12 by 30

I've seen some 30 by 30 posts, with 30 things you'd like to do by the time you're 30.  However my 30th birthday is in November and 30 may be a lofty goal since it's not too far away.  So 12 it is. 
1.  Run another marathon.  Hopefully this will be accomplished in October. 
2. Go away for a night without Addilyn.  I feel no rush to leave Addilyn overnight, but the idea of an evening, night and morning to relax sounds nice.  I have hopes of going away with a few girlfriends in August for an overnight and then the night before the marathon I'd like to stay downtown with a friend and sleep without having to worry about taking care of Addilyn.  Honestly the idea of being away from her overnight makes me nervous but surely by November that can happen, right? ;) 
3. Take a photography class.  I have a decent camera and take a million pictures.  I'd love to know how to take better ones.  Even if it's an online class.  Any suggestions? 
4.  Attend one of those paint your own painting, bring your own wine, painting parties.  There's a better name for that I'm sure.  Preferably with my girlfriends. 
5. Send some real mail.  No set goals for this but I want to try to write some actually letters.  To friends, blogger friends, family.  
6. Paint our front door a color.  The outside of our house is less than appealing.  Borderline incredibly embarrassing. I put most of the blame on Chris as manual labor seems like it should be his job, but painting our door I could do and I think it would be much more appealing.  
7. Weigh what I did pre-fertility treatments. I still have a few pounds to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but also gained at least five pounds during all of our fertility treatments and I'd love to lose that too.  I'm hoping marathon training and eating better will take care of that.
8. Declutter our house.  This is a goal that has been on my list for awhile.  We have a lot of stuff.  Mostly I have a lot of clothes.  I want to get rid of the many that I haven't worn in way too long. 
9. Make our basement a playroom.  This one is in the works, but has been since Addilyn has been born.  I've bought fabric for a few projects but there is more decluttering and cleaning to be done before that.  I would love this to be done by the summer so we can be down there when it's hot in our house. 
10. Meet a blog friend.  I'd love to be able to meet one of the friends I've made through blogging.  The other day Molly told me she wants to come visit and I sure hope she's serious because I want to meet her and I know Lily and Addi would be friends.  If only Alison didn't live in Canada I would've met her by now. And I would love to have coffee with Sybil.  I've talked about going to the influence conference in Indiana in September.  Are any of you going to that? 
11. Make my own sushi. Sushi is my favorite food and we've talked about making it before, but I feel like by the time you buy all the ingredients and make it, it'd be way easier to just buy it.  But I think it'd be fun to do and I want to try at least once.  
12. More intentional time. I've mentioned this before, but it's so easy for Chris and I to sit and watch tv every evening and we are trying to make it a point to spend more time talking, reading, play games . . . anything that means more quality time and not mindless tv watching. 

I need suggestions

dress: target  

I have yet to switch out my winter and summer clothes.  I seriously hate the task of switching out my clothes and instead have been crawling into the closet under my stairs pulling out clothes from a bin.  I think it's time to get it done, seeing as I've worn the same pair of shorts three days in a row this week.

I am in desperate need of a haircut and color.  I want to do something difference but am nervous.  I think I want my hair like this, but maybe a little longer.  Chris is not a fan of shorter hair, but really he may not even notice.  I wish my hair could be a bright blonde but it never seems to stay so maybe it's time I give up and embrace brown hair?

I'm not sure why I've never worn a chambray shirt in place of  a coat, but I think it's the perfect summer night solution.  And by summer night I really mean before 7:00 because let's be honest, I'm home by then just about every night.  

And since we're usually home by 7 we need a new show to watch together.  Our favorite series have been Friday Night Lights, Dexter, and Prison Break.  Any suggestions? 

I'm no quitter

It's quite comical the work that it takes to try to get a decent picture with Addilyn.   However my sister told me the other day that she read that it takes 100 pictures to get one good one, so I guess we're in good shape. 

We went to a beautiful wedding this last weekend and despite feeling that I gave myself plenty of time to leave our house, we left in a rush and I had no time to take a real outfit picture.  Which is a shame because I actually did my hair and was overly proud.   And really liked my dress.  I got it at JCPenney recently and thanks to a $10 coupon and $13 left on a giftcard, I only paid $18 for it. 

So instead of some real outfit pictures, here's a handful of our failures at getting Addilyn to smile for the camera and take a good picture.  

And apparently Addi isn't the only one unhappy about the picture situation.

I seriously look like I'm in pain and can only blame it on not wearing heels for who knows how many months. Or maybe trying a little too long to get a decent picture of the two of us.   But I'm no quitter. 

One squinting eye and a half smile.  We'll take it.  

A perfect weekend

 

A little behind, but Mother's day weekend may have been my favorite weekend.  The weather was perfect, we did not have any busy plans and had such a great weekend together.  Saturday morning I went for a run, Addilyn took a good nap and we played at the park together.  We then went to Chris' moms house for an early dinner with my mom, brother and sister in law, and brother in law and kids.  It was wonderful. 

 

Addilyn loves her Aunt Lo and Uncle Jacob 

my sweet niece Gracie 

I'd be so happy to repeat that weekend every weekend for ever. 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Kissy Kissy - a giveaway

outfit: c/o Kissy Kissy

We were so excited to get this adorable little outfit in the mail a few weeks ago.  I've been anxiously awaiting some warm weather so Addilyn could wear it.  It seems we've skipped Spring and have gone straight to summer.  No complaints here though.  

Kissy Kissy is a company that has been around for over 16 years and is a favorite thanks to their super soft Peruvian Pima cotton fabric and adorable prints that range from preemie size through 4T.  They have outfits that are perfect for special occasions like christenings, holidays and birthday parties, but are also perfect for everyday wear, like the outfit we got. 

I love this outfit because it's different than a lot of the typical leggings, rompers, onesies that we have.  It's so soft and girly.  I love the sweet floral pattern and comfy fabric. 

Kissy Kissy's line has themes like florals, nautical, sports, construction, animals and stripes along with mix and matchable stripes, dots and solids.  And there are also plenty of extra special touches like scalloped edges, and hand-embroidery.  You can find dresses, one-piece outfits, pajamas, cover-ups, hats, bibs, booties and blankets.  Plus you'll be in the company of plenty of celebrities like Katie Holmes, Molly Sims and Matt Damon, who are big fans of their products.  

My favorite thing about Addilyn's new outfit is the little collar and little ruffles on the tiny shorts under the dress.  I can't wait for her to wear it all summer long!

And lucky you, today Kissy Kissy is giving away one outfit valued at at least $50 (in a size preemie to 24 months).  I love this adorable baby girl outfit and this little boy's sailors suit is too cute!  

Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want another chance to win? Nominate a mom on their facebook page for a chance for both of you to win $100 towards Kissy Kissy products.  Enter here. 

Thank you Kissy Kissy! We love our outfit!

Bipolar momma

I've had a few rougher days lately.  Days where one little thing like someone asking how old "is he?" make me want to cry.  Which is a big sign that I'm overly emotional and upset about other things. 
Lately I have felt weary of feeling like I am always initiating things with friends and I start over thinking things and feeling like the only reason I ever have plans is because I ask people.  Most of the time that feels completely worth it to me and I get over it, but some days when plans are cancelled or I find myself with nothing to do, I start to feel frustrated and lonely.  It's easy for me to get into a slump of self pity, "nobody wants to hang out with me" kind of mood.  
Friday morning we had no plans.  Addilyn was fussy and I wanted to get out of the house.  I needed more diapers so thought a quick trip to Target would give us something to do.  (If only Addilyn would recognize the enjoyment of wandering Target's aisles.)  We got to Target and as soon as I walked in I realized Addilyn had a terrible diaper blowout that meant we both needed outfit changes. (Note to self. Keep a shirt for me in my diaper bag.)  We are no strangers of poop disasters in the Target bathroom, but this one was the worst.   After a trip to the bathroom I realized I had no diapers and had to go back to the car, then back to the bathroom. 
She was crying and squirming as I was trying to change her diaper and her clothes and both of us were a mess.  I felt frustrated with our day already and wanted to cry. 
Then I was reminded that it was this same bathroom I was in when I was five weeks pregnant and thought I was having a miscarriage.  So then I really started crying thinking about what life would be like if I didn't have Addilyn.  It's amazes me how fast your emotions can go from one to the next.  Crying because I was sad and then crying because I'm so thankful we have Addilyn, even if it means dealing with a disgusting disaster. 
Basically it's a good thing you didn't run into me at Target this day.  
The rest of the day honestly continued from me being tired and frustrated, when she wouldn't take a nap and cried and cried.  Then so thankful and emotional when she finally fell asleep on me and I just stared at her sweet face.  
Sometimes I feel my emotions go through extremes during the day.  Feelings of exhaustion and ready for the day to be over, to feelings of complete satisfaction and contentment with being a stay at home mom.  From feeling frustrated that I feel like I don't have friends who ask me to hang out, then thoughts of how I can be content with spendings days with just me and Addilyn.  Addilyn can be giggling and happy to crying and fussy in minutes.  And I feel like her sometimes.  

All this to say that it's a great reminder to me that all these things are temporary.  It's easy for me to get in a bad mood and stay there.  To wallow in a frustrating situation and stay there.  But a bad morning does not always lead to a bad afternoon.   A long day doesn't mean tomorrow will follow the same way.  Some days are just long and hard but tomorrow is a new day.   

Baseball tee love

baseball tee: old navy    jeans: old navy   necklace: c/o curated by kelly   shoes: asos 

I posted about my love for this tee on instagram and turns out others were a big fan too.  I shared that I got it for $7, which I guess is slightly deceiving since I used a 50% off one item coupon.  But without the coupon it's $13, which is cheap enough for me to consider buying it in another color.

I want to wear it just about as often as I want to wear yoga pants, which is saying a lot.

And yay or nay for the necklace?

Ten months

I feel like I just wrote your letter last month.  This month flew by too! It's hard to believe only two more months until you are one.  That is almost too much for me to handle.  The other day I watched your birth video and read the book I made you after you were born and I couldn't help but cry, thinking about how fast time is going.  It is so fun to watch you get bigger, but I wish it didn't go so quickly. 

Our biggest excitement this month was our trip to Vermont.  We got to meet your sweet new cousin Annabelle, and spend time with your aunt, uncle and cousins.  We had such a great time and you LOVED your cousins.  It makes me even sadder that they live far away now that you are old enough to enjoy them! 

Another big thing that happened this month was our first trip to the emergency room.  Afterwards we realized we probably did not need to go, but we were so scared when you woke up and couldn't breathe that we took you in right away.  We're still not positive what happened.  It could have been an asthma attack or just a build up of mucus, but either way it was so scary.  You have been sick a lot the last few months with bad colds and we are ready for you to be healthy!  The only plus of you being sick is you are extra sleepy and cuddly. 

Now that the weather is nicer we spend a lot of time outside.  We go on walks, although you do not like being in your stroller for very long, but I am determined to change your mind and we keep going!  You do love crawling around on our deck, swinging, going to the park or walking around the forest with daddy. 

It's funny how your preferences can change so much from month to month.  You now do not like the bath, as all you want to do is stand up on the side and try to crawl out.  While it's getting a little better, you still hate being in your carseat for long.  I think you just hate sitting still!  You are moving everywhere, pulling up on everything and trying to crawl on top of everything.  It makes me nervous that you are going to crawl out of your crib someday soon.  Please don't!!!

You're eating lots of new food this month and you'll try anything we give you.  So far your favorite foods are yogurt and cheese, just like your momma!  You started doing some funny things when you are eating.  You always put your right leg up and rest it on the top of the high chair.  And sometimes you bend down and eat food off the tray with your mouth instead of using your hands.  You are quite flexible.  I've been collecting a large amount of these pictures because it makes me laugh every day! 

You are talking more and more these days and you're little voice is so cute.  You still do the occasional man grunting sounds, but thankfully have a cute little voice in there too!  You definitely have a word for light and point to the ceiling and say it often.  I'm pretty sure you have a word for dog too, and say "dada" for most things and "mama" when you are whining. 

You're kind of stingy with your affection.  You give me lots of hugs, mostly when you are tired or when you just wake up.  But you are kind of picky with who and when you give hugs and kisses to.  I try to sneak in kisses any way I can get them!

Ironically though, you love grabbing, hugging, "kissing" other kids.  When we are at music class, sometimes you crawl from kid to kid and give them a kiss or grab them.  It is pretty funny.   You love being around other kids and get so excited when someone comes over.  I hope you stay this excited and happy about playing with friends! 

This month I got to celebrate Mother's day and it was wonderful.  I feel so thankful that God picked me to be your mom.  We say this every month, but you are getting cuter and cuter and more fun every month. It is hard to believe how much you change and learn every month.  You're getting more opinionated, a little wild and can throw the occasional fit when you don't get your way.  It makes me a little nervous about your strong willed self in the future!

Addiyln Jane you are the best.  We love you more than you know and couldn't be happier that you are ours. Happy ten months!

Love,

your mom