And so it happens...as a girl, you go from being your own independent (in my case crazy and not so predictable) self, with your own schedule and super high standards for how clean your house must always be, to a MOTHER, all wrapped up and carried away with the life of another little human being. Gone are the days of after work happy hours, girls nights out that end at 2am (or later), and the oh so lovely option of sleeping in.......what is that anyway? You are a mom! And that is not to say that it isn't "healthy" to keep some sense of self, but when you work full-time, have a baby to feed and bathe immediately thereafter, and a house that is always in desperate need of tidying, that amazing freedom you used to have before baby doesn't come knockin' all too often! It's exhausting just to think about squeezing in a few drinks after work between running errands (grocery shopping) on your lunch break, stopping at home quick to relieve the "nanny", throwing in a quick load of laundry before heading out, and making it home at night just in time for the late-night feeding (and possibly a messy house that the hubby certainly didn't notice)! Whew! Best to stay home in your yoga pants and relax!
But my point is, you become a mother and for some, and definitely for me, I feel like I was born to be a mommy. And Marley is just the most perfect little human being...just sweetness and smiles and so much love all rolled up in one little girl! Maybe I am obsessed with her, maybe it's part of being a first-time mom. But I'm happy to spend every waking moment of my free time with her and my family. They are what is most important and dear to me in all of this world. And I am swept away with her.........to this place where it is always sunshine-y and people are always laughing! She is my angel baby and I can't think of anything better than her! I am one of those mommies! Someday she will grow away from me, she already is. But for now, I'm holding on to every little last second of her preciousness.
For all you mommies out there, or mommies-to-be, you need to check out this blog...
Enjoying the Small Things
I found it through another friend and it is amazing, uplifting, encouraging. I could go on and on and on. Kelle Hampton is a 30 something with two small girlies at home and she is a fabulous writer and photographer. To get an idea of what her blog is all about, read the birth story of her 2nd dauther, Miss Nella,........and have plenty of tissue ready! It is intense and riveting and honest. You can just feel the LOVE in her writing! It's a MUST READ!!
Happy Thursday to all of you!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
All Dressed Up and No Place To Go!!!
It's not a secret that I love clothes...maybe not the mainstream fashion type stuff all the time, but you know, I have my own style which is probably a little weird (or loud or funky...I'm not really sure) at times. I guess I can't explain it...I can't say it's JCrew, because it's definitely not, hmmm....how does one define their style? Anyway, that is not the point here! The point I was trying to make is that my love for clothes has turned into an OBSESSION of clothes with Marley! Yikes! As anyone who has a daughter can attest to...it is F-U-N to shop for little girls! I was bitten by this bug while I was still pregnant with Marley, filling her closet with lots of cute little goodies while she slept soundly in my belly! The girl has more clothes and shoes than I do. And let me just say that I know it's completely STUPID to buy her so much stuff. She doesn't need it, she'd be happy playing in her diaper all day (which is usually how you'll find her), and when it comes down to it, babies just need very little to be happy and healthy...a huge wardrobe not being one of those!
Needless to say, we have fun dressing up! Some of the time I will dress her up just to play on a Saturday morning, because I know she has spent all week in her jammies while I'm at work. Marley and Uncle Jess have jammie day almost everyday! It was something that I initially hated...telling him, "You should at least get her dressed for the day." I've grown out of that now and have come to appreciate the fact that I leave for work and Marley is snug as a bug in her pj's and when I come home, she's usually crawling around with her shirt off (shirts + babies eating = disaster), living room floor scattered with toys, PURE HAPPINESS! And so I've let it continue! As I type this I'm starting to worry if she'll be the kid at daycare someday that insists on eating with her shirt off...uh-oh, what have I started!!??
Ok, where was I...a tad scatter-brained tonight! Aside from loving clothes and shoes, I love to take pictures of Marley. They are stored everywhere. In photo albums, online, picture frames, EVERYWHERE! They are priceless, capturing all of those little moments that I fear I will forget someday. Just the other night, I had watched a re-run of The Office...the episode where Jim and Pam get married and Pam tells Jim that they should remember to take mental pictures of the day of things they want to remember. And the very next day, Marley had gotten a bit fussy (it was getting close to her bedtime) and I was listening to Cities 97 Acoustic Sunset (must have been a Sunday). I swooped Marley up and a good song was playing...of course I can't remember it, which is why I have to take pictures, to remember things. We slow-danced around the living room and she cuddled in, arms down in front of her (she always tucks them in by my chest), head on my shoulder, dancin'...and I got a little tear in my eye and thought, I have to make sure I remember this moment. Just a precious minute or two, dancing in silence with my baby girl.........ahhhh, I just love her!
So here are some pictures of Marley from the last few weeks in some of our favorite stuff...most of it is handmade from girls who have shops on Etsy. Just love Etsy. You can find everything there!
My first TRUE obsession..............shoes! Not just any shoes, JOYFOLIE shoes! I'm in love with all of her stuff! Jessica, the woman behind Joyfolie, makes the most beautiful shoes ever. And accessories, clothing, boots, etc. She makes most of her shoes in small batches, by hand, so nothing on her website is actually available. They are kind of hard to get, but I've mastered it...hehe! And I just love this picture of Marley's legs with her little shoes on!
Here is another picture of Marley wearing one of Joyfolie's Gemma dresses. The dresses are to die for, super comfy, and easy to layer! We have this one, in orchid, and a slightly different version, the Cala dress, in cream.
More Joyfolie goodies...this time, the Hansel boots (which we wear all the time)! The dress is by one of my friend's, Jackie, who has started a facebook page to sell some of her handmade things...hair accessories, dresses/clothing for girlies, some home decor items. She's seriously crafty and super nice!!! Visit her facebook page, Pink Poppy, and check out all her fun stuff. She can make custom items too!
Another great place that I LOVE to order stuff from is Forty Toes! You can see Jenn's Etsy shop here. Aside from being the nicest person ever, she makes the most darling things for little girls...think peasant dresses and tops and cute little skirts! She makes them even more adorable by adding ruffles, lace, etc! Fun and funky and sweet little things! She also has a facebook page, Forty Toes Photography (oh yes, did I mention she's a photographer too) where from time to time she posts special little giveaways and you can even pick your own fabric for a dress or top! Here is Marley playing around in one of Jenn's skirts! Even cuter in person....seriously!
Lastly, but certainly not least, hair goodies! I have to dress up my bald babies head...so headbands it is! And the bigger the better as far as I'm concerned! Princy N Paris is the place to go on Etsy for uber-cute headbands and accessories for your little girl! Prencie, the designer, will make custom items for you as well...say, to match a flower girl dress, or whatever the need may be! I love her! She also has a facebook page where she offers discounts and special pricing on new items...click here. Marley has several of her pieces, but I haven't photographed her wearing all of them quite yet. One of our favorites is the "Let Them Eat Cake" headband...shown below. It can also be worn as a belt/sash!!
Moral of this post is........a) My obsession is out of the bag! b) If you need a cute gift idea for a baby shower or for your own daughter/niece/granddaughter/etc, go peruse Etsy! You will not be disappointed! There are so many great handmade things out there that just don't compare to what you find in the stores! And you certainly don't have to spend a lot of money! Most everything is pretty reasonable!
I'm off to bed! Still feeling sick and we are headed up north this weekend. One more cabin weekend for Marley and Grandma K to hang out prior to us leaving for Mexico. We'll be on our way on February 13th! 27 days away, not that I'm counting (wink, wink)!
And here's what started it all...this little girl has me wrapped around her finger and has since Day 1! Marley's Happy Birthday week, as we call it in our house, is coming to an end! And a good week it was! I'm hoping to post a few videos of her tomorrow...walking, walking, walking! She is just so curious and in to everything!
Goodnight moon and everyone else!
Stevie :)
Needless to say, we have fun dressing up! Some of the time I will dress her up just to play on a Saturday morning, because I know she has spent all week in her jammies while I'm at work. Marley and Uncle Jess have jammie day almost everyday! It was something that I initially hated...telling him, "You should at least get her dressed for the day." I've grown out of that now and have come to appreciate the fact that I leave for work and Marley is snug as a bug in her pj's and when I come home, she's usually crawling around with her shirt off (shirts + babies eating = disaster), living room floor scattered with toys, PURE HAPPINESS! And so I've let it continue! As I type this I'm starting to worry if she'll be the kid at daycare someday that insists on eating with her shirt off...uh-oh, what have I started!!??
Ok, where was I...a tad scatter-brained tonight! Aside from loving clothes and shoes, I love to take pictures of Marley. They are stored everywhere. In photo albums, online, picture frames, EVERYWHERE! They are priceless, capturing all of those little moments that I fear I will forget someday. Just the other night, I had watched a re-run of The Office...the episode where Jim and Pam get married and Pam tells Jim that they should remember to take mental pictures of the day of things they want to remember. And the very next day, Marley had gotten a bit fussy (it was getting close to her bedtime) and I was listening to Cities 97 Acoustic Sunset (must have been a Sunday). I swooped Marley up and a good song was playing...of course I can't remember it, which is why I have to take pictures, to remember things. We slow-danced around the living room and she cuddled in, arms down in front of her (she always tucks them in by my chest), head on my shoulder, dancin'...and I got a little tear in my eye and thought, I have to make sure I remember this moment. Just a precious minute or two, dancing in silence with my baby girl.........ahhhh, I just love her!
So here are some pictures of Marley from the last few weeks in some of our favorite stuff...most of it is handmade from girls who have shops on Etsy. Just love Etsy. You can find everything there!
My first TRUE obsession..............shoes! Not just any shoes, JOYFOLIE shoes! I'm in love with all of her stuff! Jessica, the woman behind Joyfolie, makes the most beautiful shoes ever. And accessories, clothing, boots, etc. She makes most of her shoes in small batches, by hand, so nothing on her website is actually available. They are kind of hard to get, but I've mastered it...hehe! And I just love this picture of Marley's legs with her little shoes on!
One of my first purchases from Joyfolie was this headband...and a pair of leopard flats that are just fitting Marley now.
Another great place that I LOVE to order stuff from is Forty Toes! You can see Jenn's Etsy shop here. Aside from being the nicest person ever, she makes the most darling things for little girls...think peasant dresses and tops and cute little skirts! She makes them even more adorable by adding ruffles, lace, etc! Fun and funky and sweet little things! She also has a facebook page, Forty Toes Photography (oh yes, did I mention she's a photographer too) where from time to time she posts special little giveaways and you can even pick your own fabric for a dress or top! Here is Marley playing around in one of Jenn's skirts! Even cuter in person....seriously!
Lastly, but certainly not least, hair goodies! I have to dress up my bald babies head...so headbands it is! And the bigger the better as far as I'm concerned! Princy N Paris is the place to go on Etsy for uber-cute headbands and accessories for your little girl! Prencie, the designer, will make custom items for you as well...say, to match a flower girl dress, or whatever the need may be! I love her! She also has a facebook page where she offers discounts and special pricing on new items...click here. Marley has several of her pieces, but I haven't photographed her wearing all of them quite yet. One of our favorites is the "Let Them Eat Cake" headband...shown below. It can also be worn as a belt/sash!!
Moral of this post is........a) My obsession is out of the bag! b) If you need a cute gift idea for a baby shower or for your own daughter/niece/granddaughter/etc, go peruse Etsy! You will not be disappointed! There are so many great handmade things out there that just don't compare to what you find in the stores! And you certainly don't have to spend a lot of money! Most everything is pretty reasonable!
I'm off to bed! Still feeling sick and we are headed up north this weekend. One more cabin weekend for Marley and Grandma K to hang out prior to us leaving for Mexico. We'll be on our way on February 13th! 27 days away, not that I'm counting (wink, wink)!
And here's what started it all...this little girl has me wrapped around her finger and has since Day 1! Marley's Happy Birthday week, as we call it in our house, is coming to an end! And a good week it was! I'm hoping to post a few videos of her tomorrow...walking, walking, walking! She is just so curious and in to everything!
Goodnight moon and everyone else!
Stevie :)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Happy Birthday Miss Marley Jean!!!!
One year has passed so quickly...last year at this time, I was preparing myself for our scheduled c-section. Nervous as could be about the birth of our daughter. Feeling sad that she would no longer be in my tummy, but feeling so happy to have the chance to meet this little person who had already captured my heart! One year later and I still melt at the thought of her! We are so blessed...not even lucky, but just plain blessed by someone up above, to have this precious little girl in our lives. I did not know my heart could hold so much love! The never-ending, unwavering, everlasting, selfish, would do anything for you, kind of love!
So my dear Miss Marley Jean........please know today and always how very much I love you (and your daddy too)! I am so proud of the sassy, curious, silly, comedic, cuddly, and boisterous girl you are becoming! You are absolutely perfect just the way you are! Thank you for filling our hearts and home with so much love and happiness! Our life is full with you in it! Have a very Happy Birthday my baby girl! Mommy loves you more than you will EVER know!
XOXO!!
For those of you interested in checking out all of the pictures from Miss Marley's 1st Birthday Party, you can click here
XOXO!!
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