Mother's Day 2014

I wasn't sure what to expect for Mother's Day this year. It ended up being just what I needed. My hubby is pretty good like that!

The day started off with Katie sleeping in, so I definitely got to shower! Then Brian made delicious Pilsbury cinnamon buns & coffee for breakfast. After church we headed up to Newburyport for lunch and a stroll. I ordered the lobster roll. Man, that was a good choice! It was delicious. I definitely needed to go for a walk afterwards!

Thanks for a wonderful day Brian!  Thank you for spoiling me.  One of my best memories of the day was when I was putting dishes away, while Brian was bathing Katie and he came out and said, "What are you doing? Go sit and be lazy."  My man is AWESOME!!!

Some highlight photos:

Katie got to decorate a cupcake as her dessert, it came with her kids meal. 

Katie Grace with the boat Katie May

Momma & Katie

To those who want it, preggo pix are coming soon. In the one above, Katie is covering up the bump a little, sorry!

BUBBLES!

What child doesn't love bubbles? 

Katie loves bubbles and even that little wand.  If she only knew she shouldn't be eating it...This picture was taken while her bubble machine was going.  She loved seeing so many bubbles come out.  Most of the time Katie stood right infront of the machine, where the bubbles come out, so her hair was covered in popped bubble residue.  At one point Katie chased the bubbles down the driveway and almost down the street.  (no worries, mommy was following her)  Let's just say my girl is obsessed with bubbles!  So much so that I think I need to hide the bubble containers.

This little "no spill/no mess" bubble container really works!  The only mess is a drip or two from the wand.  The container really doesn't leak.  Katie tested it out by putting it upside-down multiple times.  (Bubble container by Little Kids)

Daddy does a great job teaching Katie.  She was concentrating so hard, trying to make bubbles.  It was cute!

Weekend Fun

This is about a week old, but I'm still going to blog about it. 
The weekend before Halloween, Katie (and I) threw a costume party for her friends.  We met up at a park and got our blanket out to play on.  Slowly a few of Katie's baby friends showed up.  It was so fun to see the babies dressed up.  The think the mommies had fun chatting watching our little ones play together.  A few snacks (baby carrots with hummus and some amazing brownies that Danielle brought) to keep the mommies satisfied while the babies played.  It was a perfect afternoon for it.  The weather was perfect, not too hot, but not freezing, so the babies could wear their costumes while mommies didn't have to worry about their temps.

I made each child a special favor.  I found these pumpkin cups & used a permanent marker to write each child's name on the cup.  Super easy, cute & a keepsake of these babies first Halloween.

Brian's fun that weekend was taking down the shower doors & putting up a curtain.  I'm so glad he did!  Bath time with Katie is so much easier & more enjoyable for us all.  Many thanks to my father-in-law for all the hard work he did helping Brian take the doors down and re-grout/caulk the tub!

Fishing

This is my fishing pole. You may not think so. Some use it to open & close the shade on the skylight, but I use it to go fishing.

No bait is needed when I go on this fishing trip. Just need my trusty pole & I'm off. What do I fish for you may wonder...pacifiers!

Katie likes to drop her pacifiers on the side of the crib we cannot reach. As you can see, she gets quite a collection of fun things over there. We pondered what to do, move the bed, or just buy more pacis. Brian had the brilliant idea to use the skylight shade hook. I'm not sure if he or I first called the task of collecting missing pacis 'fishing', but it has definitely stuck!

We go 'fishing' every few days or so, depending on how often Katie's paci dropping habit dictates.  There have been the few occasions when the pacifiers end up on the other side of the crib.  I'm glad for those times (the two times it actually happened!).  Fishing for and washing pacis, just another task for the parents of Kaitlyn Grace!

Sometimes we 'catch' other items, like socks, if Katie decides to add them to her collections down there!  No boots yet, or tin cans...for now...
What a fun adventure!

Good parents

An excerpt from my devotional:
As Christian parents, we have the awesome responsibility to lovingly discipline our children (Prov. 13:24; 29:17; Heb. 12:9-11). As we impart God’s wisdom to them, we have the blessing of helping them develop into responsible, God-fearing adults.
-Our Daily Bread, 9/17/12, Correct Them by Marvin Williams

Boy this got me thinking and praying.  What a responsibility Brian and I have in raising Katie.  We knew this, but these words put the pressure on for me.  I guess the words, "helping them develop into responsible, God-fearing adults" really hit home.  God has blessed us with this little one.  It is our responsibility to raise Katie in the church and pray for her.  We are doing our best as we seek God's direction in raising this little girl.  What is right and when?  Only God knows and we have to trust Him.  I know there will be tough issues in the months and years to come.  Discipline for bad behavior and who knows what other things we'll be dealing with.  We'll always have to go to God for His direction as we raise Katie.  Does this make us good parents?  What makes a good parent?

This little cutie is too precious to not bring her before the Lord daily.  That is the best thing I can do!

Surprise!

We had a surprise party for Brian & my 30th birthday. I threw the party. Did I take any pictures?? NO!!! Wow. What is wrong with me? Being a mom has thrown off my photography game.

The party was fun even if I forgot to take pictures! We went swimming and enjoyed spending time with friends. The weather was not too hot, but ht enough to swim. Pretty much perfect!

Thanks to those who came and celebrated with us. We had fun.

Enjoying Family

Last Saturday was a day for enjoying the family. Katie took her morning nap with Brian, Charley & I.  All four of us snuggled on the couch for a nice relaxing way to spend our Saturday morning.  We had absolutely no plans, so it was nice to just spend time together.  We went out for breakfast after our lazy morning and spent the rest of the day hanging out together.  This means, playing with Katie on her blanket with all her toys strewn about.  It was so nice.  Especially since Brian left for a conference in San Francisco the next day.

I spent the week in CT with my family while Brian was gone.  Charley, Katie and I left early Sunday morning during Katie's morning nap. We got to my parent's church a little late, but got to hear most of the sermon!  It was nice to be with my parents and sisters for the week.  I knew being home would be tough since Brian wouldn't be around to help.  My mom was a huge help & I'm so thankful that she could take some days off to spend with me.  We even went to Six Flags (just my mom, me & Katie).  It was so fun!  Katie got to see her great-grandpa again.  Overall, good week, though we did miss having Brian around.

Summer is coming to a close, but we're still planning on some fun times!  Gotta enjoy the warm days while they last :) Just wait until my next post :)

AH! The big 3...0...

Yes, Brian and I are now 30.  Here a short string of thoughts I have on this milestone:

I remember thinking being this old was OLD...not so much anymore.  I feel older, but not OLD.  Though I am a bit sad...I feel like I'm truly a mom and should wear mommy clothes and that I'm just not as cool as I used to be. (if I ever was cool)

My life pretty much revolves around Katie right now, so I guess my age doesn't matter.  She's my little buddy and doesn't even know what age is.  She doesn't care how old I am, why should I?  I'm going to enjoy what God's given me: a sweet husband, my dear baby girl, and a cutie pup!  This is the plan God has for my life and I'm going to choose not to dwell on being in the 30s, but dwell on enjoying the blessings in my life.  I've been blessed for the first 30 years of my life with loving parents and some great siblings & friends, now to enjoy the next 30, 40, 50, or however many more years I have!!!

Wedding Anniversary

We just celebrated 6 years of marriage. Some people are surprised that we only have one child who is 6 months old. Others say they're glad we had time to ourselves before adding kids to the mix. There are times I agree with the first group, then there are times I am totally in agreement with the second. A baby definitely changes the relationship between husband and wife. Love grows and deepens.

For Brian and I, we realize how much we need to depend on God's love, support & grace all the more as we raise a young soul. Talk about responsibility! Plus we need to extend that grace to each other as we need more patience with each other. Babies add stress to the relationship.

Our anniversary went well & we had a great family day (as seen in the pictures below)

Texas trip

I finally have a moment to reflect on our trip to Texas.  First of all, it was Katie's first plane ride! I was so nervous about the flight. I should have realized that security was just as nerve wracking! That was probably the worst part of the trip. Katie did well on the plane. She was quiet & played well in the little seat. Ok, when we landed back in Boston she did have a freak out moment. We were waiting at the gate for the cabin door to open & she started melting down. It was 11pm, she was tired, the bright lights came on. I don't blame her. The only way to quiet her was nursing. She nursed until everyone got off the plane & we could finally get off too!

The purpose of the trip was a wedding and to visit family. We'll talk wedding first. So amazing to be in Ft. Worth. We loved it. We loved hanging out with friends that feel like family.  There were a few wedding events we attended while in Fort Worth.  They were outside & it was HOT down there.  Becca enjoyed the heat, but Brian was ready for some AC!  We did have some time to enjoy ourselves as a family too & explore Fort Worth, like going to a brewery and seeing 150 years of Fort Worth in one room!
Here are some pictures of our time there.

Family time was AWESOME! I loved being around my cousins. Spending time with two cousins I don't get to see very often was such a delight. Another highlight was seeing our kids interact. That's right, we're all parents!!! It was so neat, even made me feel like a real adult! Here are a few photos that show only some of the great moments we had together.