Email exchange between me and my midwife: Subject: Glucose Ronni: Normal, as was your iron. No diabetes for you…  Me: Yay! I’ll celebrate with a doughnut! Of course, I was kidding. I didn’t celebrate with a doughnut. I celebrated with strawberry shortcake. For the 4th night in a row. Oink!

Email exchange between me and my midwife:

Subject: Glucose

Ronni: Normal, as was your iron. No diabetes for you… 

Me: Yay! I’ll celebrate with a doughnut!

Of course, I was kidding. I didn’t celebrate with a doughnut.

I celebrated with strawberry shortcake. For the 4th night in a row.

Oink!

May. 22 2013
#parenting #pregnancy #glucose screening #how my numbers weren't higher I'll never know
20 notes

2nd baby syndrome -aka: procrastination

A friend and neighbor asked me the other day if we were ready for baby number 2’s arrival.

“Ready?” I laughed. “All we need to do is open up the pack-n-play and buy a box of diapers, right?”

I was joking, of course. Kind of.

What do we need to do, exactly? I mean, when you really break it down, that pretty much sums it up. It also sums up exactly how the pregnancy has gone so far.

I have been in a serious case of denial since day one that we are actually adding another member to our family. That there is going to be a newborn waking us up every 2-3 hours. That I am going to have to figure out how to live in that foggy haze of not knowing what day it is for the first 2 months. That I will have to endure the pain and endurance of nursing another human being again. That, we need to choose a name, get a proper room ready, pull out the breast pump to see if it still works, buy new bottles, pull out old baby clothes to sort and wash, manage the heartache of leaving my baby to go back to work full time after 12 weeks, and eventually, figure out how to get my doughy, hormonal body back to a faint state of normalcy again.

But mainly, I’m in denial that there will be another child in my life I am going to have to figure out how to love as much as the first one. But that’s another post for later when I’m really freaking out.

I was pretty blissful in my state of denial until my brief conversation with my neighbor that day. It seems like just yesterday, I was counting down the days until I reached 12 weeks. And now, I will be 28 weeks this weekend. That’s third trimester, people. What??

June is going to fly by fast with a weeklong trip to California and then Jeremy’s parents moving from California to Philadelphia. Before you know it, July 4th weekend will be gone and I will really be in panic mode – making lists, devouring my childbirth books, pinning every nursery I see on Pinterest, and screaming at poor Jeremy about how we NEED TO MOVE THE QUEEN BED OUT OF THE GUEST ROOM TODAY!!! I’m stressing out about stressing out. Last time, I had 9 months to plan. This time, I feel like I’m cramming the night before a test. My poor Cliff Notes baby.

Guess I better get on it.

May. 22 2013
#baby #pregnancy #2nd pregnancy #lazy preggo
29 notes
Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree.  Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010. It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister. On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well. Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree.  Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010. It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister. On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well. Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree.  Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010. It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister. On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well. Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree.  Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010. It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister. On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well. Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree.  Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010. It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister. On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well. Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree.  Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010. It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister. On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well. Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree.  Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010. It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister. On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well.

Yesterday, we finally managed to do our annual Mother’s Day photo in front of Quinny’s tree. 

Quinny’s tree is really not Quinny’s tree, but our neighbors’ (Mike and Scott) tree that they planted 2 weeks after Quinn was born. But, we have kind of adopted it as our own and have been taking our photo in front of it every Mother’s Day since 2010.

It’s fun to see how both Quinn and the tree are growing together. And this year, we even got two special guests in the photo - Grandma Diane and Baby Sister.

On a side note: after reviewing this year’s photo, I now know that non-maternity dress I am wearing with tights is no longer acceptable/long enough/appropriate. I wish someone had told me that before I walked out of the house. Oh well.

May. 20 2013
#toddler #parenting #mother's day #quinny's tree
31 notes
Tomorrow, my mom flies back to Florida after a 12 day visit with us. To celebrate her last day in Philly, and to finally celebrate Mother’s Day after me being bedridden last weekend, I took her to a special belated Mother’s Day brunch at a fantastic restaurant in Washington Square - Talula’s Garden, and then to a matinee at the Walnut Street Theater to see Grease. Brunch was amazing and the show was a lot of fun. In between, we even had a couple of hours to walk around Center City and do a little shopping. And best of all, it was nice to have a few hours to spend with my mom without a screaming 3 year old to wrangle (thanks Jeremy for spending the day with Q!). We will all miss Grandma when she leaves tomorrow. The next time we see her, there will likely be another little girl vying for her attention. Today, I was glad I had her all to myself again, if even for a a few hours. Tomorrow, my mom flies back to Florida after a 12 day visit with us. To celebrate her last day in Philly, and to finally celebrate Mother’s Day after me being bedridden last weekend, I took her to a special belated Mother’s Day brunch at a fantastic restaurant in Washington Square - Talula’s Garden, and then to a matinee at the Walnut Street Theater to see Grease. Brunch was amazing and the show was a lot of fun. In between, we even had a couple of hours to walk around Center City and do a little shopping. And best of all, it was nice to have a few hours to spend with my mom without a screaming 3 year old to wrangle (thanks Jeremy for spending the day with Q!). We will all miss Grandma when she leaves tomorrow. The next time we see her, there will likely be another little girl vying for her attention. Today, I was glad I had her all to myself again, if even for a a few hours. Tomorrow, my mom flies back to Florida after a 12 day visit with us. To celebrate her last day in Philly, and to finally celebrate Mother’s Day after me being bedridden last weekend, I took her to a special belated Mother’s Day brunch at a fantastic restaurant in Washington Square - Talula’s Garden, and then to a matinee at the Walnut Street Theater to see Grease. Brunch was amazing and the show was a lot of fun. In between, we even had a couple of hours to walk around Center City and do a little shopping. And best of all, it was nice to have a few hours to spend with my mom without a screaming 3 year old to wrangle (thanks Jeremy for spending the day with Q!). We will all miss Grandma when she leaves tomorrow. The next time we see her, there will likely be another little girl vying for her attention. Today, I was glad I had her all to myself again, if even for a a few hours. Tomorrow, my mom flies back to Florida after a 12 day visit with us. To celebrate her last day in Philly, and to finally celebrate Mother’s Day after me being bedridden last weekend, I took her to a special belated Mother’s Day brunch at a fantastic restaurant in Washington Square - Talula’s Garden, and then to a matinee at the Walnut Street Theater to see Grease. Brunch was amazing and the show was a lot of fun. In between, we even had a couple of hours to walk around Center City and do a little shopping. And best of all, it was nice to have a few hours to spend with my mom without a screaming 3 year old to wrangle (thanks Jeremy for spending the day with Q!). We will all miss Grandma when she leaves tomorrow. The next time we see her, there will likely be another little girl vying for her attention. Today, I was glad I had her all to myself again, if even for a a few hours. Tomorrow, my mom flies back to Florida after a 12 day visit with us. To celebrate her last day in Philly, and to finally celebrate Mother’s Day after me being bedridden last weekend, I took her to a special belated Mother’s Day brunch at a fantastic restaurant in Washington Square - Talula’s Garden, and then to a matinee at the Walnut Street Theater to see Grease. Brunch was amazing and the show was a lot of fun. In between, we even had a couple of hours to walk around Center City and do a little shopping. And best of all, it was nice to have a few hours to spend with my mom without a screaming 3 year old to wrangle (thanks Jeremy for spending the day with Q!). We will all miss Grandma when she leaves tomorrow. The next time we see her, there will likely be another little girl vying for her attention. Today, I was glad I had her all to myself again, if even for a a few hours. Tomorrow, my mom flies back to Florida after a 12 day visit with us. To celebrate her last day in Philly, and to finally celebrate Mother’s Day after me being bedridden last weekend, I took her to a special belated Mother’s Day brunch at a fantastic restaurant in Washington Square - Talula’s Garden, and then to a matinee at the Walnut Street Theater to see Grease. Brunch was amazing and the show was a lot of fun. In between, we even had a couple of hours to walk around Center City and do a little shopping. And best of all, it was nice to have a few hours to spend with my mom without a screaming 3 year old to wrangle (thanks Jeremy for spending the day with Q!). We will all miss Grandma when she leaves tomorrow. The next time we see her, there will likely be another little girl vying for her attention. Today, I was glad I had her all to myself again, if even for a a few hours.

Tomorrow, my mom flies back to Florida after a 12 day visit with us. To celebrate her last day in Philly, and to finally celebrate Mother’s Day after me being bedridden last weekend, I took her to a special belated Mother’s Day brunch at a fantastic restaurant in Washington Square - Talula’s Garden, and then to a matinee at the Walnut Street Theater to see Grease.

Brunch was amazing and the show was a lot of fun. In between, we even had a couple of hours to walk around Center City and do a little shopping. And best of all, it was nice to have a few hours to spend with my mom without a screaming 3 year old to wrangle (thanks Jeremy for spending the day with Q!).

We will all miss Grandma when she leaves tomorrow. The next time we see her, there will likely be another little girl vying for her attention. Today, I was glad I had her all to myself again, if even for a a few hours.

May. 19 2013
#parenting #mothers day brunch #mom #day with mom #grease
16 notes
Rainy Day Woman. Rainy Day Woman. Rainy Day Woman. Rainy Day Woman. Rainy Day Woman.

Rainy Day Woman.

May. 18 2013
#toddler #parenting #rainy day woman #rainy day #walk
30 notes
yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this. yannickbrouwer: This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis In love with this.

yannickbrouwer:

This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis

In love with this.

(via juneofthemoon)

May. 17 2013
Via yannickbrouwer
24,338 notes
My monkey. Grandma taught Quinn how to pull herself up on the bar and hang upside down yesterday. She was so proud. She must have shown us 100 times at the playground last night. It was always one of my favorite things to do as a kid. :) This little one never ceases to amaze me with her bravery and athleticism at such a young age. Or, maybe I’m just a doting, braggy-mom? Probably a little of both.

My monkey.

Grandma taught Quinn how to pull herself up on the bar and hang upside down yesterday. She was so proud. She must have shown us 100 times at the playground last night.

It was always one of my favorite things to do as a kid. :)

This little one never ceases to amaze me with her bravery and athleticism at such a young age.

Or, maybe I’m just a doting, braggy-mom? Probably a little of both.

May. 17 2013
#toddler #parenting #monkey #circus skills
32 notes
Last weekend … we had big plans for last weekend. I took a vacation day on Friday so Jeremy and I could spend our 10th anniversary together in Center City. We made dinner reservations at Buddakan and booked a room at the Sofitel downtown. The next day, we planned to stroll the city all day, eat at all our favorite places and later, have a bunch of friends meet up with us so we could go out bar hopping to celebrate (non-alcoholically for me, unfortunately). Later we would crash at our friend Dan’s house, who has a great place in the heart of the city.  My mom, who has graciously come up to stay with us for the week, would stay home with Quinn. On Sunday, we were going to come back and spend a beautiful Mother’s Day at the Morris Arboretum, a Mother’s Day tradition on our house. I was so happy my mom was going to be able to join us on this special day!  It was the perfect plan - something we had been looking forward to for weeks. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Jeremy and I did manage to have a nice day out on Friday. We spent the day wandering the city, did some shopping and enjoyed a good meal for our anniversary. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a nice relaxing day together before crashing at our ridiculously overpriced hotel room. I was stuffed from overeating donuts and Asian food all day, and exhausted from wandering the city streets, but I figured all I needed was a good night’s sleep and would wake up feeling recharged and ready to go. Then, Saturday morning happened. I woke up dizzy and tired. I felt sick, but thought I just needed to eat. We  checked out of our room and started wandering around the city, but everywhere we went, I felt like I was going to pass out. We sat somewhere for lunch, but I couldn’t eat a bite. I just wanted to get to Dan’s house and rest. Long story short, I had a stomach virus…that lasted until yesterday. I stayed curled up on the couch at Dan’s house Saturday night while I insisted they all go out without me (I mean really, what fun is a preggo in a bar anyway?). I felt bad I missed friends who had driven in from New Jersey to see us and was sad I wasn’t spending time with Jeremy on our weekend, but, I knew I needed rest. Sunday morning arrived and I felt worse. I spent the entire, beautiful Mother’s Day we had planned in bed or in the bathroom (after we finally made it home from the cab ride from hell) and made poor Jeremy, my mom and Quinn fend for themselves. It sucked and I admit to feeling a little sorry for myself on Mother’s Day. Thank goodness my wonderful Mom was there to help while I was down and out. Monday was just as bad. I stayed home from work and laid on the couch all day with my Mom who kept trying to feed me. I weighed myself in the morning and had lost 6lbs in 2 days. Ugh. Usually, that would be thrilling. Not so much when you’re pregnant. Tuesday, I finally made it back to work, but felt awful and weak all day. Jeremy finally came into my office and insist on taking me home early. I almost called in Wednesday too, but I woke up feeling 100 times better and have been feeling better ever since. So yeah, the weekend was kind of a bust. Our big anniversary plans got a little skewed here and there, but that’s kind of a metaphor for marriage right? The good news is, I’m feeling better, the baby is fine and no matter what, I’ve had a wonderful 10 years with the man and I love and was able to be in the same house with my two favorite girls on Mother’s day, if not in the same room. And Jeremy did surprise me by buying me a beautiful heart necklace for Mother’s day and having flowers delivered to my office for our anniversary. He also bought be beautiful diamond earrings for our anniversary which I told him to return (long story). He is amazing. I am so lucky. And Quinn was SOOOO excited to give me her homemade Mother’s day gift, a mirror for my desk at work that she painted herself. I seriously love it so much. And my mom and I will celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday when I take her for a trip to the city, just the two of us, for lunch and to see Grease that’s playing at the Walnut Street Theater. This is her Mother’s Day gift I picked up for her this past weekend while we were in the city. She loves going to the theater, I love Grease and I am happy we can spend the day together, just the two of us, as a way to say thank you for coming up and taking care of us this week. Hopefully, I won’t screw these plans up too. All-in-all, the weekend wasn’t what I had hoped for, but most importantly, I was loved. Loved so much by the most important people in my life. And I couldn’t have planned anything better than that. Last weekend … we had big plans for last weekend. I took a vacation day on Friday so Jeremy and I could spend our 10th anniversary together in Center City. We made dinner reservations at Buddakan and booked a room at the Sofitel downtown. The next day, we planned to stroll the city all day, eat at all our favorite places and later, have a bunch of friends meet up with us so we could go out bar hopping to celebrate (non-alcoholically for me, unfortunately). Later we would crash at our friend Dan’s house, who has a great place in the heart of the city.  My mom, who has graciously come up to stay with us for the week, would stay home with Quinn. On Sunday, we were going to come back and spend a beautiful Mother’s Day at the Morris Arboretum, a Mother’s Day tradition on our house. I was so happy my mom was going to be able to join us on this special day!  It was the perfect plan - something we had been looking forward to for weeks. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Jeremy and I did manage to have a nice day out on Friday. We spent the day wandering the city, did some shopping and enjoyed a good meal for our anniversary. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a nice relaxing day together before crashing at our ridiculously overpriced hotel room. I was stuffed from overeating donuts and Asian food all day, and exhausted from wandering the city streets, but I figured all I needed was a good night’s sleep and would wake up feeling recharged and ready to go. Then, Saturday morning happened. I woke up dizzy and tired. I felt sick, but thought I just needed to eat. We  checked out of our room and started wandering around the city, but everywhere we went, I felt like I was going to pass out. We sat somewhere for lunch, but I couldn’t eat a bite. I just wanted to get to Dan’s house and rest. Long story short, I had a stomach virus…that lasted until yesterday. I stayed curled up on the couch at Dan’s house Saturday night while I insisted they all go out without me (I mean really, what fun is a preggo in a bar anyway?). I felt bad I missed friends who had driven in from New Jersey to see us and was sad I wasn’t spending time with Jeremy on our weekend, but, I knew I needed rest. Sunday morning arrived and I felt worse. I spent the entire, beautiful Mother’s Day we had planned in bed or in the bathroom (after we finally made it home from the cab ride from hell) and made poor Jeremy, my mom and Quinn fend for themselves. It sucked and I admit to feeling a little sorry for myself on Mother’s Day. Thank goodness my wonderful Mom was there to help while I was down and out. Monday was just as bad. I stayed home from work and laid on the couch all day with my Mom who kept trying to feed me. I weighed myself in the morning and had lost 6lbs in 2 days. Ugh. Usually, that would be thrilling. Not so much when you’re pregnant. Tuesday, I finally made it back to work, but felt awful and weak all day. Jeremy finally came into my office and insist on taking me home early. I almost called in Wednesday too, but I woke up feeling 100 times better and have been feeling better ever since. So yeah, the weekend was kind of a bust. Our big anniversary plans got a little skewed here and there, but that’s kind of a metaphor for marriage right? The good news is, I’m feeling better, the baby is fine and no matter what, I’ve had a wonderful 10 years with the man and I love and was able to be in the same house with my two favorite girls on Mother’s day, if not in the same room. And Jeremy did surprise me by buying me a beautiful heart necklace for Mother’s day and having flowers delivered to my office for our anniversary. He also bought be beautiful diamond earrings for our anniversary which I told him to return (long story). He is amazing. I am so lucky. And Quinn was SOOOO excited to give me her homemade Mother’s day gift, a mirror for my desk at work that she painted herself. I seriously love it so much. And my mom and I will celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday when I take her for a trip to the city, just the two of us, for lunch and to see Grease that’s playing at the Walnut Street Theater. This is her Mother’s Day gift I picked up for her this past weekend while we were in the city. She loves going to the theater, I love Grease and I am happy we can spend the day together, just the two of us, as a way to say thank you for coming up and taking care of us this week. Hopefully, I won’t screw these plans up too. All-in-all, the weekend wasn’t what I had hoped for, but most importantly, I was loved. Loved so much by the most important people in my life. And I couldn’t have planned anything better than that. Last weekend … we had big plans for last weekend. I took a vacation day on Friday so Jeremy and I could spend our 10th anniversary together in Center City. We made dinner reservations at Buddakan and booked a room at the Sofitel downtown. The next day, we planned to stroll the city all day, eat at all our favorite places and later, have a bunch of friends meet up with us so we could go out bar hopping to celebrate (non-alcoholically for me, unfortunately). Later we would crash at our friend Dan’s house, who has a great place in the heart of the city.  My mom, who has graciously come up to stay with us for the week, would stay home with Quinn. On Sunday, we were going to come back and spend a beautiful Mother’s Day at the Morris Arboretum, a Mother’s Day tradition on our house. I was so happy my mom was going to be able to join us on this special day!  It was the perfect plan - something we had been looking forward to for weeks. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Jeremy and I did manage to have a nice day out on Friday. We spent the day wandering the city, did some shopping and enjoyed a good meal for our anniversary. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a nice relaxing day together before crashing at our ridiculously overpriced hotel room. I was stuffed from overeating donuts and Asian food all day, and exhausted from wandering the city streets, but I figured all I needed was a good night’s sleep and would wake up feeling recharged and ready to go. Then, Saturday morning happened. I woke up dizzy and tired. I felt sick, but thought I just needed to eat. We  checked out of our room and started wandering around the city, but everywhere we went, I felt like I was going to pass out. We sat somewhere for lunch, but I couldn’t eat a bite. I just wanted to get to Dan’s house and rest. Long story short, I had a stomach virus…that lasted until yesterday. I stayed curled up on the couch at Dan’s house Saturday night while I insisted they all go out without me (I mean really, what fun is a preggo in a bar anyway?). I felt bad I missed friends who had driven in from New Jersey to see us and was sad I wasn’t spending time with Jeremy on our weekend, but, I knew I needed rest. Sunday morning arrived and I felt worse. I spent the entire, beautiful Mother’s Day we had planned in bed or in the bathroom (after we finally made it home from the cab ride from hell) and made poor Jeremy, my mom and Quinn fend for themselves. It sucked and I admit to feeling a little sorry for myself on Mother’s Day. Thank goodness my wonderful Mom was there to help while I was down and out. Monday was just as bad. I stayed home from work and laid on the couch all day with my Mom who kept trying to feed me. I weighed myself in the morning and had lost 6lbs in 2 days. Ugh. Usually, that would be thrilling. Not so much when you’re pregnant. Tuesday, I finally made it back to work, but felt awful and weak all day. Jeremy finally came into my office and insist on taking me home early. I almost called in Wednesday too, but I woke up feeling 100 times better and have been feeling better ever since. So yeah, the weekend was kind of a bust. Our big anniversary plans got a little skewed here and there, but that’s kind of a metaphor for marriage right? The good news is, I’m feeling better, the baby is fine and no matter what, I’ve had a wonderful 10 years with the man and I love and was able to be in the same house with my two favorite girls on Mother’s day, if not in the same room. And Jeremy did surprise me by buying me a beautiful heart necklace for Mother’s day and having flowers delivered to my office for our anniversary. He also bought be beautiful diamond earrings for our anniversary which I told him to return (long story). He is amazing. I am so lucky. And Quinn was SOOOO excited to give me her homemade Mother’s day gift, a mirror for my desk at work that she painted herself. I seriously love it so much. And my mom and I will celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday when I take her for a trip to the city, just the two of us, for lunch and to see Grease that’s playing at the Walnut Street Theater. This is her Mother’s Day gift I picked up for her this past weekend while we were in the city. She loves going to the theater, I love Grease and I am happy we can spend the day together, just the two of us, as a way to say thank you for coming up and taking care of us this week. Hopefully, I won’t screw these plans up too. All-in-all, the weekend wasn’t what I had hoped for, but most importantly, I was loved. Loved so much by the most important people in my life. And I couldn’t have planned anything better than that. Last weekend … we had big plans for last weekend. I took a vacation day on Friday so Jeremy and I could spend our 10th anniversary together in Center City. We made dinner reservations at Buddakan and booked a room at the Sofitel downtown. The next day, we planned to stroll the city all day, eat at all our favorite places and later, have a bunch of friends meet up with us so we could go out bar hopping to celebrate (non-alcoholically for me, unfortunately). Later we would crash at our friend Dan’s house, who has a great place in the heart of the city.  My mom, who has graciously come up to stay with us for the week, would stay home with Quinn. On Sunday, we were going to come back and spend a beautiful Mother’s Day at the Morris Arboretum, a Mother’s Day tradition on our house. I was so happy my mom was going to be able to join us on this special day!  It was the perfect plan - something we had been looking forward to for weeks. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Jeremy and I did manage to have a nice day out on Friday. We spent the day wandering the city, did some shopping and enjoyed a good meal for our anniversary. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a nice relaxing day together before crashing at our ridiculously overpriced hotel room. I was stuffed from overeating donuts and Asian food all day, and exhausted from wandering the city streets, but I figured all I needed was a good night’s sleep and would wake up feeling recharged and ready to go. Then, Saturday morning happened. I woke up dizzy and tired. I felt sick, but thought I just needed to eat. We  checked out of our room and started wandering around the city, but everywhere we went, I felt like I was going to pass out. We sat somewhere for lunch, but I couldn’t eat a bite. I just wanted to get to Dan’s house and rest. Long story short, I had a stomach virus…that lasted until yesterday. I stayed curled up on the couch at Dan’s house Saturday night while I insisted they all go out without me (I mean really, what fun is a preggo in a bar anyway?). I felt bad I missed friends who had driven in from New Jersey to see us and was sad I wasn’t spending time with Jeremy on our weekend, but, I knew I needed rest. Sunday morning arrived and I felt worse. I spent the entire, beautiful Mother’s Day we had planned in bed or in the bathroom (after we finally made it home from the cab ride from hell) and made poor Jeremy, my mom and Quinn fend for themselves. It sucked and I admit to feeling a little sorry for myself on Mother’s Day. Thank goodness my wonderful Mom was there to help while I was down and out. Monday was just as bad. I stayed home from work and laid on the couch all day with my Mom who kept trying to feed me. I weighed myself in the morning and had lost 6lbs in 2 days. Ugh. Usually, that would be thrilling. Not so much when you’re pregnant. Tuesday, I finally made it back to work, but felt awful and weak all day. Jeremy finally came into my office and insist on taking me home early. I almost called in Wednesday too, but I woke up feeling 100 times better and have been feeling better ever since. So yeah, the weekend was kind of a bust. Our big anniversary plans got a little skewed here and there, but that’s kind of a metaphor for marriage right? The good news is, I’m feeling better, the baby is fine and no matter what, I’ve had a wonderful 10 years with the man and I love and was able to be in the same house with my two favorite girls on Mother’s day, if not in the same room. And Jeremy did surprise me by buying me a beautiful heart necklace for Mother’s day and having flowers delivered to my office for our anniversary. He also bought be beautiful diamond earrings for our anniversary which I told him to return (long story). He is amazing. I am so lucky. And Quinn was SOOOO excited to give me her homemade Mother’s day gift, a mirror for my desk at work that she painted herself. I seriously love it so much. And my mom and I will celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday when I take her for a trip to the city, just the two of us, for lunch and to see Grease that’s playing at the Walnut Street Theater. This is her Mother’s Day gift I picked up for her this past weekend while we were in the city. She loves going to the theater, I love Grease and I am happy we can spend the day together, just the two of us, as a way to say thank you for coming up and taking care of us this week. Hopefully, I won’t screw these plans up too. All-in-all, the weekend wasn’t what I had hoped for, but most importantly, I was loved. Loved so much by the most important people in my life. And I couldn’t have planned anything better than that. Last weekend … we had big plans for last weekend. I took a vacation day on Friday so Jeremy and I could spend our 10th anniversary together in Center City. We made dinner reservations at Buddakan and booked a room at the Sofitel downtown. The next day, we planned to stroll the city all day, eat at all our favorite places and later, have a bunch of friends meet up with us so we could go out bar hopping to celebrate (non-alcoholically for me, unfortunately). Later we would crash at our friend Dan’s house, who has a great place in the heart of the city.  My mom, who has graciously come up to stay with us for the week, would stay home with Quinn. On Sunday, we were going to come back and spend a beautiful Mother’s Day at the Morris Arboretum, a Mother’s Day tradition on our house. I was so happy my mom was going to be able to join us on this special day!  It was the perfect plan - something we had been looking forward to for weeks. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Jeremy and I did manage to have a nice day out on Friday. We spent the day wandering the city, did some shopping and enjoyed a good meal for our anniversary. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a nice relaxing day together before crashing at our ridiculously overpriced hotel room. I was stuffed from overeating donuts and Asian food all day, and exhausted from wandering the city streets, but I figured all I needed was a good night’s sleep and would wake up feeling recharged and ready to go. Then, Saturday morning happened. I woke up dizzy and tired. I felt sick, but thought I just needed to eat. We  checked out of our room and started wandering around the city, but everywhere we went, I felt like I was going to pass out. We sat somewhere for lunch, but I couldn’t eat a bite. I just wanted to get to Dan’s house and rest. Long story short, I had a stomach virus…that lasted until yesterday. I stayed curled up on the couch at Dan’s house Saturday night while I insisted they all go out without me (I mean really, what fun is a preggo in a bar anyway?). I felt bad I missed friends who had driven in from New Jersey to see us and was sad I wasn’t spending time with Jeremy on our weekend, but, I knew I needed rest. Sunday morning arrived and I felt worse. I spent the entire, beautiful Mother’s Day we had planned in bed or in the bathroom (after we finally made it home from the cab ride from hell) and made poor Jeremy, my mom and Quinn fend for themselves. It sucked and I admit to feeling a little sorry for myself on Mother’s Day. Thank goodness my wonderful Mom was there to help while I was down and out. Monday was just as bad. I stayed home from work and laid on the couch all day with my Mom who kept trying to feed me. I weighed myself in the morning and had lost 6lbs in 2 days. Ugh. Usually, that would be thrilling. Not so much when you’re pregnant. Tuesday, I finally made it back to work, but felt awful and weak all day. Jeremy finally came into my office and insist on taking me home early. I almost called in Wednesday too, but I woke up feeling 100 times better and have been feeling better ever since. So yeah, the weekend was kind of a bust. Our big anniversary plans got a little skewed here and there, but that’s kind of a metaphor for marriage right? The good news is, I’m feeling better, the baby is fine and no matter what, I’ve had a wonderful 10 years with the man and I love and was able to be in the same house with my two favorite girls on Mother’s day, if not in the same room. And Jeremy did surprise me by buying me a beautiful heart necklace for Mother’s day and having flowers delivered to my office for our anniversary. He also bought be beautiful diamond earrings for our anniversary which I told him to return (long story). He is amazing. I am so lucky. And Quinn was SOOOO excited to give me her homemade Mother’s day gift, a mirror for my desk at work that she painted herself. I seriously love it so much. And my mom and I will celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday when I take her for a trip to the city, just the two of us, for lunch and to see Grease that’s playing at the Walnut Street Theater. This is her Mother’s Day gift I picked up for her this past weekend while we were in the city. She loves going to the theater, I love Grease and I am happy we can spend the day together, just the two of us, as a way to say thank you for coming up and taking care of us this week. Hopefully, I won’t screw these plans up too. All-in-all, the weekend wasn’t what I had hoped for, but most importantly, I was loved. Loved so much by the most important people in my life. And I couldn’t have planned anything better than that.

Last weekend … we had big plans for last weekend.

I took a vacation day on Friday so Jeremy and I could spend our 10th anniversary together in Center City. We made dinner reservations at Buddakan and booked a room at the Sofitel downtown. The next day, we planned to stroll the city all day, eat at all our favorite places and later, have a bunch of friends meet up with us so we could go out bar hopping to celebrate (non-alcoholically for me, unfortunately). Later we would crash at our friend Dan’s house, who has a great place in the heart of the city. 

My mom, who has graciously come up to stay with us for the week, would stay home with Quinn. On Sunday, we were going to come back and spend a beautiful Mother’s Day at the Morris Arboretum, a Mother’s Day tradition on our house. I was so happy my mom was going to be able to join us on this special day! 

It was the perfect plan - something we had been looking forward to for weeks.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Jeremy and I did manage to have a nice day out on Friday. We spent the day wandering the city, did some shopping and enjoyed a good meal for our anniversary. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a nice relaxing day together before crashing at our ridiculously overpriced hotel room. I was stuffed from overeating donuts and Asian food all day, and exhausted from wandering the city streets, but I figured all I needed was a good night’s sleep and would wake up feeling recharged and ready to go.

Then, Saturday morning happened.

I woke up dizzy and tired. I felt sick, but thought I just needed to eat. We  checked out of our room and started wandering around the city, but everywhere we went, I felt like I was going to pass out. We sat somewhere for lunch, but I couldn’t eat a bite. I just wanted to get to Dan’s house and rest.

Long story short, I had a stomach virus…that lasted until yesterday.

I stayed curled up on the couch at Dan’s house Saturday night while I insisted they all go out without me (I mean really, what fun is a preggo in a bar anyway?). I felt bad I missed friends who had driven in from New Jersey to see us and was sad I wasn’t spending time with Jeremy on our weekend, but, I knew I needed rest.

Sunday morning arrived and I felt worse. I spent the entire, beautiful Mother’s Day we had planned in bed or in the bathroom (after we finally made it home from the cab ride from hell) and made poor Jeremy, my mom and Quinn fend for themselves. It sucked and I admit to feeling a little sorry for myself on Mother’s Day. Thank goodness my wonderful Mom was there to help while I was down and out.

Monday was just as bad. I stayed home from work and laid on the couch all day with my Mom who kept trying to feed me. I weighed myself in the morning and had lost 6lbs in 2 days. Ugh. Usually, that would be thrilling. Not so much when you’re pregnant.

Tuesday, I finally made it back to work, but felt awful and weak all day. Jeremy finally came into my office and insist on taking me home early. I almost called in Wednesday too, but I woke up feeling 100 times better and have been feeling better ever since.

So yeah, the weekend was kind of a bust. Our big anniversary plans got a little skewed here and there, but that’s kind of a metaphor for marriage right? The good news is, I’m feeling better, the baby is fine and no matter what, I’ve had a wonderful 10 years with the man and I love and was able to be in the same house with my two favorite girls on Mother’s day, if not in the same room.

And Jeremy did surprise me by buying me a beautiful heart necklace for Mother’s day and having flowers delivered to my office for our anniversary. He also bought be beautiful diamond earrings for our anniversary which I told him to return (long story). He is amazing. I am so lucky.

And Quinn was SOOOO excited to give me her homemade Mother’s day gift, a mirror for my desk at work that she painted herself. I seriously love it so much.

And my mom and I will celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday when I take her for a trip to the city, just the two of us, for lunch and to see Grease that’s playing at the Walnut Street Theater. This is her Mother’s Day gift I picked up for her this past weekend while we were in the city. She loves going to the theater, I love Grease and I am happy we can spend the day together, just the two of us, as a way to say thank you for coming up and taking care of us this week. Hopefully, I won’t screw these plans up too.

All-in-all, the weekend wasn’t what I had hoped for, but most importantly, I was loved. Loved so much by the most important people in my life. And I couldn’t have planned anything better than that.

May. 16 2013
#toddler #parenting #mother's day #10th anniversary #mucked up plans
23 notes
My mom is visiting this week and is staying home with Quinn today. She just emailed me this picture from their “spa day”.

My mom is visiting this week and is staying home with Quinn today. She just emailed me this picture from their “spa day”.

May. 15 2013
#toddler #parenting #grandmatime #spa day
42 notes

decade

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Not talkin’ ‘bout a year
No not three or four
I don’t want that kind of forever
In my life anymore
Forever always seems 
to be around when it begins
but forever never seems 
to be around when it ends
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you

People spend so much time
every single day
Runnin’ ‘round all over town
givin’ their forever away
But no not me
I won’t let my forever roam
and now I hope I can find
my forever a home
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you

Like a handless clock with numbers
an infinite of time 
No, not the forever found 
Only in the mind
Forever always seems 
to be around when things begin
but forever never seems 
to be around when things end
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you

Forever - Ben Harper

The song that was playing when I walked towards you on the beach 10 years ago today.

Ten years of marriage. A decade. Unreal.

Happy 10 years. I love you forever.

May. 10 2013
#toddler #parenting #wedding #10th anniversary #love #marriage #forever #ben harper
35 notes
Planning and then abandoning a secret duck attack. Planning and then abandoning a secret duck attack. Planning and then abandoning a secret duck attack. Planning and then abandoning a secret duck attack.

Planning and then abandoning a secret duck attack.

May. 9 2013
#toddler #parenting #bathtime #duck attack
33 notes

Dear Less-Than-Perfect Mom ➔

Good, good stuff. And a perfect read right before Mother’s Day. 

(via ourbeachbaby)

May. 9 2013
Via saraplainandtall
77 notes

Q

kaylamagnolia asked:

I love the name Quinn! :) How did you end up picking that name for your babe?

A

Thanks so much. We love the name, too. We feel like it just fits her personality perfectly.

We actually got the name from the Bob Dylan song, “Quinn the Eskimo (Mighty Quinn)”.

If you’re interested, you can read more about how we chose it here, or learn about her middle name here.

Thanks for asking!


May. 8 2013
10 notes
Totally serious girl talk.

Totally serious girl talk.

May. 7 2013
#toddler #parenting #friends #girlfriends #toddler talk
25 notes
This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly! This weekend … phew … it was a busy one.  I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure. We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing. I love spring in Philly!

This weekend … phew … it was a busy one. 

I think I’m finally starting to feel “pregnant” because I am still exhausted from all the running around we did. It was all worth it though.

The weekend was jam-packed with lots of running, gardening, dinner and a Super Why Live show with Quinn’s buddy Mia and her family (which the girls went nutty for!), the Chestnut Hill Garden Festival, a BBQ at Mike and Scott’s house, live music, tons and TONS of good (but sooo bad for you) food with some random laundry and house cleaning thrown in for good measure.

We all got lots of buddy time in with all our good friends. And even though I am beat from our busy weekend, I woudn’t have changed a thing.

I love spring in Philly!

May. 6 2013
#toddler #parenting #spring events #busy weekend
20 notes