Toddler Blessings and Mommy Rambles

I know I am pretty darn biased but I am sometimes floored at how being Libby's mommy gets to be a better and better job by the day.

Today I have been overwhelmed with love and amazement of this sweet little girl.

She is growing so fast. It absolutely takes my breath away. 

Last night, she freely ran to me and gave me a hug and kiss. Grinning and yelling "MAMA!" She loves when momma and dada come home.  So happy to see us. 

She has named her pet lovie lamb, which we have diligently called "lovie" forever.  However, hence forth, it will be called "Numna" because that is Libby's choice.  Weird, yes.  But she named it herself. 

This morning at the grocery, she "helped" give all the items in the cart to the check out clerk.  This is her favorite part of the grocery experience.  That and the free cookies in the deli department.  Such a grown up action for such a little girl. 

This morning she was running around the park and picking her favorite things to do.... a far cry from the last time I took her to the park and she couldn't even walk yet.  Swings, slides, rocking bubble bee and repeat.  She was in heaven.

She is so sure and confident.  Qualities I pray she retains.  She has such a sweetness to her.  So many people who meet her comment on her sweetness and her openness. She dances with abandonment, she twirls and runs and laughs and lives.

Is is all perfection?? Heck no.  Definite stubborn streak.  Crazy mommy-itis when she's tired.  She is one-woman wrecking crew when it comes to my bookshelves, pantry shelves, drawers, her closet, etc.

I am just one thankful, grateful, blessed momma. 

Having Libby rocked my world in ways I never dreamed and it just keeps getting better day by day.  My heart is so full.  

Pure Joy

Roller coaster home search

Craig: interest rates are ridiculous.  If we aren't going to refinance, we need to move.
Meg: Lets move!


And then, this happened.....
Part 1
- Get excited, look at houses on the internet.....
- Find amazing home.... too old, too expensive, too much work.... think, think, think....

Part 2
- Then came the news we were going to have a baby!! House hunting in overdrive!!!!!!!
- Should we put in an offer on expensive/old/worn out house?????????

- More news.... we are not having a baby.  We have had a miscarriage.  Surgery.  Tears.  Heartbreak.

- Are we still moving????

Part 3
- Craig, the rock, holds my hand and tells me we wanted this before we knew, before the tears.  We should press forward.

- More hand holding.  More tears.

- Agree to look again.

Part 4
- 2611 Buena Vista --- pull up, love it.  walk up, love it.  walk in, love it.  walk out - true love??

- Think, think, think......

- Hands held, we decide to leap - offer in, offer accept, contract signed.

WE ARE MOVING!!!!!

Snack time!

Does this make me "crafty"?

So I decided to make a bow holder for Libby's hairbows.  Hold the laughter and snickers please.  This is coming from the woman who was terrified to have a girl because I very much don't do hair and don't do pink and don't do bows.  That being said, my little girl looks AMAZING in pink and ADORABLE in bows and frankly her type A mother needed an organized place to keep them all.

So that leads up to here.  Between Pinterest and my own frugal nature, I decided I could make a bow holder cheaper than I could purchase one.  This bow holder has 5 vertical ribbons for holding bows and hooks at the bottom for holding handbands and other hair accessories.  I'm officially a girl's mom.

Step 1: Buy the following items (preferably on sale)
            - wooden frame without glass or backing
            - spray paint for the frame
            - ribbon
            - hot glue supplies if you do not already own
            - cute embellishment doodad
            - screw in hooks
            - mounts

Step 2: Spray paint frame.

Step 3: Measure out spacing for ribbon (if you are me) and if you are a normal person, just eyeball where to want to mount the ribbon

Step 4: Go to town with glue gun.  Helpful hint: Initially I tried to mount the ribbon with my staple gun.  This resulted in destroying the front of the frame and several choice words to be muttered. 

Punctured front of frame

To the rescue

Finished gluing

Front side!

Step 5: Once hot glue dry, flip frame over.  Adhere doodad embellishment with more hot glue. And as Carrie Bradshaw, Seventeen magazine and our mothers taught us: if there's a little imperfection, just cover it up and keep on going.  What holes caused by enormous staple???

Doodad covering staple punctures

Almost done!

Step 6: To add hooks, first pre-drill the holes for the hooks using a power drill.  Next screw in hooks.

TADA!!!!! 

Now to mount the finished product.  I am putting this holder on the inside of her closet door.  Because doors are hollow, I am using the removable 3M hooks.

I will update post on success of 3M hooks if it is a flop.  But overall, one of my more successful projects!!

Santa Claus

 

Yup, it went that well.  Get to the mall in the rain, stand in small line for 30 minutes and then.... meltdown.  Ah well, here's the to memories.  

The best part was Santa serenading us with his banjo. Kudos to Hanes Mall, great Santa, friendly Santa staff and in the end, a Christmas moment.

Turkey Strut

Ready to run!

Ok.... its only a few weeks since Thanksgiving.... but I wanted to post about my Turkey Strut.  I have not run a road race since I was in High School.  And even then there wasn't a lot of running.  It could probably be said that I walked Cross Country instead of ran Cross Country the one year I was on the team.  But those were different days.

Since then, I've taken my health and my diet more seriously.  I lost 30lb and picked up a serious exercise bug.  Unfortunately, this part of my life has taken a bit of a backseat to motherhood but I'm running when I can.  The YMCA daycare freaked me out so I have not headed back to Pump Class, but, with the help of babysitters, my husband and my treadmill, I find time to work out as I am able.

I have been trying to run a 5K road race for a couple of years and somehow I always get "5K-itis".  The night before I get sick, the morning of the race its pouring rain or I get called into work.  I ended up cancelling my run again and again.  So here I am, ready and freaking willing to run this race come what may. 

Go Mommy Go!

And of course, Thursday morning, its in the low 30s out when I am getting ready to run.  Trying not to mentally freak out (but not having much success), I laced up my tennis shoes, checked my iPod and filled up my water bottle.  Craig and Libby came to cheer me on because we decided it was too cold to run with Libby.  Plus, there was a little bit of me that wanted to run this for myself.  I knew hands down I could run it with Craig pacing me and encouraging me.  I wanted to do this for myself and by myself. 

There were a couple of moments of panic as I saw everyone else in their proper weather running equipment and realized I forgot my running watch.  Basically, I just told myself to suck it up, turn up the music and run.

In the last 1/4 mile

And I did!!! I completed the 5K - goal #1 accomplished!!!!!

My goal time was under 35 minutes.  As I crossed the Finish Line I saw I had finished in UNDER 30 MINUTES!!!!! Good gracious its a miracle!!! How did that happen?!?!? I have never run that fast in my life!!!! I ran that race over 15 minutes faster than I EVER ran it in high school and I'm over 30 and have a baby.  I am proud of myself and glad to have my little exercise bug back.... maybe a 10K in the spring.... maybe a Disney Half Marathon in the future???