June: The Month in Review & How I Did on My June Goals

Another month over. June came and went in the blink of an eye, as they are all seeming to do lately. We had a lot of fun in June with friends visiting us from Nova, hiking Mill Mountain, us making a trip to Nova, Charlotte going swimming in a real pool for the first time, Father's Day, Vacation in Va Beach, meeting Ms. Hannah, and so much sass and fuss and lots of growing for our little 9 MONTH OLD!

Now, with all of that going on, you may be asking yourself, Jessie! How did you do on your goals for June?! Well, I'll tell ya!

1. Stick to Exercise/Food Logging -  DONE! I lost 5 lbs throughout the month of June. Exercising was somewhat lacking and tracking food wasn't very good, but I did watch what I ate and made an effort to be more active than normal. I will be getting back on track on purposefully exercising each day in July.

2. Read! Fail! - I did download and start Let it Go - Maybe by the end of the 4th of July weekend I'll be done with that. And perhaps this is not the season of my life wherein I will be able to read multiple books a month...

3. Sleep Train and Get Charlotte in her Crib - We're getting there. The week I spent in Va Beach with my sister really opened my eyes to a lot of things - from being around my sister who is a Super Mom and spending more time with Charlotte and learning her schedule more. We're getting better at laying down to go to bed while awake, sticking to nap schedules on the weekend, and we will eventually get her in her crib all night. I will be focusing more on weaning out the night time feedings rather than getting her back in her crib. I am not as stressed out about this as I have been in the past and I have a good action plan going forward, so I guess that's a win??

4. Breast Feed 1 More Month! - Boom, Done! Way to go us, 9 months of breastfeeding with just a little bit of formula supplementing the last few weeks. I have decided though that it is the beginning of the end. We will be slowly working out nursing this month and eventually switching her over to formula completely. I think I will continue to pump so that we can do half and half for a while, but we will see how long that lasts. I feel good about it and I think we did a great job together!

5. Get Marlie Groomed and give her some more love! - Grooming didn't happen but our little pooch was definitely more focused on this month. She went on numerous family walks, took a few trips to the dog park, and even got to go on a mini vacay with us to NOVA where she saw lots of friends and was reminded that we love her!! I think she particularly hates it when we leave for a few days and leave her at home with our neighbor. So this month I was so glad when we were able to bring her with us. We could tell how much she enjoyed herself.

6. Fathers Day - Nats Game - Plans changed and we did a pool day instead. Not sure that we'll be able to make it to a Nats game this season, but we will definitely try for a few more Salem Sox games.

7. Vacation - Meet Hannah! Done! and we are so in love. It's amazing how 9 short months makes you forget so quickly. I can't even remember Charlotte being that little and SQUISHY!! We love that little baby and we had so much fun staying with the Wagners for the week, we miss them already!!

Tune in again tomorrow for my goals for July!

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Vacation Recap , Part 1

Happy Monday, Friends!

For over the past week Charlotte and I have been traveling all across beautiful Virginia. We've seen friends, family, & coworkers and had a great time along the way. We definitely missed Dada and are glad to be home though.

We started our vacation week heading to NoVa for a little work meeting for me. We didn't make the best of plans and therefor didn't have any childcare lined up for Thursday or Friday and so I had to keep Charlotte with me. She went into the office for a bit Thursday and met some of my great co-workers. Friday I tried to get as much work done as I could while watching her and goodness gracious I'm so glad I have Rita - otherwise, I would not be working and our lives would be extremely different.

Once we made it through the work day Friday getting as much work done as we could, we headed over to our friends house for a birthday party for our beautiful friend, Carolina! Charlotte once again got to meet some new friends and we had a blast hanging out and catching up with so many of our NoVa friends. Adam showed up later that evening and I was so very relieved for his help with Charlotte. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I just don't think I'm cut out to be a stay at home Mom. More power to you ladies - you are an inspiration. I wish I had your patience and time management skills.

Saturday morning we had brunch with more friends - yummy! It was a nice morning but hard to explain the feelings. We used to do breakfast with these friends in their house all the time - but back then we were just dating, probably hung over and just laid around or went back out to a bar or something again later that day. This time around there we're two married couples with two kids, a high chair, toys everywhere and passing down pacifiers. It is so amazing the changes a few years makes. It warms my heart. And I look forward to future brunches with them over the years.

After brunch we went to the batting cage - in near 100 degree heat. It was awesome, for the half hour we lasted outside. Adam and I will definitely be doing this more at home. Later that afternoon we went home for nap time (so different than how our days used to go...) Adam went over to a friends house for a party they were having and I stayed home to get some more work done before my week off.

Sunday was Father's Day!! We spent the day relaxing at a friends pool, it was perfect! Just look at my cuties!!

Monday morning, Adam had to go back to Salem to work and Charlotte and I headed to Va Beach to see my sister and her family - including our newest family member, Ms. Hannah Storm - aka Squishy. More to come on that later.

Hope you all had a lovely week and are having a great Monday!

Thankful Thursday, Friday Edition

Life is crazy busy. And Overwhelming. And Awesome.

This post should have been done for me to publish yesterday but I haven't had the chance to sit down and write for a few weeks now. This weekend coming up is a big one! Adam's first Father's Day! We don't have big plans or do big gifts for events like this but we will be spending it together, as a family. Originally we wanted to go to a Nats game, then we were going to go to the zoo, but alas those plans have fallen through so we will now be spending the day with our friends at their pool relaxing, enjoying the sunshine together! I can't think of a better way to celebrate my husband being the best Dad around than that. Except spending it with my Dad and FIL also...but there's always next year.

So for this Thankful Thursday Friday I am going to tell you about my awesome Dad. He has asked me to not share pictures of him on this blog so unfortunately you don't get to see his handsome smiling face, so sorry. Trust me, it's handsome ;)

My parents started their little family when they were very young, which means my Dad began his life as the outnumbered male early on...he has three daughters - poor guy. But one of the things that I value the most about my Dad (and Mom) is that they are still young enough to have created wonderful friendships with my sisters and I as adults. I'll be the first one to tell you that my parents are Adam and I's best friends at home. I can't express how much fun it was to have young parents growing up. Not everyone gets to grow up playing sports WITH their parents, doing Kung Fu WITH their parents. So thanks, Dad for getting Mom all knocked up when y'all were so young. (They were married for two years before they had my older sister btw - I don't mean to mislead and have you thinking they got knocked up in high school or anything...)

Being that my parents are so young - they worked very hard to find the balance between parenting and friendship. I always knew that I needed to stay in line and do what I was told, etc. otherwise Dad would find out and I'd be in trouble. And I never wanted for Dad to have to find anything out, I never wanted to disappoint him. Maybe that's just my personality, but I think that it also says a lot for their parenting...can you teach me how to instill that desire into my children?


Growing up my Dad worked hard. He did whatever it took to provide for his family including working every shift possible, mostly nights while I was in high school. I can't imagine that being any fun or a rewarding position - but he did it to take care of us. And that is something I truly respect and admire. I'm currently finding it challenging to find a way to provide for our family at the same time being able to enjoy the life Adam and I have created together. And when I think back to my childhood I'm reminded that my parents put their wants on hold to provide for us. Adam and I could take a lesson from them in this regard.

I think because I grew up with what I consider the perfect family, I forget that not everyone else had the same situation. I forget that sometimes parents get divorced, or parents don't treat each other the way they should, etc. etc. I lived in a little bubble. But when I'm reminded of this fact, I thank my lucky stars for the life my parents gave me. And I try to share it as much as possible. I want my friends to know that my parents are there for them too, that if they ever need support or someone to talk to my parents would be ready and willing to be there for them.

Now, I speak to my Mom almost every day on the phone just to chat about whats been going on. I don't speak to my Dad as often, though I know Mom relays everything to him so I know he knows what's going on. But, I know that when I need my Dad I can call him and he'll pick up every time. And he'll give me his honest opinion every time. And that is truly valuable to me. The first few weeks/months after Charlotte were born were pretty rough on me. But one of the most comforting things that I experienced in those early weeks came from my Dad. He told me, amidst a hectic evening with guests and a crying new born who couldn't be calmed, that sometimes babies just have to cry. And he gave me a big ol' Dad hug, you know the one I mean. And I just felt so much better. When I see Charlotte snuggling with her Daddy my heart just melts thinking of how much a hug from Dad can help any situation.There are no words.

I am so thankful for my Dad. Not just for what he has done for me over the years or for what he taught me growing up, but for what he is continuing to teach me every single day. Family is the most important thing. I can do anything a boy can do, and probably better. The best gift you can give your children is your presence, not presents. If you can't laugh at yourself, then how can you laugh at anyone else? Always be the bigger person. If you're on time, you're late. Hard work pays off.

Dad is definitely the epitome of what a Dad should be. He worked hard to provide for us, was the tough strong man to defend and protect us, and was also the funniest guy around. Still is. I feel so lucky to have had such a high quality guy as a Dad. He set some high expectations for the kind of guy I wanted to marry and to be the Father of my children. (I'm pretty sure I chose wisely, btw.)

Happy Fathers Day, Dad! I wish we could be together this weekend to celebrate. I hope everyone gets to spend some time with those very special men in their lives and tell them how much they mean to us.

Wordless Wednesday

Breathe...

This Monday was a rough one. I have a very bad habit of taking a bad day and over thinking it and convincing myself that my life is a wreck. Well,  it's not.

If you're ever having a bad day take a moment and think of your blessings. If you need to go ahead and get upset,  cry it out,  vent to a friend. But remember...

June Goals!

Alright, it is now June 5th and time to set some goals for the month.

1. Stick to Exercise/Food Logging - The Fitness Group I am in with my girlfriends is going great. This week was not so good for me but having the friendly competition and support is really helping. So my goal for this month is to stick to it! Kick it up a notch and lose five pounds by July 4th.

2. Read! I've fallen off the reading wagon last month and need to pick it back up. I do not have lofty goals of three books this month but I would like to read one. So here are my options - we'll see which one I pick...

1. Book Thief - Finish
2. Outlander - Start
3. Let It Go - Kindle Book?

3. Sleep Train and Get Charlotte in her Crib - Hopefully we can get little miss back in her crib full time this month. The past few nights have been a little rough but I am optimistic this will happen this month!

4. Breast Feed 1 More Month! - Self explanatory - let's do this!

5. Get Marlie Groomed and give her some more love! - Our sweet dog was been a little neglected lately, understandably as Charlotte demands a lot of attention and drains all of our energy. So we need to put some focus back on our pooch. Walks, Dog Park visits, grooming - those are our goals for Marlena Wigglebutt this month.

6. Fathers Day - Nats Game - Our plan is to visit NOVA this month for Father's day weekend and see some friends and get to a Nationals Game.

7. Vacation - Meet Hannah!Our sweet niece was born on May 31st and we need to get to VA Beach to meet the precious little nugget. Plans are in place for this to happen and I. Cannot. Wait.

Watch out June, here we come!

May - The Month in Review

May was a busy month for us. We started the month off right by heading to Charlotte's first baseball game with our friends the Fehlbergs.

Then the following week my cousin welcomed his first child to the world, Ellery Victoria Stone was born on May 6th and is as sweet as can be. Back in VA we broke out the kiddy pool that week and let Charlotte play outside in it.

FIL then came to visit the following weekend and helped Adam install the swing Charlotte got from her aunt and uncle for Christmas and she LOVES it. We plan to make the area under the porch the play area for Charlotte. Hopefully we'll be getting some more outdoor toys for her as she gets bigger and we may fill the area with some rubber mulch like a little play ground.

 

That same weekend we had our friends birthday party. Aiden turned two and Katherine turned three and they had a super fun safari themed party. FIL joined us for the birthday party and had a great time chatting it up with a friend who is an EMT/Fireman. Charlotte had a blast at her first birthday party and I can't believe how much all the kids have grown so fast. It's going to be a fun ride as parents seeing everyone grow and change over the years. But  I feel like it's going to go so quickly too.

The next day FIL headed on up to NOVA and we headed west to West VA with Gigi and Papa Steve to see Grandma Rosa and Bill for Mothers Day. We took everything we needed for lunch and even made two fresh apple pies for dessert. It was a great first Mother's Day with family - though I wish we could have had Grammy (Adam's Mom) there to celebrate with her too. Next year we'll have to spend it with her!

The following weekend Adam and I were lucky enough to get to have a date night! We didn't do anything spectacular - just went to Macado's for dinner then to the movies to see the new Mad Max movie. Just relaxed and hung out together - and got a full night's sleep! Totally not romantic at all but it was just what we needed. It reminded me of what we used to do before we had C and that we are individuals also - not just Mama and Dada, we're Jessie and Adam and husband and wife too.  It was great.

Gigi and Papa however, did not get a full night's sleep. When we got to their house Saturday morning we realized that Charlotte's first two teeth had broken through her gums and Gigi and Papa had to live through that experience the night before. Poor C. She also started standing up on her own  that weekend. She's been pulling up on things regularly for a while and now she is starting to get brave and let go and stand on her own!

The following week Adam and I learned what Gigi and Papa went through Friday night with Charlotte. Poor thing was in so much pain and could not sleep all week long. It was a rough one, but we survived it, and made it over the hump. Unfortunately I know that it will not be the only week of sleep strikes and insatiable baby crying - but we did learn that it ends and we can make it through.

Adam also went to the doctor in May to have his nose looked at, finally! The ENT he saw suggested an outpatient procedure that would clear out the soft tissue in his nose that is blocking his airway and hopefully will help him breath and sleep better. However, we spoke with friends and it was suggested that we get a second opinion. So we have a second appt scheduled for next week - hopefully we can get this taken care of soon and get Adam (and me!) sleeping soundly.

Another baseball game was on the books for us this week with Gigi's work so we through out our schedule and headed out in the middle of the week for a game. It was the perfect night for a baseball game, we are so glad we went!

The end of the month was a big hit! Memorial Day weekend came and we were inundated with family visiting from out of town. We got Leilani from Tennessee, Nikki & Frank from North Carolina, Kent and Spencer from Norfolk, The Crosbys and Gam Gam from New Kent, and the big surprise guest - Rosemary and Tom from California. It really was a wonderful weekend with family and friends and we had a great bbq on Sunday. I would post a pic here of Charlotte with so much of her family but I don't have permission from everyone to share their photos so here is a super cute one of just C and one of our little family.

We wrapped up May with Charlotte's 8 month birthday. Each month comes and goes so quickly. When we look back I feel like we just took her 7 month picture yesterday. She's growing so fast. This month she got her first two teeth, said Mama, started standing on her own, and started eating "big girl" food. She's been eating puffs and yogurt melts for a while, but she's now eating more finger foods. When other people tell you "it goes so fast" it really does. It's only been 8 months and she's turning into her own little person already. She is the sweetest little baby I've ever met, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her Mom, she loves seeing people and laughing with them and giving kisses. She loves music and has started bobbing her head when she hears any kind of tune or when she just likes what's going on, she bobs her little head. She is so precious to us and loved by everyone she meets!

May was a fun month and we hope June will be just as much fun!

Weekend Recap and How I Did on My May Goals...

It's been a while. So many things have happened and so many emotions are rumbling through me right now. This past weekend one friend remembered her daughter on the anniversary of her birth, another friend lost her mother, and my sister welcomed her second daughter to the world. It's been an emotional few days.

Last week was a busy one and I needed a mental break so that is why I was absent. But I'm back and have lots of things to look forward to coming up so I should be here pretty regularly going forward. 

Rewinding to catch you up on life lately for us. The lactation lemonade was a big hit and I will not have a full pitcher of it in my fridge at all times. It's yummy and seems to be working too! We had an excellent Memorial Day weekend with lots and lots of family and fun. Charlotte turned 8 months old on the 28th which was also her Papa Steve's birthday! I have lost almost 3 pounds in the past two weeks by participating with my girlfriends in a fitness challenge - motivating and keeping each other accountable really helps! This past weekend we had a nice, quiet weekend with our little family of three. We got to see a few friends but spent most of our time at home just the three of us, it was great.

Now that May has come and gone. Here's how I did on my goals for May:

• HIKE! - We completed Mill Mountain a few years ago and have done McAfee's before - which leaves us 5 summits to complete my 7 Summit Goal on my 40 Before 40 List. Unfortunately - May was not the month to get those done. Now that the temps are steadily rising I'm going to be tabling this "to do" item until the fall. I hope to get these hikes done this year so I can cross that off my 40 Before 40 List.
• Complete Hal Higdons 30/30 Plan for Beginning Runner - This unfortunately did not happen either. However, I don't feel like I've completely failed on this account because I have started to exercise and walk/jog on my own schedule. I mean, I've lost 3 lbs in two weeks so I'm doing something right, right?
• Get to at least one Salem Red Sox Game - Done! We made it to two!
• Have a date night with my Hubby - Done! Adam and I got to spend one glorious night doing what childless couples do - eating out, seeing a movie, and sleeping through the night. It was great. I miss it already.
• Celebrate our 2 Year Anniversary - Kind of...we didn't really do anything big to celebrate our anniversary but we did have a cookout and spent good quality time with family and friends the weekend before. That counts as celebrating right?
• Get Charlotte back in her crib at night - This did not happen in May. Charlotte decided that May was the time for her two bottom teeth to come in - so we didn't do much sleeping in general in May. But I have high hopes for June! Just last night after a brief sleep-strike from 1:30 - 3:30 and 3 or 4 attempts at nursing her back to sleep I gave up and put her in her crib with her binky, blankie, and her sound/light machine thingy on and after only a little bit of fussing she fell asleep on her own and slept until 7:30. I think June is our month for getting her in her crib full time!
• Complete another month of Breast Feeding - BOOM! Done! And kicking butt! I've even got about a days worth of milk stored up! Hopefully that doesn't jinx me but May was a good breastfeeding month!
• Finish Big Little Lies - Done! May 3rd! and I haven't read another book since...time to pick it up again.
• Finish The Book Thief - not yet
• Finish The Virgins Lover - not yet
• Start Outlander - not yet

Check back tomorrow for my review of May and then on Thursday I'll have my goals for June up!