'The Things You Can't Remember, To The Things You Can't Forget'

I love Tom Waits. That's a line from his song Calendar Girl, and although he is certainly not referencing being a new patent, I hear that song in my head and think of the beginning. 

So here is what I can't forget:

-The first 3 months are the hardest 

-Nobody tells you quite how hard it's going to be

-You get to fall in love all over again

-You start to fear the night

-The fatigue is real and it will not let you go

-Nursing a child is the most womanly thing you can do

-Getting them to sleep in their cribs, on their backs is a challenge 

-It is a magical time that will be over before you know it

-There is nothing like watching the man you love hold your baby

And this is what I couldn't remember:

-Just how hard it is...

-...but each week gets a little bit easier

-Showering is a luxury

-Being smelly is a given

-Crying for no reason...me, not the baby

-Successful burping is a myth, whoever said it was easy, lied

-Newborns make the cutest noises, crying is not one of them

-Recovering from major surgery is a lot easier with the distractions of caring for a baby

-Newborns are cryptic

-Newborns hate baths even more than dogs

-How wonderful it is to fall in love all over again

I mean really, how could you not fall in love with this? It is so worth the struggle. Every exhausted minute of it.

Well hello there stranger

I am the WORST blogger ever, I'm sorry little blog that I have neglected you for so long. If you'll have me, I'd really like to make this work. 

Ok, now that we're better on that front, my blog has decided to be forgiving;), it recently occurred to me that I suddenly have all this time that I could be spending here. No we didn't hire a nanny, send Eve to day care or finally let Russia be her primary caregiver...we had another baby! I know that sounds a little crazy pants, how can a second child give you more free time? But it has. It may not be at the most desirable time of day, (the middle of the night) but hey, I'll take what I can get. 

I'm currently nursing Jonathan who is 12 days old and trying very hard to let my husband sleep, since once he goes back to work I will have little choice there. So I have that time, roughly 30 min, and then another 30 min after to keep him upright, so all that hard work isn't wasted on spit up, to write! I admittedly have been spending copious amounts of time on Facebook and Instagram and have decided I should  cut that cord and write a bit instead. 

Jonathan, like I said, is 12 days old. Is up over his birth weight already, weighing in at 8lbs. 4oz. and is 21 inches long. By the grace of God he will actually sleep in his crib (complete opposite from his big sister who, in the beginning, would only sleep if being held). Also by some act of Devine mercy he so far does not suffer from day/night confusion. A phenomena I thought pure myth until we went through it with Eve for about a month. 3am and she was ready to party...it was awesome...actually it was so NOT awesome that I thought I was going to lose my mind. Anyone living through that right now, I feel your pain, just know it gets better. 

Jonathan hates getting his diaper changed and true to his gender would rather be dirty, but other than that he's a pretty chill little guy. We are falling more and more in love with him every minute and we count ourselves extremely blessed that he's healthy. 

Here we are, a family of four. And I am the happiest Momma. 

Hiking in New Mexico October 2013

Little Queen

Eve 12-18 months Spring-Fall 2013

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books are the new way to preserve your memories. Create your own today.

Eve, 18 months old

Super Easy, Super Cute Halloween Wreath!

With Halloween just a few weeks away it's almost time to dig out all your fun, spooky decor, brainstorm your next over the top costume, buy candy early, eat all the candy you bought early and have to buy MORE candy...surely I can't be the only one who does that...and get to act like a kid again!  What's not to love about Halloween!

Before we begin let me be very clear that this is an OUTDOOR project and it's best to do it on a day with little to no wind unless you want to spray paint yourself, your car, the neighbors dog or whatever else is nearby.

So let's get started! You will need:

• 1 twig wreath (any size)
• Black spray paint
• Shimmer spray paint in the color of your choice, I used purple
• Fun Halloween trinkets to bedazzle the wreath. I used spiders and a beware sign, but the options really are limitless.
• Newspaper or cardboard 
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Gloves (optional if you want to keep your hands clean) 

Lay out the newspaper or cardboard to create your work space. Start by 'fluffing' the wreath. Twig wreaths are tightly wound and look better when pulled apart a bit.  It will also make it easier to get full coverage with the spray paint. Once you're happy with the way the wreath looks, start spraying!  (This is my favorite part) Layer the paint, alternating colors, until all sides of the wreath are covered.

Oh wait, this is my favorite part, break out your hot glue gun and decorate the wreath. And that's it, you're done.  Hang, enjoy and have a wonderfully spooky Halloween!!!!