Feels Like Fall

I never knew that would miss summer so much until I had a toddler. I used to bemoan the heat and humidity and wish for fall but now that the cooler air is coming round, I'm so sad to see summer go. We had a great summertime routine: after work I would pick up Conrad and we'd go to the stream, walk through the neighborhood on his tricycle, go for wagon rides or runs in the jogger, go to the library or for ice cream. Now I have to find some fun indoor activities! Even though the weather is getting cooler, we still had some time to fit in some last outdoor fun times.

Pumkin Patch with Nana, PopPop, Cousin Brayden, and Aunt Sissy: My sister and I used to go here every year as kids! It was awesome to be able to bring our own sons here as well.

Happy Birthday Conrad!

I decided not to do a big birthday this year but instead took the day off of work and took Conrad to the pumpkin patch with a good friend. It was a great way to spend the day!

We then had a small family party for Conrad at our house the next weekend. This little guy got so many new toys that we held some aside for Christmas!! We are sooooo proud, enthralled, in love, and excited that Conrad is 2. It's been an amazing year full of fun times and we can't wait to see what the future holds for our smart, sweet, sensitive, funny little guy.

Our Hometown Summer Fun

Every spring and summer our town hosts live music every Friday night. It's a great time for all because we can walk there with friends and neighbors, listen to great music, have a couple beers, let the littles run around, and walk home. It's a great family-fun way to kick off every weekend.

Beach Baby Round 2!

This year's beach experience was SO MUCH BETTER than last year's! Conrad loved, loved, loved the sand, the ocean, the pool, and hanging with his family. It made things so much easier and more enjoyable! Once again, we are such a blessed family to have my wonderful in-laws around to help and provide us with this family vacation. Here's just a little recap:

Loved the sand!

Conrad and Big Pa

Cousin time!

Loved the water

Love his Me-Maw!

This litle fish!

My dinner date

Family happy hour

Summertime Fun!

Our little guy has loved spending so much time outdoors this summer...and I have as well! Our usual routine is I pick him up from the babysitter then we go to the park, to the stream, play with chalk and bubbles, or play in the backyard. It's awesome having so much to do outside!

Chalk! We love "hopstotch"

"Mommy look, Mommy look!"

"big boy park!"

At the stream...we now know to go in shorts and sandals!

Big boy swing!

All our supplies needed for a run!

As the days get hotter and hotter I try not to complain because before we know it winter will set in and then I'll actually have to get creative on how to entertain a two year old! So 89 with 60% humidity? I'll take it.

Thankful Thursdays: The Little Things

I had originally taken off last Friday to get stuff done around the house. Working 9+ hours a day and then spending the evenings with Conrad does not leave a lot of time to get stuff done so every now and then I take a day off to actually cross chores off the list(clean, laundry, errands, organize). That was my intention last Friday. But after spending some extra time with Conrad in the morning I decided that time with my little man was more important. And I'm so glad I did! We first went to visit Daddy at work:

Daddy's work is fun because he has soccer balls, yoga balls, a small trampoline, and lots of space to run!

Also, can we please note the watch - he's obsessed and it's adorable. Although don't count on him for accurate time readings. Whenever you ask, it's always "two o'clock".

Back home for Popsicles and playtime in the back yard

After our nap it was time for a wagon ride to drop off the dry cleaning




I'm sure you may have recognized all the outfit changes - this kid gets dirty! I remember when we were finding out the sex I kind of wanted a girl so I could dress her up and accessorize her. But this little guy has just as many clothes, shoes, hats, sunglasses, and accessories (watches, ties, suspenders!) as any girl I know.

I was so happy to spend so much time with Conrad last Friday that I didn't even care that the house was still a mess (if not more a mess) by the end of the day. We didn't have any agenda, just hung out. In fact it was fun to just say "Hey Conrad, what do you want to do?" and have him pick "wagon" or "park" or "popsicle". Letting the schedules, cleaning, and organizing fly to the wind was awesome and I'm so thankful I had a day full of amazing moments with him.

Keep It In Perspective

Things have been super stressful lately - I'm really busy at work, taking work home with me every night, and Conrad was REALLY fussy and sick this past week. It turns out our sweet baby had what is commonly known as "Hand, Foot, and Mouth" disease. A virus that is apparently common in babies but causes uncomfortable blisters in their mouth/throat, feet, and hands. Our little guy just wouldn't eat, was fussy, and seemed listless and tired. Sean took him to the doctor, and although there is no medication and he's already seeming better, at least we knew what was wrong. As most moms can probably agree, its HORRIBLE not knowing what is wrong with your little one.

I was thinking as I was driving home how stressed I was - with work, a sick child, money (we have a beautiful home but this area is EXPENSIVE to live in!), keeping the house clean, relationship stuff...you name it. Then as I was browsing Pinterest, I came across this:

Hello!!!! First world problems I have - a job I love that pays me well, a lovely little "small town" in the midst of crazy busy suburbs, a beautiful home (and our second home at that! we were fortunate that we bought our first house very young), and friends and family that love me. Plus, despite him being sick, I have these precious moments with this amazing little one:

So, I slapped myself and said "Wake up, Elizabeth!" And be thankful for what you have. Sure, money is tight, but freaking cut back on your Starbucks!!!!!!! Sure, your house is a mess, but hey, you'd rather spend time with your baby, and as mom always said "No one was ever killed by a dust bunny". Sure work is busy but YOU HAVE A JOB. As I said, first world problems.

So, I am now trying to be thankful every day for what I have and keep in perspective all my issues. And you know what? It's helped! I highly recommend it.

Daycare Woes

So, as many working mothers can I'm sure relate, going back to work and deciding on a daycare is the most difficult thing you can do. Some are fortunate to have family watch their little ones (like my sister!), some are able to afford in-home nannies (lucky!), and the rest of us have to do tons of research, interviews (although this is done with nannies too), and visits. Then there's the endless mind-games you play with yourself: is this the right fit? is he in the right environment? is he being well cared for and loved? Mom guilt goes on overload at this point.

We were fortunate to find an in-home daycare right on our street; Miss Farzaneh lives about 10 houses down from us and just happened to finish sitting for a family that moved away. Which meant that Conrad was the only baby and got her undivided attention! With his feeding issues, weird napping (aka, NO naps) schedule, and general fussiness, this was perfect. She is like another grandmother for him! He's completely spoiled because I'm sure all she did was hold him all day. However, now that he's older, this just does not fly. He constantly whines to be held at all times and freaks out when you put him down. We have a regular little prince on our hands!

While the undivided attention has been good, I'm starting to think that he'll need to be around other kids soon. And while she has lots of toys and interactive things for him, I'm always worried about whether or not he's being stimulated enough. She doesn't speak English very well (she's from Iran) and so I'm not sure how much learning there is going on. I know that at a year old, there's no big rush to "learn" anything crazy but it would be nice to know that they are reading books, singing songs, and other educational things once in  while.

There are a couple different daycares, both in home and not, that I've looked into. The issue is that they are more expensive (daycare in the DC Metro area is RIDICULOUSLY expensive) and not as convenient. And who knows if they'll actually be better?

Maybe I'll just quit my job and stay home. We'll be poor and have to live in a one bedroom shack, but I would be home with Conrad. What's a mom to do? I mean, who wouldn't want to be with this little guy all day?

Thankful Thursdays: My Home

or those of you who've been hit by the recent snow storms and cold weather (below zero here at some points!), you know how important a nice, warm home is. In times like these it breaks my heart that there are those that go without heat and home. So, this Thursday, I am so thankful for my home. For my job that allows me to pay for this home. For the education that took me to this job and therefore my home.

It's amazing to me that in our Northern Virginia area, an area that holds two of the wealthiest counties in America, there are still so many that have no place to call home. Growing up it was important for my parents to instill in us a sense of gratitude for what we have so we were constantly volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, and drives or fundraisers. I hope to teach Conrad the same.

During these cold winter months, if you can, please consider donating your time to one of your local shelters or kitchens. If you don't know of any, check out www.volunteermatch.org for places near you. If you can't donate your time, then perhaps try to donate food you know you won't eat or coats you know you don't wear.

Be thankful and stay warm, friends.

Confessional Friday - Getting to Know You More

Linking up again this week with Leslie @ A Blonde Ambition 

1. What's your middle name?
    Anne - after my mother and both grandmothers!

2. If you could live anywhere else in the world where would you live?
    Tough one...somewhere on the water but still east coast to be near      
    family...Annapolis, Charleston, Hilton Head...not very glamorous but I'd 
    be happy!

3. Tell us about your guilty pleasures.
    Anything on Bravo TV! It's gross and decays your mind but it's an     
    awesome way to just veg out

4. What do you like best about your job? If you weren't doing that, what 
    career would you have pursued?
     I LOVE helping my residents realize a better life. If I wasn't doing that, 
     I would want to be a teacher...K through second or third grade most 
     likely

5. Five items you'd grab during a fire. (People and pets don't count. Those are 
    a given.)
    Conrad's lovie and Mr. Bear (which was mine when I was little), box of 
    my Gampi's photos, box of important files, Conrad's baby book...and I 
    can't think of anything else. I'm not really attached to my stuff

6. Marathon running...something you'd like to pursue or just plain crazy?
    Well I've already run three but I still think it's crazy! I'm definitely 
    wanting to do more or even a triathlon in the future

7. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
    Pizza, pizza, and more pizza!

8. Last person you spoke to...annnnnd....go!
    My husband

9. Favorite childhood toy
    The aforementioned Mr. Bear and my Barbies! I was a girly-girl


10.Breakfast cereal of choice
     Honey Nut Cheerios...I can eat these by the boxful!

My First Full Year of Motherhood: Lessons Learned

Throughout 2013 our family obviously was very busy with the new addition to our household! We started off the year celebrating and loving on our new little guy and then I went back to work in the beginning of February. Four months of being with Conrad 24/7 and then all of a sudden handing him over to someone else for 10 hours a day?! Rude awakening. As I've mentioned before, this is the worst part about being a working mom. But hey, the baby's gotta eat! Here's some things I wish I knew before but learned well in 2013:

1. I can survive on >6 hours of sleep per night OR sleep/wake/sleep/wake off and on for 8+ hours. The husband, however, tends to be a bit more grouchy when forced to do this. I realize there are reasons why women are moms as men can't handle the lack of sleep too well.

At least he got some sleep!

2. Breastfeeding is HARD. And you know what? If you end up not following through for the whole recommended year, it's OK. Your baby will survive. Just like those that breastfeed their child until they're 18 don't like to be judged, neither do moms who only do it for 3 months.

3. Anything you read in baby books you can find on the internet. I have about 5 different sleep method books and 3 different baby first year books and used none of them. And guess what?! Conrad slept through the night after 8 months without some sort of crazy rigid method. He eats well without some sort of crazy eat this first then that. Do what works for you and whats healthy for your baby.

4. Doctors don't always have the answers and YOU are your child's advocate. If you think something's wrong or not right, keep pushing on Momma!

5. Think your lifestyle was different than your single friends before? Hey, at least you could still join them for happy hour. Get ready to host wine night at your house instead and pray they don't mind toys all over the place and you wearing two-day old yoga clothes covered in spit up. Hey, at least you have wine.

6. Speaking of wine, it's my new best friend. Mama can always use more wine when she gets a lot of "whine" from the baby. HA, see what I did there?

Looks like C-Rad would like some wine too!

7. You will be judged for anything and everything you do. You learn not to care. 

8. If you don't believe in yourself, you'll drown in self-doubt and worry. But you know what? There are worse parents out there than you (read: Britney Spears? entire cast of 16 and pregnant?) so try your hardest to do right by your child and the rest doesn't matter - the matching clothes, perfect nursery, and right on target schedule are all meaningless as long as your baby is healthy and happy.

9. Schedule? What schedule?! Let go.

10. Don't compare yourself and your child to others. Do what works for you and your family; you'll drive yourself crazy trying to keep up with everyone else!

11. The dishes can wait. So can the laundry, vacuuming, and bed-making. Oh, and the baking, organizing, and polishing silver?! Forget about it. What can't wait are the moments your baby laughs, walks, and talks. What can't wait are the cuddles, book-reading, and block building. These are important.

12. I used to think I wanted to work up that corporate ladder right away - time was money. But now, time is time and you can't get it back. "I wish I had spent more hours in the office" - said no one ever.

13. Never underestimate the power of a good cry. Or muffled scream while hiding in your bathroom. Hey, whatever relieves your stress.

14. Take care of yourself! Don't be afraid to ask the husband, friend, neighbor, grandparent to watch the baby while you get a mani, go to the gym, drive to Starbucks and veg for an hour. You deserve it and shouldn't feel guilty.

15. Guilt! Oh the guilt! When your brain is telling you that you aren't doing enough, tell it to back the bus up and take a look at the beautiful child you carried for 9+ months and brought into the world. Did you feed him, clothe him, cuddle, kiss, and play with him today? It's enough.

16. Remember who your partner is when raising a child and learn to trust in them. Sean is an amazing father and I don't doubt his abilities for a second and appreciate all that he does and should probably thank him more as there are Dads out there that do absolutely nothing.

17. Take pictures, lots and lots of pictures! Every day if possible.

Oh, the outfits! Not enough days for them all...

18. Frozen foods, crock pot meals, and take out or delivery were the best things invented. EVER.

19. Now that Conrad is older, I try to make time in the morning before he wakes up to shower, do my hair, and makeup. After all, I'm still a real person and feel better when I'm put together (even if I'm overwhelmed on the inside, hey, at least I look great!) even if I'm at home by myself.

20. In order to do the above it's best to go to bed early. Sure, I'd love to stay up late and read or catch up on shows but at this point...who cares if Emily Thorne ever gets her Revenge on the Grayson family, she doesn't have a 14 month old to take care of.

21. If you don't have time to see friends and family as often as you'd like, still text and call or email them to keep up with their lives. Technology is great so take advantage of it!

22. There's always tomorrow. Or later today. If you didn't get it right at this moment, your child won't break or be scarred for life. 

23. It's ok to want to run away sometimes. You know you're not really going to do it so imagining you're on a tropical beach without the baby and hubby can be a nice vay-cay for the brain.

24. Even when your little one is screaming and crying or throwing a tantrum, cherish him, love him. Before you know it, he'll be out of the house and on his own. Take advantage of every moment