Phew! That’s been 5 crazy years :)

Happy Anniversary to me and my amazing husband! Jonathan and I met  7 years ago (I’d heard about him…he was well known through the College of Music, of course…that’s what 9 years of being there will do) at a mutual friend’s party for about 5 minutes. I was already annoyed by his reputation and was about a month away from breaking up with my HS boyfriend who thought Jonathan was the coolest ever. Not impressed.

After the breakup, we ended up having a class together (Woodwinds Methods-everyone learns how to play all the woodwind instruments….methods classes were a blast! nerd alert!) with only about 15 other people. It was so much fun. He told me he liked my tote bag (he loves Renoir and there was a print on the bag…again, nerd alert). I told him we’d already met. He was embarrassed. It was perfect! Later that week, we met again for a smaller party (college, people) and I complained about my car breaking down. He, of course, said he could fix it. Swooping in trying to impress me…boys are so full of it. Well, he didn’t fix it after 4 hours of trying but after that we were both hooked. Two years later we were taking the plunge!

He’s my best friend and my baby daddy. I couldn’t ask for a more caring, understanding, patient partner in life. I love him so much!!!!

Some of my favorite pics of the day:

Our beautiful church, Christ the King. Its so traditional!

Maybe my favorite pic of all (though I thought that for a lot of the rest of these). Cory is so sensitive. That’s why he’s Jonathan’s BFF :) Side note: Cory dyed his hair, like, a week before the ceremony. Kept it for two weeks then went back to normal. Ugh. So Cory…

Williams girls :)

Our niece, Ella. She was so adorable that night and she can be a drama queen. Just perfect.

Us being us:

Our amazing band that Jonathan’s friends put together (they all play each other’s weddings as their gift). They were pretty much all One O’Clock players over a 5 year timespan, which on a regular booking would cost about $15,000. For us? Free. Love that perk.

Adamo family pic. Even Hannah and Noah were there! They were just safely stuffed in Heather and Christina’s bellies :). I love this pic!

I may have mentioned in an earlier blog about our rain luck. It rained for both of our engagement picture sessions. My bridal sessions. And all day on our wedding. It was supposed to rain the day before (when Jonathan was a groomsman in one of his groomsman’s wedding outside at the Arboretum…can you follow that?) and not at all on our day. We were all glad that Phil and Elena had a rain-free (but broiling) outdoor wedding on Friday the 27th, but we missed out on some outdoor pics on our day. I was totally okay with that!

Jonathan really wanted to use his Focus as the getaway car. Who was I to say no? He was so pumped about it. As our friends partied in the suite room we’d had all day (not our honeymoon suite, of course, which was AH-MAZING…and we have zero pics of ‘cause we were tired…can we say 3 bathrooms, two bedrooms, a dining room, full bar…need I go on?), we drove to my parents to get Jonathan some clothes. He brought nothing but the tux on his back. Silly boys! On our way back to the party, we stopped at 7-11 to get me a Slurpee and they gave it to us for free ‘cause we were still in our garb. If I’d been blogging back then you know I’d have taken a pic of that!

Phew! This blog is neverending. That just goes to show how fun walking down memory lane can be. It was an amazingly wonderful day and I can’t stop smiling now that Jonathan and I have gone back through our pictures and laughed about it all. Ah…we’d better start saving for a vow-renewal ceremony and do it all over again! :)

Won’t you be my neighbor?

Here are some pics from our recent adventures with friends (furry friends included!).

 

B spending time bonding with the cat (Gus). They both share and affinity for gift boxes and tissue. Can they base a relationship on that commonality?

 

We hang with Abby so often at her place, but this time we got to hang with Jackson, too (his mom is ALSO named Julie!). Jackson is 2 months older, but Bridget was the star crawler of the place…such a proud mommy! I am pretty proud that I captured all three babies smiling at the same time (don’t mention luck!):

Julie and I were tickled when I pulled out B’s favorite crib toy so she’d be comfortable going down in the PnP (so Mommy could continue to enjoy the night…works like a charm!)…it turns out Abby sleeps with the exact same one. Even more fun?? B’s is from Amanda (my BFF since I was 2)!! Love it:

One of our favorite outdoor escapes is Arbor Hills Nature Preserve and its about 5 minutes from our house. How excited was I when that ended up being the location for B’s friend, Annabelle’s 1st birthday party?! The weather worked out perfectly and Christy (Annabelle’s mom) made little strawberry shortcakes for everyone instead of regular cake. Annabelle even got a sugar-free version for herself. I loved the sugar-free idea! I’m so nervous to give B “super desserts” (she’s gotten fruit sweets but never serious sweets)…I don’t even want her to know the delicious taste of SUGAR! Oops…tangent…well, the party was fun!

 

When we got home, it was time to play with B’s regular, everyday friends…her toys! She is obsessed with pulling up on stuff and her clear favorite is her travel swing. She loves pulling on the fish that hang. They make noise when pulled and she loves it! It’s amazing to see their little brains develop right before our eyes!

We had our first teen babysitter last weekend! Our neighbor, Lydia, came and watched B so we could go see Mandy in the Denton Community Theater production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”…it was a great show! I was nervous to leave her, but her bedtime was about 30 minutes after we’d left. I’d done the bath and got everything set up. We probably gave her way more information than necessary (I even showed her how to hook the carseat in my car in case there was an emergency…we were going  to be in Denton! Too far to risk it :)…hehehe), but she was a good sport about it. Another comment?? Ahh, to be 17 again…I am so obviously not that age anymore!

Here’s Mandy in the show. We also shared some Beth Marie’s….yum!

Byron Nelson pics to come soon. I’m too sleepy. Nightie-night!

This Week in Mommyhood

Two things:

 

1. One word: t.u.r.d. That’s right. I said it. She has laid one in her diaper for a few days now and its the craziest thing! I know its gross to discuss and post about, but its just another big step in the growing process, right? I’m pumped to ask Carmen about it tomorrow…is that weird that I’m pumped about it?

2. Stroller fan? Outstanding purchase. It was about $14 at Buy Buy Baby and its awesome. 2 AA batteries makes us set for a summer outing…and it helps both B and us! Wahoo!

3. (yeah, there’s 3 things) Your amusement for the day:

I could have sworn there was something else I desperately wanted to post, but my mind has really gone these days. Til next time, I guess! :)

The Baby Girl from Ipanema

Watching Daddy’s jazz band concert on Tuesday night was such a blast! Mommy and I nabbed a sweet front row (corner) spot on the floor and she laid out my favorite quilt complete with toys and snacks. Miraculously, I managed to sit and listen for THREE of the 10 songs. That’s a big deal! The whole audience loved me and Daddy was so proud after it was all over. What a great night for the Adamos!

Waiting for the shindig to begin:

Totally into it! Well, at least for the first 3 songs…that’s impressive for an 8 month old:

Now that crawling is in the bag, this is our new cool move:

Um…are their shirts not the cutest things you’ve ever seen???:

Phew! After a long day, neither of us was surprised to find this in the backseat when we finally got home:

Ladies Night! (well, me and Bridget outings)

Good times recently! I’ve been behind on uploading pics, so here’s a few more our most recent events. First: we celebrated Mother’s Day with my mom at Mi Cocina seeing as how she and Dad went to Chicago to visit Mary over the “real day”. Love me some Mambo Taxis!

Who else is annoyed by these non-storms we’ve been having this season? My plants and I think its SUUUUPER lame…here’s a pic of yet another one of these dirty teases:

While out at the Celtic Festival, Mary, Mom and Dad stopped by some of the fun, mirrored sculptures and had some fun. Look at how many other people were enjoying them, too!

Over the weekend, my good friend, Adrianne, came in town from Austin (she had two showers in the same day and still spent time with us, too!) and needed her regular Bridget fix. As usual, she brought B something adorable and we entertained ourselves with the little one. Isn’t her bikini Four Seasons Pool-ready?? Here we come!

Oh…we also went to Gloria’s for lunch and I had chicken tacos for the first time (well, the first time from Glorias….duh!). They were AMAZING. Perfectly dry, just like I like it. Time to go back!

I must also mention that it was definitely baby-central at this place. Geez! We would have felt out of place without Bridget! She was 100% enamored with two young boys at the table next to us. She would stare at them, turn back to see if Mommy had set out another puff, and then turn right back around to her boyfriends. hilarious!

 

And…we also had a date night thanks to Grammy and Pop! Of all the movies we could have seen, we decided on “How to Train Your Dragon”. What can I say? We are too tired for a thought-provoking slow pic and life goes by too fast to see a movie that might not be good. This one got a 98% from rottentomatoes.com AND we like the animated sort. We’re lame :). It was really cool! Only problem? I am NOT into the 3-D movie craze. Since we went to Studio Movie Grill (the best deal in a movie, even if you don’t get food…it’s the same price or cheaper than the regular theater!), there was only a 3-D option. NOT a good idea when you are trying to eat. I wish I had video of me having on glasses while watching the movie (and often being ill), then taking them off to take a bite of food, then back again. Silly! Good thing the movie was great!

More to come about today’s jazz concert at Daddy’s school, but Daddy needs to use the computer, too. Til next time! :)

Hehehehe

K...so I just noticed all the horrific errors in grammar on the last blog. I hate grammar errors!!! Just goes to show how much having a baby can change the little things :).

There's no time! There's never any time!.....

Ah, of all the things I love in the world that I don't have time to indulge, baking is near the top. When I win the lottery (and after I open my Animal Sanctuary, of course), I may just have to open my own catering company! There are so many recipes out there to try, and I know I will love them all...I'm mostly talking sweet treats, people, but I also love savory, too. My then, Lord, have you matched me with a man that says, "eh" every time I deliver a new delicacy? Sure, he puts on a happy, impressed face each time I have time taste a new treasure and supports me in my passion but he can't help his boring, unsophisticated palate. I beam with pride and await that reassurance that comes from the "you am the best cook ever" look that I give often when delicious food enters my gullet, but I'm often disappointed. Boo. At least he tries! I will continue to push his taste buds in the hope that one day they'll come around :). Here's my latest two recipes I can't wait to try. Maybe when we have people over the watch World Cup start soon, I can try them. Don't they look delicious??

Braided Lemon Bread

Mushroom Crepe Cake

Both are from Smitten Kitchen and look absolutely amazing (and do-able by me, possibly). Yum!

It's Official...Part Deux

Well, people...I've been excited to blog about this for a couple of weeks now and I'm finally free to do so. Thanks to a wonderful opportunity at my dad's office (due to the fact that my mom does the job of 5 people!), I've resigned my position at my school and will work part time so I can stay home with B part of the week. WHEE! Now, its not full-time stay-at-home or anything because J and I are just not in that place right now...but I'm going to take what I can get and be joyful!

I'll miss the beautiful hearts of my students and will cherish all the lessons they've taught me over the last 5 years, but man am I excited to do something new. I never thought I'd want to be a stay-at-home lady, but this year has made me yearn for more and more time with my angel. I'm thankful to still have an opportunity to work so I can keep my skills up and have that "special" feeling I get when I get home to Bridget. Its true what people say: absence does make the heart grow fonder...though its impossible to think the heart can grow any fonder of our babies, right?? They already take up the whole stinkin' thing! Regardless, its true for me. I like that feeling and I like the fact that B will still get to see Miss Carmen on a semi-regular basis. They have such a special relationship :).

I've been thinking of going back to school for a few years now, but the money, time, and energy just haven't been there. Well, they'll never be there...just like when babies arrive. I've learned that things just happen the way they will and sometimes you just have to jump in the deep end! After about a year, I plan to go to law school (take the LSAT...again...do well enough to get accepted...again...etc, etc, etc) and then work at my dad's office as an attorney instead of an administrative assistant. Thankfully, that's more of a 5 year plan so for now, I'm just enjoying my last few weeks as a teacher and I'm pumped about what the future holds.

Thanks, Mom, for gifting me with the love of learning. She went back to school 3 times for more degrees and has held many different jobs, all of which she loved. There's just too many things out there to try and life is so short. I'm ready to do it all! Of course, mommyhood being the number 1. Thanks, Bridget for giving me that experience :).

Did I mention that I'm excited???

Update!

Things I’m doing now that I’m 8 months old:

-eating baby food 3 times a day (favorites: avocado, prunes, pumpkin, apples/bananas, sweet potato)

-CRAWLING! If I’m motivated, I can go as far as I want now. Mommy and Daddy need to look out!

-Talks all the time…my favorite word is still “da-da” and Mommy is trying to work on my “m’s” every day

-I have two bottom teeth and more coming in on top…I hate teething!

-I don’t like any of the normal teething tools. No teethers. No Munchkin treat sacks. Instead, I prefer Mommy’s necklaces.

-Love eating baby snacks! Favorites are Gerber Graduate Puffs and Baby Mum Mums (those are delish!)

-About to grow out of my car seat. Good thing Mommy bought a good one on sale before I was born!

-Had many more diaper rashes than ever before. Mommy was so lucky that I didn’t have my first one until I was over 6 months old. Miss Carmen says its because of teething. She knows everything!

-I giggle at the kitties anytime they come anywhere near me. They are hilarious!!!!

-Since I am crawling now, Mommy confines me to my pack n’ play when she’s in the shower. I’m getting used to it…

-I wear size 3 diapers now

-I NEVER stay still on my changing table. Mommy doesn’t like it, but I’ve got places to go, lady!

-Separation Anxiety started about 3 weeks ago. If I’m in a new place with new people, I don’t want to be anywhere but with Mommy. I’m working on getting better and after I get a 15 minute break to get used to things, I’m cool. Mommy secretly thinks its sweet :)

-There’s so much more, but Mommy needs to get some rest so she can keep up with me tomorrow!

This Week in Mommyhood

Oh, ya’ll…this was a crazy week and its not even over yet! Here’s my number one tip: don’t lock your baby in the car :)

Ah, the story. Had a kinder program at school and my mom came to help watch Bridget since Jonathan also had a concert (the lives of a music teaching family). The show went great (kinder kids are always cute!) and B was super tired once it was time to go home (8pm…an hour after her bedtime and she still needed a bottle). Plus, the AC at school wasn’t turned on for the evening so she was already hot wearing her little sleeper (footless, but still had sleeves and such).

As Mom and I walked outside, I had all my loot: purse, diaper bag, car carrier. Per my normal routine, I opened the driver-side front door and set MY stuff down. Then I opened her door and put the diaper bag down and clicked her seat into place. Like normal, I closed her door and turned to get into my seat. Hmm….door was closed. Then I reached to open it and nothing happened. Sad face…

Mom and I both let out a team “gasp” when we realized what had happened. Since all my stuff was in the car, we used her phone to call 911 (a first for me – ever). Luckily, the fire truck was right around the corner and with sirens blaring came right over. B was crying ‘cause she was pissed but other than that she was fine. Just a little sweaty, but she gets that from Daddy. I’m super sad that I didn’t have my camera in my purse because I DEFINITELY would have gotten a shot of her with the firemen and policeman. Alas, I have to settle for the memory instead. Grammy and I will have a great joke to tell for many more years!

One note: when I got B out of the car, I immediately took her out of the seat and started to take off her sleeper. One of the firemen said, “oh! is she wearing flannel pajamas??”….I certainly snapped back, “No!” thinking – “who do you think I am?” oh yeah…and mom that locks her baby in the car :).

There’s other stuff to list for this week, but this was the biggest.

TIP: go to Market Street for prescriptions if you have one nearby. They give FREE prenatal vitamins (no DHA…you have to add supplements) and FREE amoxicillan (what they take when they have an ear infection). Just ask your ob/gyn and pedi when they give you something…free is always good!!!!

Best Day of…..EVER!

OK. So I knew Mother’s Day would be an awesome day, but let me tell you how amazing it actually was…and we didn’t even do that much stuff! No wonder this is the best day of the year for mothers. Seriously, it was the most relaxing day I’ve had since she’s been born. Every second was full of calm and peace knowing that whenever I wanted, I could pass the buck (aka Bridget) on to the Jonathan and he couldn’t (at least, he wouldn’t) say “no” or even        complain! It was amazing. As you know or will soon find out, being a daddy is just not the same as being a mommy. Daddy has it hard, too, but mommyhood is really the full-time job. Daddy is not so much. Daddy gets all the love and all the smiles and all the fun, but when it comes down to it, mommy does it all. Daddy will agree most days of the week :). Well ladies, on Mother’s Day we get whatever we want for all that hard work. One day a year is better than none so I decided to use it for all it was worth! Wahoo!

It started on Saturday when Daddy took all the laundry to the laundrymat, folded AND put it all away (no comment on how  many loads needed to be done):Sunday morning began with Mommy sleeping in til 8:30am while Daddy did morning duty. Then we all had breakfast together (well, B ate and we watched) with Daddy doing spoon duty:B went down like a champ for her morning nap so Mommy got time to go back to sleep! Nice! That nap also helped Daddy stay in a good mood for the rest of the day. He needs his naps:Next, Mommy showered while Daddy and B kept napping :) Then we got ready and went to Sunday brunch together:

B sat by Daddy and he had “puffs” duty as well as lunch food duty. B had so many people come up to tell her she was the cutest ever…of course:

Daddy gave Mommy some shopping time in the afternoon while he and B went to the Adamo’s house. Yay for shopping time! Upon our return, we made margaritas and hung with B in the playroom:

Daddy did all the night-night duties and then we had a yummy Subway dinner (laugh, but I love it and never get to have sandwiches ‘cause my husband is a veggie-hating vegetarian….it was my idea!) and watched our weekly shows together.

I couldn’t have asked for a better day. I’ve decided that I probably won’t ever want a Mother’s Day away on my own, but instead being with my little family, though not having to be in charge of ANYTHING. It was amazing. Ah-mazing!!

It's Official...my easy baby just got a lot less easy :(

Now what?!?!?!

What to do when bored…

Doctor's office. 1 hour wait. Mommy and B quality time. A strip of white paper. Awesomeness.

Piano Prima Donna

B, J and I spent Sunday afternoon at Grammy and Pop’s place and had such a nice time relaxing. Bridget got to see their awesome, organic garden, played the piano, grabbed lots of glasses, and even took a little nap so Mommy and Daddy could enjoy their lunch from the grill. Since we were downtown, we figured a quick ‘rita at Ozona with Amanda was a must-do seeing as how she was only in town for 24 hours. We don’t see her enough! Here are some highlights:

Grammy and Pop showing off their great backyard garden. They have so many goodies! We can’t wait for the tomatoes to ripen. Delish!

B even gnawed on her own green bean…chomp, chomp! 

Duh…of course she loves playing the piano. We just wish Aunt Mary (the piano performer of the family) was there to play, too!

 

At Ozona, B was pumped to sit with Amanda and Daddy. She was so sweet to give us a great afternoon with everyone. Little did we know she was suffering from an ear infection…oops!