Jake doesn't like cake

As Jake's first birthday is peeping around the corner, I am being crazy lady planning his first birthday celebration.  Here's a sneak peek of his cuteness and his dislike for cake!

Her first day

Dear Rylee,

Today was your first day of preschool. Your first day of very many into your adventure of being a student. Your first day of life experiences that will not always involve mommy.

Last night we picked out your first day of school outfit, packed your lunch, put your folder in your backpack, and talked about the fun things your will do at school. You were so excited. You told me it will be OK when I started to tear up and that you'll see me after lunch. Your excitement made me so exited for you.

I am proud of you. You are a sassy girl with a strong will. You love sincerely and give from your heart. You care for others and love snuggles. When I dropped you off at school today I couldn't believe how far we've come. You and me. Thinking back to the days as a newborn when all you did was cry and I was trying to hard to figure out how to be your mom. To the toddler days we spent just you and me while daddy was on duty. To each birthday we celebrated, knowing after we celebrated birthday number three you would be starting school. I am thankful for the sweet times we had together and that you were able to spend time home with your daddy and aunt the past three years.

I am so eager to see how school will help you grow. Excitement filled my heart this morning holding your little hand as we walked to your classroom. Your first classroom. You were such a big girl as you put your backpack on your hook and showed your teacher your unicorn lunch box. I told you it was time for me to go home. You ran over to me, gave me the warmest hug and biggest kiss. I lost it in that moment. I didn't want to let you go. But I knew it was time for me to let you start creating memories. Tears were so full in my eyes and my words were so shaking when I said good bye.

"see you after lunch mommy"

I can promise you I will soak up the next two mornings/afternoons when I drop you off and pick you up. I will hang on your every word and probe you with a million questions. It's an honest feeling that I am not ready to return to work on Monday. I'm still in denial. I feel sad I may miss some activities at your school and will miss seeing you off to school every morning. I promise the halloween party I signed up to organize will be spook-tacular! I want you to know I love you everyday. And even though I won't be able to pick you up from school, you are my favorite girl. I want to show you how to work hard. I want to teach you how important your education is.

I love you Rylee Marie. You make me proud to be your momma and I am counting the minutes down till I pick you up at noon and hear all about your first day!!

Love, Momma

fancy fancy tea party

Our Rylee Marie is all things girly! Tea parties and pretending to be a bride are the current favorites. With her first day of school approaching in three days (insert mommy crying) I am trying to really enjoy these last few days with her and Jake. I return to work in one week and I will ugly cry about it to anyone. So for the next three days I plan to jam pack her days of favorite things.

Today she hosted her first tea party. She asked required her guest to wear something "fancy fancy". Our guests were quick to comply! We shopped for treats yesterday and she hand picked all the desserts. She was upset I did not let her buy everyone their own mini publix cake...all though we would all love that!

We drank tea with our pinkies up. Ate half eaten cookies. Rylee had trouble putting the cookies on the plate without grabbing a few bites. We giggled. And we had a dance party to end the morning! Rylee was a great host and sent her guest home with their own "bride flower".

YES! My mom is wearing her wedding dress!! 

Date night!

It's date night!!

Ya know, that special date night!

The one where you text back and forth all day sharing excitement of going out. You actually take a shower, blow out your hair, add some curls, put on eye liner and lipstick. You pick out a favorite dress that isn't nursing accessible and pair it with the necklace you found at target last week and sent pictures to your bf to justify your purchase.

The kind of date that you planned 4 weeks ago because its the only day both husbands would be home with the kids. It's the date when you remind your husband 32 times a day that you are planning to leave at 7:30.

It's that special date with your sweetest friend!

When you share uncontrollable laughter and try not to pee your pants (darn post baby bladders) You share stories of crazy kids and husbands. She shares her recent pins on Pinterest and you justify the over the top birthday ideas. You sip on drinks that are just for adults and enjoy dinner without cleaning food off little faces.

You leave dinner and jump into the car without spending 6 minutes buckling carseats and finding lost toys. You listen to the radio and talk too loud because its a habit when most conversations happen with screaming kids in the background. You find seats at a local bar and sip on beverages not realizing its past bedtime and you are usually rockin' those three day old yoga pants.

The bar closes and you both head out. Thankful for the brief hours together. Time away from the kids and reminders that you are more then a momma and a wife. You are a friend. A woman with a hidden clothing style. A gal who wears earrings and fancy sandals.

I enjoy date nights with my husband. Don't we all?! We can rekindle dreams and laugh about our kids. But I also truly enjoy date nights with my best friends. It's a time where we can just relax and build on a friendship outside of play dates, cold coffee, and refereeing the sharing of toys.

Thank you to all my sweet friends and your friendships that keep me a little less sane. You help calm my storm of craziness.

Breastfeeding

Hello! I was invited by the Tampa Bay Mom's Blog to write a piece on my journey through breast feeding our second child! You can find the article HERE!

The bride to be

I knew when my brother would find "the one" she would have to be someone just perfect. He wears his heart on his sleeve and marriage is special to time. When I first met Shelby, I knew she was "the one", as in my "the one", to be my sister-in-law. 

Shelby fits just right into our wildly loud family. She has the witty jokes to spit back out at my dad and brings wine to functions to share with my mom. She loves Rylee and Jake to the moon and back and never misses sending Rylee a card for each passing holiday. I can easily talk to her, laugh with her, and when I am in panic mode trying to put together the last little things for Rylee's birthday party she swoops right in makes sure everything is in place.

I am so proud of my brother. He found a beautiful woman to start a new chapter in life together. I am excited to see where their adventure leads them and how much love will fill their home. 

All the ladies celebrated their upcoming wedding this past weekend. The shower was just beautiful. Lots of laughter, yummy food, and sweet decorations. 

Shelby, thank you for agreeing to join our family. We promise to make you laugh, embarrass you at some point, give you the best family sunday dinners, and of course you'll have the cutest niece and nephew! I love you and counting down till October 2! I feel so blessed to stand next to you and my brother as you become a wife and my brother becomes your husband.

 I was unaware of how emotional I would become at your shower and how the idea of my brother becoming your HUSBAND turns me into a blubbery mess. I still see my brother as the kid who I teased as a kid, the boy with the toy store tent bed, and busting into my playhouse pretending to be a ninja turtle and ruining my tea party. I still see the kid who would trip me while jumping on the trampoline, yell to everyone in the house that a boy called the house phone to talk to me, and use his mouth vs the cup to get water from the faucet when brushing our teeth. 

But now I see the man my brother has grown to be. How he opens door, carries the kids or my stuff when going to the car, how carefully he buckles Jake into his car seat. I see how he never hesitates when I ask him for help (he has babysat Jake on a whim multiple times). He has helped me move, grab ice for parties, bring food and beer to sunday dinners, and text me to ask how I am doing. I see how he loves Shelby, how he just truly adores. I see how much my brother has grown and how ready he is to become her husband.