Buddies

Alora and Cosmo are the best of buddies. She loves playing chase with Cosmo and he plays right along. This week Cosmo is at Camp Mick, aka my parents' house. We mentioned his name today while Alora was eating and she started looking around for him, ready to play. I think she's looking forward to getting her buddy back this weekend.

5 reasons to be happy~
1. We had a great weekend touring Chicago. It's always refreshing to see this city through the eyes of a tourist.
2. We had a great night out with friends on Saturday and stayed out waaaaay past our bedtime.
3. Jake does not, after all, have to travel for work this week. We both need an easy week at home to recoup from our weekend.
4. We're looking forward to another busy and fun-packed Wisconsin weekend.
5. We had comfort food for dinner.

Happy Monday!

No autographs, please.

 We had a great weekend. Grandma Kathy came down to visit and babysit. It was just us girls in the house on Thursday night as Jake was in AZ for a quick business trip. Jake and I went to a friend's wedding on Friday night while Alora practiced standing and walking with Grandma. She's become so much more stable on her feet, just in the past few days. Very exciting to see! Sunday was supposed to be our productive day around the house, where we got everything done so we could actually have some time after work this week to relax... But, somehow we strayed from our plan and ended up walking to Lincoln Square for gelato (SO Good!), enjoying conversation sitting on a park bench and grilling brats with some friends. We did manage to fit in a few loads of laundry (now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure there is a load of good clothes sitting in a wrinkled heap in our dryer) and I scooped up a few dust balls that were floating around our wood floors so our guests wouldn't trip over them.

But this week, it's down to business! No more slacking. Our goal is to have the house in shape in time for our weekend company. Otherwise, we are going to have to make our poor guest wear a blindfold around our house, but that just doesn't seem as hospitable to me.

My 5 reasons to be happy today ~
1. We had a great weekend getting together with friends.
2. Alora is doing great, eating great and is well on her way to walking! This is her longest stretch of good health yet (knock on wood!).
3. The bosses were out today and I still managed to have a productive day.
4. I'm looking forward to having a clean house by the end of the week.
5. Even more so looking forward to my weekend company.

Happy Monday!

Our Barack Obama Sushi Roll

1. Alora and I visited some family over the weekend and had a great time!
2. Alora is soo close to walking.
3. I've discovered the website Pinterest.com and have become hopelessly addicted.
4. I've been rounding up all sorts of projects that I'm looking forward to doing, once I actually have a free weekend.
5. We have fun weekend to look forward to. We're going to a friend's wedding and Jake's mom is coming to visit.

Flowers on the Patio

A Sleepy-Eyed Girl

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday!

5 reasons to be happy~
1. We celebreated Alora's first birthday this weekend!
2. We have lots of leftover cake to enjoy.
3. Alora is sweetly sleeping in her crib right now.
4. Jake and I will be taking a mini vacation this weekend for a friend's wedding.
5. I have a dozen fresh tulips in my dining room.

Happy Monday

Well, here we are with another Monday. Time sure had been flying by! We had a great weekend. Jake was up in WI for the badger game and I picked up Alora from daycare on Friday after work and took her to her appointment. Alora has been having issues with reflux almost since birth. We've tried switching from breastfeeding to formula, which has helped a ton, we're on our 3rd medication and now we're trying chiropractics. Yes, it sounds a little odd to be taking an infant to a chiropractor and I was more that a little skeptical myself, but we did our research and found a dr that specializes in pediatrics and at this point, we figure we might as well give it a try. She's been continuing to throw up about every other day but her in between spit ups are much smaller and more manageable. So things are definitely improving. We have a few too many variables in the mix to know what exactly is helping, but whatever it is, we'll keep doing it. She has another chiropractor appointment tomorrow and a follow up appointment with a gastroenterologist next week. I'm eager to see how her weight gain is coming along. According to our scale, she's somewhere around 10lbs!

On the plus side, Alora has been SO happy lately. We are constantly being greeted with smiles and open mouth grins. I absolutely love it! And she's on the verge of giggling. She'll open her mouth wide with a smile, crinkle her eyes and let out what sounds like a little cough. It's adorable and I'm addicted to it!

For some other news, I had family from the Milwaukee area come down to visit on Saturday. We had a great time and it was SO nice to see everyone. My cousin Maddy, who is 13 and just starting to babysit, got in some good practice with Alora. And Alora just loved her! She was wore out from all the smiling she did with her and fell asleep on her shoulder. :0) Too sweet...

My parents stuck around through Sunday afternoon. The weather was perfect so we got my flowers dug up and the deck cleared off. We then took a walk through Lincoln Square. Once again, I owe them - they supplied almost all of the food for the weekend, helped with Cosmo and took care of some little projects around the house. Thank you, mom and dad!!

So, here are my 5 reasons to be happy today:
1. I had a great weekend with family!
2. Our house is clean and decluttered at the moment (I wish it could last...)
3. I am SO SO excited that our friends Kelly and Dave are expecting a little one in April!!
4. The fall weather has been absolutely perfect.
5. Alora's great big smiles.

Happy Monday

Well, I survived my first full week back to work. It definately had it's ups and downs but overall, I survived and am trying to make the most of my time there. Unfortunately Alora is now a little under the weather with some more tummy problems. But they seem to be more like a bug rather than from reflux this time. And Cosmo has started limping to the point where he wouldn't go down the stairs last night. He's a little better this morning but we'll see how the day goes. Alora's daycare is closed today so Grandma Julie came down to babysit. I'm sure she'll have her hands full with a gimpy dog and a vomiting baby... thanks again, Mom. We owe you! With all that said, I'm trying to dig for some Happy Monday thoughts.

1. We had a weekend full of beautiful weather.
2. I was able to spend some nice time with my mom.
3. Alora is really smiling a lot now, especially when sung to,  and she's on the verge of giggling. She loves the song, "The Wheels on the Bus".
4. My cousin's are coming to visit us in Chicago next weekend. It will be the first time they see our house and Alora.
5. I'm going in to work with a (possibly forced) optimistic attitude of good things to come.

Want What You Have

 

My wonderful maternity leave is coming to an end. I've been dreading this moment since long before Alora was born. Initially, when Jake and I first talked about starting a family, I was all on board for going back to work. My parents both worked, millions of other parents worked. Everything would be just fine... And then I got pregnant.

I was completely thrown of guard by the new emotions (I'm not even sure if that's the right word) I was feeling.  How could I leave my precious baby in the care of some stranger?! Who would be there for her during the day? Will I miss every smile? Will I miss her first words? Will she know I still love her...? And now that she's here, I wonder if her teacher will know that there really is one more burp to get out or that she likes to snuggle, or that you need to do "a" when she does "b."

But in the past few days, I've been forcing myself to be ok with this. Partially because I have to and also because it really will be ok. It will. I need to remind myself of my original thoughts. I went to day care and loved it. So do millions of other children. She will be given care by trained teachers who will know how to teach her things that I would never think of. And she will be surrounded by caregivers who undoubtedly love kids. She will be in a good place.  And she will be just fine.

With all that said, I know that this is still going to be a very difficult transition for me. And I know I could easily head back into work on Thursday with the worst attitude in the world. My workplace is a little crazy at times so it is very easy for me to pick up on and dwell on the down side of things. But I can't do that and try to be ok with taking Ali to day care. So I'm deciding to "want what I have" which is fitting for today because today is Monday and I haven't done a Happy Monday in ages. I started Happy Mondays because I was catching myself dwelling on the negatives far too often. So every Monday, I would try to remember to make a list of at least 5 things that make me happy.

When I step back and take a look at our life, we have it pretty good. While there are still some "wants" that we are working towards, I am still happy with my present life. Eckahart Tolle sums it up perfectly in The Power of Now, "When you are on a journey, it is certainly helpful to know where you are going or at least the general direction in which you are moving, but don't forget: The only thing that is ultimately real about your life is the step you are taking at this moment. That's all there ever is." So wherever I am in my day, I will do my best to be there fully and give it my all and I will remember to be grateful for all of the wonderful things I already do have in my life. I will want what I have.

 1. I have a daughter who is more beautiful than I had ever thought possible and my love for her is even more perfect. I was able to spend three whole months with the sole purpose of loving her.
2. I have a loving and hard working husband who has gracefully taken on his new roll as a father.
3. I live in a charming and safe neighborhood within a large and exciting city.
4. I have an employer that is welcoming me back after three months away.
5. I have a warm and comfortable home to return to each night with my happy little family.

 Happy Monday!

Home Sweet Home

Happy Tuesday everyone! I missed Monday again with the holiday weekend, so here's my list ~

1. We had a great weekend that was jammed packed full of friends and food.
2. The weather could not have been more perfect for our cook out on Saturday.
3. We finally got our nursery painted!!! Hooray!! I'm going to be working on the mural over then next 2 weeks so I'll post a photo once it's all put together.
4. We were busy Friday night and Saturday morning getting our house all spic n span so now we can relax a little this week.
5. We went to the diner down the street for breakfast on Sunday where I had an awesome waffle!

There is something about summer that makes my absolutely love our home. The room layout, paint colors, furniture, even the decorative accents all seem to go better in summer. Although I do love the way it feels in the winter with all of our holiday lights and decorations up, I think it was built just for summer. There is no where else I'd rather be on days like we had over the weekend. The house was all clean, we had the windows open with a great breeze blowing through and I had fresh flowers on the table. I could just sit for hours and stare out the open window at the trees that line our street and be completely and totally happy.

Happy Monday

I just realized that I haven't done a Happy Monday in MONTHS! Eeek! So here it goes ~

1. Jake survived his skydiving adventure yesterday. I even got all teary-eyed, (ok, so I was bawling like a baby...) when he left. I made him tell me something nice just in case I never saw him again. Oh, pregnancy hormones. The things you do to me... You can watch his video here. Use the code 60625.
2. We got our kitchen painted over the weekend and it looks great! We painted over the ugly backsplash and everything looks so much brighter and fresher. I know I always say this, but I'll try to post photos soon. We just have to get everything put back together.
3. We took Cosmo to the park twice over the weekend. He made a few friends at the dog park and got to get plenty of drinks out of the hose. He was one happy guy.
4. Jake went grocery shopping the other day so tonight we're grilling steak, potatoes and cutting up a fresh watermelon and cantaloupe!
5. We spent Saturday night hanging out with our friends Micah and Becca on their rooftop patio. We had wonderful food, perfect weather and were surrounded by great company. Our other friends Sara and Armando (who are expecting just a month after us!) were also there. Since becoming pregnant I feel like I've either been too busy or too exhausted to do much socializing so it was SO nice to see everyone again! Thanks for a fun night!

Happy Monday

Happy Monday to you all! Here are my 5 reasons to be happy today.
1. We got a new car! So now I no longer have to take the bus with all the crazies, unless I want to.
2. I successfully baked my first ham over the weekend and it turned out pretty good.
3. Jake and I rented a good movie over the weekend: The Invention of Lying. It was pretty funny.
4. My parent's are coming tomorrow night. They leave for Mexico on Wednesday so we get to spend the night with them.
5. I can finally spill the beans and tell everyone that I'M PREGNANT!!! :0)

Happy Monday

Here we are with another Monday. Boy, how time flies. Jake and I met some friends out in the neighborhood for a Chriskindle Market. The spiced cider was delicious! Afterward, I finished decorating our first Christmas tree. I'm not sure why but it has a Victorian look to it. Maybe it's the all white lights when I'm used to multi-color. We still need to vacuum up the needles that have fallen and get the tree skirt on, but for now, I'm quite happy with it.
On Saturday we went to World Market to look at new dining chairs. We ended up getting 4 new chairs and we put them all together that night. Unfortunately, they looked terrible with our old farmhouse table that has the mis-matched leaves. So instead of trying to find chairs to match a mismatched table that we are only kind of in love with, we decided to just go ahead and get a new table and chairs set. We decided on this lovely set from World Market. I love it! We set up the chairs and bench last night and tonight we'll do the table. I'm so excited to have a matching diningroom! With that said, here are my 5~
1. Being excited about new furnature
2. Even though I hate winter, cold weather and snow, I can still appreciate the beauty of a fresh snowfall.
3. Movie nights with the one you love.
4. I discovered that my dog can crack peanuts and get out the nut all by himself.
5. I made a wonderful meal last night of broiled steak, baked potatoes and steamed broccoli. The perfect ending to a great weekned.

Happy... Tuesday

I've realized that my Monday's have been flying by without a word from me. Don't worry, it does not mean I haven't had anything to be happy about! To catch up a little, I'll do a few more for this week.

1. Autumn weather in December
2. Family gatherings
3. Comfort food
4. White fudge covered Oreos are back!!!
5. I started a new hobby- crocheting. So far I've made 2 scarves and I'm working on a 3rd.
6. Giving homemade Christmas presents (see above).
7. Word of mouth
8. Feeling good about my job
9. McDonald's fries. Can't beat 'em!
10. My new boots! Oh, how I love them.

Happy Monday

What a busy weekend! I met up with friends from college on Friday night for some finger-lickin'-good ribs at Twin Anchors. On Saturday we went to an engagement party for some other friends and on Sunday, we cleaned/watched football ALL day! It was some much needed cleaning and we are still no where done. I gave Cosmo a bath so he was super hyper for a while and then wiped out for the rest of the day. Jake and I cleaned out our closet and put away our summer clothes. I rounded up the 500 pairs of shoes that I need to take to my shoe guy to get fixed. I don't know what I am doing to these poor things... And I even got in a run.
5 things to be happy about right now-
1. A productive weekend
2. That butterfly nervous/excited feeling
3. Free Victoria's Secret panty coupons. (Gotta love those!)
4. Being known for something good
5. I'm all set for Wednesday's meeting

Happy Monday

What a weekend! I put up an ad on Craigslist about a week ago offering decorating and organizing. Since then, I have gotten 2 inquiries and one job out of it, along with 2 jobs by word of mouth! I can hardly believe it. I met with my first client (I have a client!!) on Friday night to do an interior decorating consult. It is a bachelor pad and they want to do their whole place. So I spent most of Sunday researching and shopping for furniture and pieces for their place. I'm really getting excited about the outcome. On Saturday I went to a woman's home where I helped her clean up her basement, organizer her guest room and do some odd and ends decorating. I was there for almost 8 hours and I was SO exhausted by the time I got home. Anyways, I had a blast and I am so excited about the possibilities.

Here are my 5 reasons to be happy today~
1. I had a wonderfully busy weekend doing things that I love to do
2. Today is my favorite kind of weather - cool and sunny
3. We are going to watch the football game tonight. Although I'm not a big football fan, my husband is really excited for tonight's game so I want to do something fun for dinner and have a "football party" kind of night.
4. The excitement of something new.
5. Feeling fulfilled, even for a second at a time.

Happy Monday

I'm going to try to start something new. It seems every Monday I wake up groaning and grumbling that it is exactly that... Monday. So instead I'm going to do my very best to come up with 5 things every Monday that make me happy. So here it goes.
1. I love that my dog is not a "morning person" and is always the last one out of bed.
2. Starting a new book and knowing just a few pages into it that it is going to be a good one.
3. mini Halloween Kit-Kat bars
4. Finding an outfit that is cute and comfortable
5. Finding a new recipe during the day that you know you should be able to make without any problems and looking forward to it all day.

There, now that wasn't so hard. Happy Monday!