On Change

My little family and I will be facing a whole lot if it in the coming month. I look forward to change when it’s far away. I embrace the idea of ‘new’ when it’s an idea. When it’s looking me square in the face, I break. I’ve had months to prepare, and yet, here I sit, sad to let the last 18 months become another closing chapter in my book.

I know that with every closing chapter is the opportunity to write a whole new one. A new beginning is the opportunity for a fresh start- and we have so much to look forward to and to be grateful for, but that doesn't make goodbyes and new homes and changed jobs any easier.

Today, as I planned out who would take my current work projects; I decided its ok to feel sad about it. It’s ok to slow down a little, and really take in what the last 18 months have meant for me.

The next month is jam-packed full of crazy. A transition to a new job, a Master’s defense and graduation, a ONE YEAR birthday party, family visiting, a move to New York, and closing on our first home. Next time I turn around I’m certain it will be April.

I expect some tears, some laughs, and hanging on for dear life. Thanks for taking this journey with us; I would fall apart if it weren't for the rock-solid friends and family who support us along the way.

Here we go….

Kahla Got Skunked

Today, at 6 am as I was getting ready for work, Tyler brought home our gagging-ly stinky skunk-sprayed dog.  You guys. It was SO bad.

After some quick research, it was determined we needed 5 things:

·         Hydrogen peroxide.

·         Baking soda.

·         Dish soap.

·         Rubber gloves.

·         A bucket.

Scrub mixture on dog, rinse, repeat. Simple enough, right?!

Wrong.

Here was our scenario:

·         Big dog, HATES bathes.

·         I just showered and dried my hair. So much for that.

·         Crying, impatient baby wants out of the crib, NOW.

I threw some toys and a bottle in the crib (which helped for exactly 5 minutes) and changed into sweats I was willing to throw away. Tyler held Kahla in the bathtub while I scrubbed, rinsed, repeat for a half hour. I have never, ever, in my entire life been more grateful for a window in the bathroom. It helped, a little.

The damage:

·         One pair of jeans, one washcloth and one towel: trashed.

·         One bathroom: destroyed.

·         Two soaked individuals.

·         One PISSED baby.

·         One hour of my life I’ll never get back.

·         25 Minutes late to work.

·         And one clean, stink-free dog.

 

…and to be honest, I felt bad for the poor thing. Kahla, let’s stay away from those things from here on out, ok?

 

 

Moms

 ”Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” -unknown

Ain't this the truth?

For the record, I also think she taught me not to use 'ain't,' but I think she'll overlook it in this case.

No matter how old I get or how far away I live, I will always need my mom. If I do say so myself, I think she (with the help of my dad), did a pretty fantastic job raising me. Now that I'm grown, married, and have a baby of my own, I can say we are friends, and I need her now just as much as I ever did.

While the miles between us continue to make regular visits and quality time a challenge, it's a priority, and I'm so grateful for her visit the last weekend. I know she and Jackson will continue to be close, and one day I know they'll be close friends too.

Here's to the moms. The ones who did it all before us. Who are braver and stronger and wiser than we ever knew before.

You are LOVED.



 

Eleven Months

Eleven. We’ve made it 11 months together. 11 of the best, toughest, most rewarding months of my life. As we look your first birthday square in the face, I am so proud of where we have come. We’ve had our fair share of frustration and tears, sleepless nights and long days. With that though, comes endless giggles, long snuggles, and the pure joy in seeing you grow and learn. The good far outweighs the tough. I would do it all again in a minute. I would do it over and over again, to share this love with you.

As we prepare to leave your baby days behind and embrace toddler-hood, I suspect we’ll face more challenges, learn more about each other, and share way more giggles than ever before.

Every month gets better. And better. And better.

·         You understand (and even listen!) to simple phrases. “Jackson come here”, “Jackson, no”, “Jackson leave the dog food alone”. Ok, really, you just understand when we are calling you, and you understand no J

·         You have both top and bottom teeth! You’ve done serious work, seeing as in your 10 month post you had none.

·         You stand all by yourself for 10-15 seconds at a time.

·         You are efficient at walking around tables, couches, chairs. Whatever furniture happens to be close-by.

·         We discovered that you have been gnawing on your crib. Little tiny teeth marks all across the railing. Someday we’ll find this an adorable reminder of how tiny you were, but for now we’d like to preserve the crib the best we can for future children to use. We went ahead and bought a guarder. Chew away buddy.

·         You shake your head ‘no”. You have no idea what it actually means, but it’s silly to catch you randomly shaking your head. You’ve just discovered another movement you can control!

·         You love to splash and play in the bath tub. You can’t get enough!

·         You clap and wave and point like a pro J

We wouldn’t be ‘us’ without you. Thank you for filling in a piece of me I never knew was missing. Now, let’s enjoy this next month very, VERY slowly.

;)

 

 

 

Superbowl 2014

...We were pretty excited for the super bowl this year. As die-hard Broncos fans, it was kind of a big deal.

Let's not talk about the details of this overwhelmingly depressing game. We lost to the Seahawks, it was a blow-out. They played a good game, and I can respect that, if I must.

What I'd rather focus on, is the good company and amazing food that redeemed our evening.

Well be Broncos fans for life, even if they didn't exactly show up to the big game this year.

Baby It's (Still) Cold Outside

So. Remember this post? We’ve  now arrived at the “I’m over winter. I’m over snow moment.” I made it all the way to February this year!

I really try not to be a complainer. I am well aware that I am blessed in this life, and complaining to me generally seems counterproductive and plain ungrateful. That being said, IS IT SPRING YET?

We are literally feet deep in weeks of accumulating snow and sub-zero temperatures. The current 1 degree temperature rounds out a particularly brutal week complete with a massive snow and ice storm on Wednesday.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good snow day. And if it means working from home and snuggling with my misters – even better! However, this winter has just been plain rough here in Ohio, and I think everyone is more than ready for spring. Just the thought of green grass and flowers blooming is enough to make my heart smile.

We are preparing for another ‘cozy’ weekend in the house. ‘Cozy’ is beginning to mean ‘stir crazy,’ for the record.

Sending warm thoughts from our home to yours,

XOXO

(and if you’re enjoying warm weather, we’d happily accept if you sent a little our way!)