Long Time, No Blog

Why, hello!

I feel like I should re-introduce myself here in this space since I've been absent for more than a month. I thought that staying home with my children would give me an abundance of time to blog, but I'm finding that I stay far busier (with fun things, mostly) than I anticipated.

During my absence, I went to church camp with our Middle and High School students, helped with VBS, went on a first family of four vacation, and did a lot of Pure Barre. That one deserves its own post.

Other notables: Annabelle hit 4 months old. We had our first experience with vomit in a restaurant. (I feel like we earned some real parenting stripes with that one, so it gets a mention.) We celebrated Father's Day. With congratulations to my cousin and his wife, we welcomed a new baby to our family just last week!

I have a post up on Fort Worth Moms Blog this week on what I wasn't expecting about being home with my kids. It is by no means a complaint session. I'm savoring the pace and richness of being with them all day. After working Jack's first two years, being home seems like a wonderful indulgence, like an infinite number of vacation days. I'm so grateful for it.

Also? I'm grateful for the perspective that comes with knowing both sides of the coin.

This week we're staying close to home. I'm loving on these babies and putting my house back together after so many weeks of busy-ness.

Five on Friday

Here are five things I'm loving right now!

ONE
The Lululemon Bang Buster. I instagrammed this several weeks ago. I bought one to keep my hair out of my face while I was in labor. I've since added 3 more to my collection because I love them that much. They don't squeeze the life out of my head, they come in fun colors, and? Two words: baby bangs. Enough said.


TWO
The Fort Worth Zoo. We can't get enough. Our zoo pass was renewed about two weeks ago, and I think we've already gotten the full ROI on it. And to be quite honest, I'm not a big fan of zoos in general, but it gets us out of the house. Plus, my little guy loves it, and I'm a huge fan of that. Personally, my favorite part of the zoo is the fudge shop in the Texas section.


THREE
Speaking of getting out of the house, my blog post at Fort Worth Moms Blog today. We try to get out of the house everyday for a little bit. I should call myself a stay out of the house mom. Not really, we're home some too. Some.

I'd love it if you clicked on over there and even if you're not a Cowtown mom, tell me your favorite summer activities with your babes.


FOUR
Pure Barre. I mentioned that I got a package for part of my Mother's Day. It's taken some getting used to, but I really like it. I haven't felt this sore in probably 4 years, and it makes me feel like I'm doing something great for myself. I'm going to do a longer post on just this topic but want to give it a couple of weeks. Don't worry--no gratuitous before and after pics.


FIVE
Last, but certainly not least: my wonderful husband. I had a moment out and about with my babies earlier this week where my heart was just so full to be home with them and share their fleeting childhood. As a working mom turned stay at home mom, I've been hustling so hard for two years to juggle it all, so to now have time for daily simple and quiet moments with them is priceless. Before, we'd been going 100 miles an hour nonstop. (I would categorize myself as being at least back to the speed limit now.) He's giving me this gift of the little summer vacation that is their childhood, and I will be forever grateful.

A Creative, Heirloom Gift for Annabelle

I've been meaning to post about this very special gift for Annabelle for a while. I'm blessed to have some of the best friends a girl could ask for. God has been abundantly gracious in that area of my life. I have friends that are like sisters, which is wonderful since I don't have any of my own!

A couple of months ago I was the matron of honor in my best friend's wedding. She was the maid of honor in my wedding, and the first person I told outside of our families when I found out I was pregnant with my babies. She is one of the most kind and generous people you'll ever meet.

On my wedding day!
(Picture of a picture, which is why it's a little crooked. Our pics were done on film.)
She called me a couple of months before Annabelle was born to confirm that I was doing her bedroom in pale pink and grey, and I honestly didn't think anything of it. I figured she was ordering something special, but I had no idea that what she was planning would knock my socks off.

The day after my sweet cheeks was born, she came to visit us in the hospital. With her, she brought us a gift: this precious pillow on the right, made out of her bridesmaid dress from my wedding!

It matches Annabelle's room perfectly. Do I have a color palette, or do I have a color palette?

More details on her room here.
You cannot imagine how in love I am with this sweet heirloom. On the back, Annabelle's name is monogrammed on grey fabric, and the rest of the pillow and ruffle trim is made from the dress. I'll have to put it up someday to keep it for her, but until that day comes, it's on her bed as a wonderful reminder of my sweet friend and the sister she is to me.

Catching Up!

Well, hello and howdy! Long time no check in on the blog, or so it would seem.

As I mentioned in one of my last posts, I'm officially a stay home mom. I feel like I'm on summer vacation, which is something I haven't experienced since like, 1999. Crazy. It's weird to mostly do things that you want to do, versus what you have to do. My only obligations are to my family, and that's something I love to do, so I feel incredibly blessed right now.

I'm working on a summer schedule for the kiddos and me. No schedule equals a lazy me, and that's not a habit I need. For Mother's Day, I asked for the intro package to the new Pure Barre studio here, and it opened this weekend. I survived my first class yesterday. Survived is the appropriate verb. I found it challenging considering I've not worked out much in the past three years. (If you can't read between the lines that means, "HOLY SMOKES I AM HURTING TODAY ON MUSCLES I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD.") But I'm going back today and plan to get a lot out of my unlimited pass this month. Lift-Tone-Burn!

We had a great weekend! My dad invited Mr. G to play in a church golf tournament in my hometown, so we headed south for an overnight. The littles and I spent the day hanging out with my mom. There was a two-day-old baby calf that Jack couldn't stop talking about, a swimming pool, and plenty of bubbles. That makes for a happy Jack!

Our trip was quick because I needed to be back for the Fort Worth Moms Blog contributor photo shoot. I love that this is pulling me out of my usual bubble and helping me make new friends across Fort Worth. It's a great community!



We took our first ride on the little Trinity River train Saturday afternoon. The idea of the train was awesome, but it wasn't as beloved as I had hoped. Probably a combination of being close to naptime, plus a two-year-old, plus the newness. We'll try it again soon. But he still couldn't stop telling people about it at church yesterday.

One more thing! I'm the Texas Women Bloggers June Blogger of the month. You'll find a profile of me over there today, plus I'll be guest posting each Monday of this month if I can still manage to lift my Pure Barre aching arms up to the computer.

Have a great week!

Remember that first time I took my toddler to the ER?

Yeah, that happened too.

Shortly after a bath and pajamas on Sunday night, the little guy was playing on the piano (totally supervised) and in and instant, fell backward off of the piano bench and knocked the back of his head on a coffee table behind him.

Within seconds we spotted him bleeding from the back of the head. Head wounds produce lots of bleeding, minor or otherwise, but I knew immediately that we'd need someone with more medical experience than we have combined (that would be none) to take a look at him. I called our neighbors who are both wonderful nurses, and Mr. Matt came right over to check the little guy out. He gave us the bad news: while it wasn't a long cut, it was deep. We would need to get him patched up in the ER.

After calling a close by friend to come and keep the ladybug, we loaded up Jack and mapped out the location of Cook Children's Emergency Room. Unfortunately, when we checked in, they told me the wait was as bad as Christmas Day. We got there around 9 PM and waited around 45 minutes before we were called back and given the prescribed treatment: STAPLES.

Holy moly.

Even with the amount of craziness they were experiencing there, everyone was so, so great with us and our boy. They numbed the wound with lidocaine gel and after letting it work its magic over 30 minutes, the doc came in and stapled it up. The child didn't even flinch. Afterward, the nurse brought him a rainbow popsicle, and we were home by 11 PM.

So yesterday we took it easy most of the day. He only mentioned it once and hasn't complained even once of pain, even though there are clearly 4 staples in the back middle of his head. What a champ! I'm curious to see what happens when we have to go back and have them removed. I don't really want to think about it.

Convalescing with sister.
It was a reminder to me that anything can happen in an instant. The Fort Worth community is blessed to have such a great facility as Cooks catering to our children.

So tell me, has your toddler made an ER visit yet?

Remember that time I quit my day job?

Yeah, that happened last week.

As of this coming Friday, I will officially only have one full time job, and that in management. I require mandatory naps of the Employees in my firm, yet they mutiny at each nap time. Who does that? And yet, I would never fire them.

After 11 years in IT at a Company that I really love and will miss, I'm done with the two hour commute, at least for a few years. It has been a bittersweet decision, but I love my babies and am excited to spend more time with them. I was 20 when I went to Southwest Airlines as an intern, and 21 when I started as an Employee. I've basically grown up there. Through all the changes in my life over the past 11 years: marriage, buying our first house, having our first child, SWA has been a constant in my life. I always went back to my cube, my computer, my work, and my Customers. This is a huge change for me.

Of course I can't sit still for very long. I'm already filling up my new life of leisure (ha) with fun things for my kids and activities for myself. Today brings the launch date of the Fort Worth Moms Blog, and I'm one of their first contributors!


I have the privilege of posting on the inaugural day of the blog, so head on over there to read about the calendar the Moms Blog has cultivated with so many awesome, many free events in our fair city. There are giveaways each day of this launch week, so make sure to enter!

I'm also pondering what my new mom wardrobe should consist of. Everywhere I go, someone tells asks me if I'm heading in to work because I'm "so dressed up." I've dropped a small fortune at Lululemon, but somehow wearing yoga (or I should say, "no-ga" since they've never seen the inside of a yoga studio) pants feels weird.

My 3rd Mother's Day

I've spent the better part of an hour looking at this picture. Wondering what was going through Annabelle's mind while her daddy clicked and clicked, trying to get the one thing I wanted for Mother's Day--a picture to document that it happened in 2013. I know what was going through Jack's mind: "Let me down!"

But I've spent most of that time thinking how I can't and know I won't ever get over the fact that God has blessed me with these two precious little ones.


It was Annabelle's baby dedication day where her daddy and I dedicated ourselves to raising her in the knowledge of the Lord. One of my favorite things about baby dedication at our particular church is that our Pastor writes each child a letter to be opened on the day that they accept Christ. I pray so much that my babies come to know the Lord at an early age.

During the dedication time, our Pastor goes down the line of families (there were 5 this day) and prays for each baby by name. As soon as he said "Annabelle," our girl gave a little chirp! I don't know if she realized her name was called or not, but I choose to believe that she did. Either way it was adorable. She is such a sweet, sweet girl. I don't know if you can tell in that picture above, but right now she has beautiful red hair and blue eyes.


Since it was such a special day for our little family, both sets of our parents were here. I made reservations at my favorite local tea room, the Rose Garden in the Fort Worth Mercantile. That's what I wanted for Mother's day lunch, so everyone went along for the ride. No complaints though, even from the gentlemen.

Sunday evening, Mr. G dug out the soon-to-be-wilting pansies (although they were still beautiful today) and planted begonias in their place to ready our flower bed for summer. He brought in a geranium yesterday he had found Lowe's, knowing that I always love to have one on the front porch. My mom has always kept several potted on her porch, so it reminds me of home. He was sweet to remember it. (It's also the one plant that I'm pretty decent at keeping alive.)

I had a great mother's day weekend and hope you all did too!