back from our trip. James' room is much too far away, he's been waking up around 11 and that seems like perfect cuddle time to me. Really I don't want to make multiple trips across our room, down the hall, through the dining room, up the stairs, down another hall to his room. So right now he's cuddled up at the foot of our bed and I'm reading and writing this. Love being so close together.

 

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Curly Q

So I'm having a hard time with my hair these days.

I went to a girls night out with some old friends a few weeks ago and confessed to not knowing how to do my hair in the Florida humidity. To which I got looks of dismay from my friends who couldn't believe I was having such a struggle. But I do think there are lots of contributing factors, and wondering if anyone else has some tips. Truth be told I'm a stay at home momma and its hot in the sunshine state, my main styling goal is a cute pony tail, which I've been failing at due to numerous factors:

After a few years of taking pre-natal vitamins I have some very thick locks, which I'm just not used to.

I have some layers I'm looking to control from shorter hair cuts in the past.

Florida Humidity

I don't have hardly any time (or choose not to spend hardly any time) to style my hair.

And last my not least, my main issue is all these new curly ringlets I've acquired since having James. Fun fact for all my non-mommy friends here: your hair falls out like crazy after giving birth. And guess what? Mine grew back a totally new way-make way stick straight hair I've had my whole life to welcome curly ringlets -it's crazy. One third of my hair is stick straight, one third wavy and one third curly curly curly.

My whole head won't curl using curling products and won't stay straight after a 45 minute blowout and round with the flat iron. What's a girl to do? I've watched tutorials on UTube, tried far too expensive products and even when I take the time, don't get the results I'd like.

I just got a new cut that makes things a little more manageable, thank goodness!




Am I alone? Should I do a keratin treatment? How much are they? Cute pony ideas?


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Big News!

James took his first steps on Friday night, and it was the coolest!!

It's the most amazing experience to watch him learn and discover new things everyday. He vocabulary has exploded and he says well over 20 words, I love hearing him say new things everyday. Balloon, door and here are the latest additions.

Watching him toddle around warms and breaks my heart all at the same time. As he becomes more independent, I loose my baby. The walking is totally a milestone that means he's not my little baby anymore.

On Saturday I cried as he proudly marched around the kitchen. My heart bursting with pride, love and the realization of time passing right before my eyes. I can honestly say I've cherished every single moment we've spent together. And feel beyond blessed that I'm with him all day everyday. Sometimes I'm physically tired, but want to be with my sweet boy to celebrate and appreciate every moment and milestone as he grows into the young man God created.

This weekend was a chance for us to look towards the future for James while honoring his daddy's past. It was Josh's 15 year high school reunion. Which brought on a fun filled day of campus tours, concerts and catching up with wonderful friends, at one of our fav old date spots, Pane Rustica.

We can't wait for James to follow in his daddy's footsteps. Here's a pic of him in the football locker room with daddy's old jersey #.







We hope he'll be running on this field one day!



Can't believe how fast time is flying by, but loving every moment.

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From Davis Islands to Dunedin

I had lunch today with a sweet friend who I used to work with. We used to hit up all the cute restaurants on the little island we worked on just outside of downtown Tampa on our lunch break.

Now we have working lunches, with kids in tow. She introduced me to Sweet Pea Cafe, which I absolutely adore, and was even happier that some of my (and James') buddies that we met for a playdate at the park earlier were headed there as well.



It doesn't get much better than a white picket fence surrounded play yard with a sand box, play house, pirate ship, balls and bubble machine. The shade from the towering oaks and mint tea make this momma willing to work through lunch any day.



After a morning spent at a playground on the water and a nice lunch with sweet friends and our sweet peas, I'm so grateful that we get to call Florida home.



James seems pretty happy about it as well!

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The planning is half the fun...

Is it weird to be getting more nervous about our trip to Hawaii than excited? The reality of taking a 15 month old on a 17 hour travel day plus 6 hour time change has me a little anxious!

I've started to plan out bits and pieces of our trip. Am I the only one who makes trip itineraries with list of possible activities each day. Like these are the three things we could stop and do on our way from the airport and resort. Usually we do one to two things on my list of 10 possible activities. I like to plan and have options. Glad I've been able to sneak some moments here and there to get organized for this big trip because this time last week, I hadn't given our trip much thought, but now I have a 6 pages travel game plan. It's slowly coming together.

Most of our friends have gone to Hawaii without their kids. It's kind of a romantic get away. They've had lots of great recommendations, but we can't go horseback riding on the beach or ride bicycles down a volcano with James strapped on back. Could you imagine? We are planning on the bike tour, granted James will be hanging out with his grandparents when we roll out at 3 am.

We really want to do our vacations as a family so that means being resourceful on our activities, sleep schedule and flights. I think we may be sleeping in shifts, ha ha.

When booking our flight, I thought 2 first class tickets would be better than 3 coach. Now I'm really starting to question this. I thought the added legroom would give James some more room to move around/stand and stretch, but now I think he'll want his own space. I wish I didn't second guess every decision I make. That would be so much more efficient.

I'm prepping activity bags, thinking what should go in our cooler full of snacks and even downloaded some shows on ITunes.

James hasn't really ever watched TV (first born TV rule follower here-ha), but I just bought the first season of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse just in case. It doesn't help that he's more into a book throwing vs reading phase. I guess just as long as I can keep him from doing this while in the airplane lavatory, I'll be good.


(This happened in less time than it took me to tie one tennis shoe)

Any Maui or traveling with toddler tips? Toddler App recommendations? We still have a few more days here on the mainland ;) but they will mostly be spend packing a prepping for our next adventure!

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Snack Time

Our afternoons at Gymboree are over now that it closed. So we spend our afternoons at home, playing and swimming.

No more snacks on the run, now 'we' eat them at the table.



Molly is excited to get afternoon snacks now.


Now I know why James dropped to the 26th percentile for weight.




Our last time at Gymboree a few days ago.


I can't get James to sit through any classes - he likes to MOVE! Open play was perfect for us. Story time and music classes are pretty crazy and usually cut short.



And so is snack time! I've got an active boy on my hands!

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Getting There...

Well if there is anything I'm consistent at it's being inconsistent with blogging - ha!
Last week I had a terrible cold, that has turned into a terrible - as in my teeth hurt - sinus infection.  Every time I think, hey this is clearing up, it gets worse immediately, how is this somehow like my child's sleep habits?!?
I shouldn't really say that...
James is sleeping through the night and taking a two to sometimes four hour nap in the afternoon - PRAISE THE LORD!  His wake-up time has been getting 15 minutes earlier day by day which I find strange, but I'll take five uninterrupted hours of sleep over 6/7 up every three hours.  Ahh parenting =)
Speaking of which, I took a mini parenting break this weekend, which was much needed and enjoyed.  I went to a Phi Mu luncheon with my mom in Orlando on Saturday. 


This was the first time I've left James with my husband and I knew that he was going to be better taken care of by him than by me.  Not that I don't think Josh is an amazing parent - because he's pretty darn awesome.  But I try to be pretty darn awesome most of the time, too.  I was just tired, sick and needed a break.  James did get his first hot dog on Saturday - but I guess this is where the nutritional balancing act comes in.
Now, I'm not back to being super mom by any means, but oh I enjoyed those few hours alone in the car.  It took me 15 months, being pretty darn sick and very overwhelmed by our house/move/life responsibilities to feel this way.  But I'm glad to be back in the swing of things, working on the house, getting things checked off my to-do list (heck getting to write a to-do list), and most importantly being a much better momma to my little guy.
We've had lots of playdates, trips to the gym, healthy meals, projects done, heck I've even gotten my hair cut, and FL drivers license this week and it's only Wednesday!



We took a short trip to the beach on Sunday and hoping to have a longer one this Memorial Day Weekend.

Molly found a great place to nap while I went for a swim on Sunday afternoon.


 

Mothers Day

In one years time...



Mother's Day 2012



Mothers Day 2013
It's been a long year since my first Mothers last May, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.  A beautiful brunch at the Sea Pearl and a visit to this magical park in Vienna. 
We didn't have the stroller OR a hat/sun protection for James so our tour of one of the most beautiful places I've ever been was cut short - mom fail.
This year my parents came to visit so we could celebrate mothers day and my mom's birthday - which also fell on Mothers Day.  We had a nice time at church followed by brunch at the country club.  It was pretty amazing, not sure if the raw bar or dessert station were my favorite - but our whole table had a slice of lemon meringue pie - yum!
James is not one to sit still for too long, so I took him out of his highchair to sit on my lap.  Sitting on my lap was not his cup of tea, so he wiggled his way free to crawl around the dining hall at the club.  It was quite an adventure to get him from between the tables, I guess I'll make it a tradition of having mom fails every year.
Needless to say, being a momma is my life's biggest blessing and my friend Melissa really put it best in her post this week.  Motherhood Is

Is it Friday Already?

I certainly feel like its Friday, but this week has flown by. I'm currently sitting in the parking lot at the CC while James snoozes. We had to reschedule my personal training session from earlier in the week to today because James was congested and I didn't want to bring him to spread germs to the other kiddos while I worked out. This time last week I was here getting a massage- hum I prefer that much more than working out with a trainer-ha! Probably why I need to be working out...

James had me up since 4:27. I really didn't want to bring him back down to our room but after about an hour of trying to get him back to sleep we headed downstairs and I pawned him off on Josh, and tried to halfway sleep. We are getting so close to him sleeping through the night again I can taste it. On Wednesday night I thought the monitor was on, however Josh and I awoke refreshed at 6:30 Thursday morning and realized James 'slept' through the night...our first cry it out experience, and we didn't even know it! I may 'forget' to turn the monitor on next week - I think we all need it.



James turned 15 months this week, I want to do an update on him-gosh he's fun and crazy and ALL BOY! He's getting so tall and is so skinny, but he eats like a champ. Last night he picked all the spinach out of his pasta to eat first - proud moma here!



Excited to celebrate Mother's Day and my moms birthday this weekend with my parents and Josh's family. Hope everyone has a great weekend and a very happy Mother's Day!


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We're Home

It's starting to feel that way, even had an impromptu Cinco de Mayo party last night.

Just a few more boxes to unpack...

 

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Good Morning

Good morning from our new kitchen!



Josh must have found our family prayer that my mom cross stitched for us as a wedding gift last night. When I saw it this morning, I felt at home.



The frame and matting match our kitchen perfectly. That and finally getting to make coffee the way I like it helped, too!

I missed my Keurig. A LOT!


Molly has has me up since 4 scared of the thunder storm and James followed at 5 which will most likely be his call time the rest of the week until he gets settled.

It's great to have our girl back and it looks like she is feeling at home, too.


I will get an more coordinating dog bed once we figure out a decorating style/scheme for this area.

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Growing Up

So what has James been up to in his 14th month?

He now proudly says momma, dadda, Josh, bye, bye Josh, hat, hi, ball, beau (grandparents dog and what he calls all dogs)

He loves his shoes, since he isn't walking yet they are purely an accessory- but one he must have on at all times. I even put him down for his nap today in his crocs hoping that would make him happy - it did not. First thing when he wakes up in the morning he goes to find a pair of shoes (he has three) if he can't find a pair of his he tries to put on a pair of Joshes. Somehow he knows not to wear Mommas. He can put his toes in, but hasn't gotten his heal quite yet. His favorite are his crocs, although I try not to do those all too often as I don't know if they will impede his walking attempts. However he toddled around in them a little this afternoon, so who knows. We say socks and shoes as well as do the sign language for them, but he has a certain whine/grunt that I know means please put my shoes on, or my shoe fell off get it get it!

He graduated from ISR swim lessons in 2.5 weeks, he completed the floating phase and we'll go back to swim to the wall later this summer when he's walking. He's a great floater and we practice what he learned in swim lessons in grandma and grandpas pool- maybe we will get to give ours a try this weekend (wishful thinking I know).



We spend our afternoons going to Gymboree or one of the very many nearby parks.



He's getting better at hanging out in the gym daycare and church nursery. Mommy loves that!

He's not very into books right now, I feel like I'm reading them to myself, but I still read to him 30 minutes to an hour everyday.

He loves breakfast at the hotel and going out to eat because he loves people and makes friends everywhere we go. He has his girlfriends here at the hotel and I'm not sure how he is going to do having to eat all his meals just with me. He likes to talk to, wave and flirt with the ladies for sure!


Oh and that snaggle tooth grin of his, it was breaking my heart really really breaking my heartNow I really really love it!



We picked blueberries last week which was interesting with a stroller, crawler/carried little boy who doesn't particularly like blueberries.


I've realized that he understands just about everything I say and although his vocabulary is limited to a very southern drawl of baaaalll and beaaau - we know what the other person means almost 100% of the time.

Even when he's squirming out of my arms, refusing to sit still or do the things I ask - I still love spending just about every waking and sleeping (we are in a hotel suite) moment with my sweet little boy.

I can't wait to bring him to the house he will grow up in tomorrow!

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Getting Excited

I've been guarded trying not to get 'too' excited about moving into our new home for fear one of the many things involved in buying and moving may go wrong and I don't know...we live in a Marriott for the rest of our lives.

Yesterday we had our walk through, and I'm officially excited!

Lots of work ahead, lots of painting and lots and lots of furniture to buy, but I'm really excited to make it ours!! Closing in a few more days, and I can't wait to spend our first night there, red walls and all.

We've been more than warmly welcomed by friends. As lost as I feel some days, others I feel completely at home, and so happy to have such great friends back in our day to day lives.

Weekly play dates with one of my sorority sisters has been so fun, even more fun celebrating her son and sisters son's first birthdays. Added bonus lots of long-lost college cums and seeing their kiddos as well. I don't know what's nicer seeing old friends or meeting their children. It's such a treat either way.








Girls nights out with such wonderful friends, I've never appreciated a cheesy fondu dinner at melting pot so much.

Sharing special traditions with some of my very best friends. I had a moment of knowing I was living the dream, as Josh often puts it. Sipping mimosas with her at the same beach restaurant where we hosted her baby shower a few years back - our boys now sitting next to each other sharing cheese grits. Sharing memories and making new ones as gulf coast breezes blew through the courtyard. Yes- we are home.

I know Gods been listening to my prayers, and lead me to run into one of my sorority sisters at the country club gym on Monday. Talk about a warm welcome and words of encouragement and inspiration that I needed to hear. So excited to connect with her, and a few hours later a call from yet another college friend and sister, her voice was music to my ears, can't wait to get together and reconnect with all these great people.

I feel even more at home in the church we attended and were married in. We've been more than warmly welcomed back, and the homemade banana bread they brought to the hotel yesterday was surly a happy treat.

While I'm still figuring it all out, and feel like a fish out of water more than I'd like to, this new chapter is really starting to take shape. I'm so grateful to be creating a nest for our family, cherishing old friendships getting a fresh start, and enjoying making new friends along the way.


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The Tooth Fairy Came Early

Yesterday was a bigger day than I was expecting it to be.

James had a dark spot on one of his front teeth that has been bothering me and when I noticed a chip on the backside, I thought it was worth asking one of my very best friends, who happens to be a pediatric PA about it.   She reviewed the risks with me: exposed nerve, risk for infection, etc - so I called a few pediatric dentists to have my little guy checked out.  We ended up taking James to the same practice my husband went to as a child and they were fantastic! 

After an exam and x-rays we discovered that his little front tooth never fully developed and his nerve was exposed.  It wasn't infected, but was at risk both the his health and the development of his permanent tooth.  It was in his best interest to have that little baby tooth pulled.  They wrapped him in the little baby papoose and I sang to him and held his little hands and legs under the purple wrap.  I know we did the right thing for him, but I'm still a little sad about it.  I took one last shot of his teethy grin before my 14 month old went from 5 teeth back to 4.

This whole experience has me in awe of God's mastery in creating us - everything that comes together for each of us to be who we are is such a miracle.  So very grateful for his guidance in our parenting and creating James to be such a special little boy who may just spend the next 6 or 7 Christmases wishing for his two front teeth...

Just where we left off...

Well I feel like we are starting to get acclimated to the Florida lifestyle.  We are living in a hotel like most of the state's inhabitants (tourists).

I've mapped out every storytime, music class, and park in a 20 mile radius - James and I leave the hotel by 8:30 every morning and hopefully return by 12, so we both don't have to sit in the car for his whole nap - unfortunatly my non-transferring son is taking lots of carseat naps...still. So sometimes we are in the car for 3 hours - which is taking it's toll on my back.

We had a very festive weekend - pizza party on Friday night with some of our very best friends.  Joined the country club, got very creative with carseat napping, had new tires and brakes put on Josh's Xterra, and had a festive dinner at the Columbia on Sand Key and an unfortunate heimlich done on a 1-year-old who liked daddys red velvet birthday cake a little too much on Saturday.  Sunday - we celebrated Josh's Birthday - he is now the same age as me again - it's a hard three months I have being older than my husband =)

All the festivities are surely fun, but they are running our little guy (and me) ragged - his bedtime was 6:30 before we moved and this weekend it was more like 9:30 - poor fella.  I'm really focusing on us getting back on track.  Eating almost every meal out - takes up so much time and calories.  I've gained 10 pounds in the 2 weeks we've been back - not what I was expecting.  Hello I live in FL now, we have a pool in our soon to be backyard, I need to be in a bathing suit all the time and we go to Hawaii in June.  Getting into a normal schedule this week of working out and walks everyday and eating a few more meals in our little kitchenette - I've been making a knock off Trader Joes Kale and Edamame Salad and my all time fav Warm Quinoa Salad.  Which reminds me, I need to write Trader Joe's again to remind them I need them to open a store in the Tampa Bay Region ASAP (I try to do this weekly-I have such fantastic priorities). 

Speaking of priorities, I feel like I should know how I want to decorate our new home.  I just don't know in the least....

We are almost tripling the square footage we had in Virginia - so I know we will need a few rooms worth of furniture - ha.  I will be working around the a lot of the previous owners designs and really have a hard time thinking how to deal with half of the first floor in black and white imported Carrera marble floors.  Actually I do have a pretty good game plan for dealing with that, I think the real problem is I like to weigh out my options more than "do things."  I can't even commit to a rug for the play room, I think I have about 15 in shopping carts around the world wide web right now- I'm obviously going to have lots of issues decorating.  Just thinking of which rooms to have the movers place our existing furniture makes me anxious.

But I do love our neighborhood and usually drive by our new home once a day- hope no one has noticed yet =)

I love the spanish moss hanging from the oaks lining the roadways. 

 I love that the temperature drops 5 degrees when you pull into the neighborhood - thanks to all the woodlands and conservation.  I love that we see dear, turtles, every type of bird and even alligators on our daily walks.  I really love that the flag poles on every mailbox wave Old Glory - I can't wait for the fourth of July at our new house!

Very excited to be home, and I'm ready to get settled in.  Just a few more weeks!