First Birthday Nostalgia Syndrome

Oliver's first birthday is in two days and I find myself reminiscing again and again about this time last year. Pondering all the emotions I was going through in the days leading up to his birth and then remembering the actual birth experience.

The same thing happened before Bella's first birthday and I wondered at the time if each of her birthdays would feel so birth-memory laden - so surprisingly me-focused in my thoughts - or if her birthdays would evolve into being more about her. And I found it to be the latter by Bella's second birthday. Sure I still thought about her being born on her second and third birthday and told her about her birth this year, but it was just a passing sort of thought. Not the constant thinking back to "at this time 3 years ago I was just starting labor and texting my mom and sister" or "at this time three years ago I was looking at the clock and wondering how much longer I'd have to push" that I had during her first birthday.

I'm back to that play-by-play reminiscing with Oliver's upcoming birthday. It's feeling very much about his birth and my experience with it and thinking over the intense and difficult and also wonderful ride this past year has been.

So this morning as I was walking to the grocery store with the kids on a hot summer day, I was immediately brought back to doing the exact same thing last year. And I just had to do another historical comparison picture.

Can anyone else relate to the (surprisingly) self-centered thinking on your child's first birthday or first anniversary of their adoption day?

Things I'm Looking Forward To...

These are only a few out of a few hundred...

Current Entryway

Future Entryway 

A closet! Right in the entry! Such thrills!

Current Mudroom

Uh...

Future Mudroom

I think of Husband dumping all the mail and his briefcase and random stuff on that counter (versus the dining room table or kitchen counters) and I get downright giddy.

Current Laundry Space in Basement Hallway

Future Laundry Room on Second Level with Bedrooms

Current Bathtub Shared By Whole Family

Future Bathtub in Master Bathroom

8 Days. 8 MORE DAYS!!!

Blogger Get Together CANCELED

Minnesota Blogger Friends,

We have to reschedule the big blogger get together at Minnehaha due to illness (Erin's whole family is sick) with a side of iffy weather. We will reschedule for another date this summer.

Enjoy your Saturday!

What a Difference a Year Makes

My sister gave me an ideal gift when Oliver was born - a family photography session with her wedding photographer, Pat Connolly of StudioSame. I meant to use it much sooner, but we only got around to scheduling the session this spring (and then rescheduled three times due to rain!)

But now I'm thinking the delay was a great thing because this means we captured an image that is a copy of something we took last year. Of course, there is one major difference... :)

Left: Rebecca Rae Photography, Right: StudioSame

Having images of my family in all stages of life is one of my favorite things.

You can check out many more images at Pat's SmugMug site if you are interested. I plan to post my favorites on the blog when I get the digital images in the mail.

Reminder: MN Blogger Get-Together THIS SATURDAY!

Can't wait to see everyone that said they can make it this Saturday! Again, please email or comment letting us know you're coming so we know to look for you there.

Date: Saturday, June 23rd
Time: 10:30am-1pm
Location: Sea Salt Eatery, Minnehaha Park (Sea Salt doesn't actually open until 11am, but we'll be in this area)
Rain plan: As of now, weather looks like it'll be ok - but check our blogs that morning if weather seems iffy!
Contact us: erinkkr@gmail.com and navigatingthemothership@gmail.com - we both have iPhones and will be checking frequently that day.

What I Wore: Fancy Date Night

Thank you all so much for the advice on shoes & accessories on the Dress Me post. Very, very helpful for the fashion inept like me.

I ended up going with Tia's suggestion for nude heels. To me, it struck that desired blend of something slightly unexpected with the LBD, trendy, sexy, but not too young. Plus - I can wear them again and again. However, I still lust for hot pink heels. Or maybe Big Leather is lusting for hot pink heels. (Big Leather lives on!)

For accessories, I picked up a fun bracelet at Forever 21 and left it at that.

We started our date at a restaurant closer to the new house. It was our first time getting to explore the area without kids in tow. Lots of fun dreaming and I had a lemon drop martini and delicious artichoke dip that I scarfed down. I was totally overdressed for this part of the date, but oh well :)

Then we headed back into the city for our dinner at Nicollet Island Inn. I don't know if they changed chefs or were having an off night, but it was not the exceptional experience we have had in the past. Husband was bummed that his salad sampler was so tiny (with one wee crumble of blue cheese - ha!) and my french onion soup tasted like straight up syrup (blegh). But overpriced food aside, it was so great to be on a date.

After dinner was wandered along the river for a bit. A last hurrah to this neighborhood before we say goodbye in a few weeks.

Project 52:24 - Parenting is where the Past and Future meet the Present

Learn more about my Project 52 here and check out styleberry BLOG for links to more Project 52s.

A look into the bedside drawers...

Are you ready for this?

I mean, the bedside drawers, man...that is some serious snooping!

Drawer One

Drawer Two

Drawer Three

Oh my.

But...then...where...what if...?

Well, you see, it works like this.

Just your average living room desk-y thing, right?

WRONG.

You just THINK this is a picture of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna...

Our closing date has moved up a month.

I am okay with this. More than okay. A thousand gazillion billion trillion times more than okay.

OMG, NO MORE STAIR LANDING YOU KNOW WHAT.

Signed,
The One Who Has Been Bringing You TMI Since 2005

Letters to Oliver: 11 Months

Dear Oliver,

You are now 11 months old.

We are mere weeks away from you no longer being a baby and officially being a toddler. I can't believe we are almost about to celebrate your big first birthday. But since you are our last baby, I suspect that the title of "baby" is going to follow you for quite some time yet. (Sorry.) (Not really.)

Now Oliver, this past month has been a bit of a doozy. I can no longer call you "mellow." Baby dude, you have been anything but mellow and I'm pretty sure that's due to four molars trying to poke their way through. Oy. OY. You have a finger jammed in your mouth all day long and your sleep is disrupted and you reject pretty much all of the teething remedies I offer you. Cold fruit in the mesh feeder? No, no, a thousand times no.

But when you aren't being Mr. High Maintenance, you have also turned up the cute quite a bit. Your waving and clapping and pointing and even learning to do actions to your favorite song 'Hello, Friends', well, CUTE. That is just the word for it. It makes me smile and swoop in to kiss you. Look, I got proof! My hair looks like that on purpose as it was the style in 2012. (False.)

I find it so much fun to watch you and your sister play together more and more. You truly play. Interestingly, I've noticed that instead of telling Bella to be careful with you, I am more often telling you to be careful with your sister. You love to wrestle and attack. I often will see you out of the corner of my eye with both your arms raised, ready to come flopping down on your target.

Other shenanigans of yours include the insanity that is changing your diaper. The wrestling and escaping and pinning you down is just hilarious. Or it would be hilarious if there wasn't, you know, POOP involved. I need to get it on tape to show you some day because you are just a maniac when it comes to having your diaper changed. So I make do and even change poopy diapers with you standing up. This works out well approximately 5% of the time.

You love food and really prefer to feed yourself, even wanting to take over the spoon. You can now drink from a straw and sort of from a cup, although you generally let it all dribble back out, soaking yourself in the process. Interestingly, during the two times I offered you something other than water (lemonade and a smoothie) you had no trouble keeping all that in. Suspicious, I tell you! Unfortunately, I believe you are mildly allergic to eggs as I noticed hives after you ate them. I'm going to hold off on trying those again until closer to 13 months. I hope you don't have any allergies, but we will manage if you do. And your favorite food of all remains those that are on the floor. Dessicated pea that I missed sweeping up? Mmmm...delicious.

You are getting bigger and stronger everyday and your newest trick is climbing. Climbing on children's tables, climbing onto your sister's bed and climbing onto the couch. Busy bee. But you continue to hold off on walking, even though I have seen you take a couple steps when motivated to get between furniture. You crawl incredibly fast, so I think that until you feel like you can't get somewhere quick, you don't see a need to walk.

What will this next month bring? An official walker? A distinct first word? Definitely your first cake. WOO HOO! Can't wait to live it with you, buddy boy.

Love,
Your Mama

Dress Me: Fancy Date Edition

I haven't done one of these in years! Weird - it's been four years and one day to be exact. I initially asked about this on Twitter & Instagram today, but I need a place to explain my fashion confusion where I'm not cramped by 140 character limits and whatnot.

I have a hot date with my realtor on Saturday night (srsly, he's so fine...I wonder if he's into me??) and we decided to use a gift card we have been hanging onto for Nicollet Island Inn. It's a fancy place right by our house.

All of my strapless dresses, including one that I only wore one singular wee time for my 28th birthday, remain a no go with my current top heavy figure. And since I hate shopping with the passion of one thousand burning suns, I have no interest in buying something new. So I'm going to wear this simple little black dress that I bought in Kiev, Ukraine a few years ago. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the material is almost a black tweed. The dress dips a bit in the back and has a slit in the back. It's my sexy Euro LBD.

But help me with shoes and accessories. I have strappy silver heels and strappy black heels in my possession and I am leaning towards the silver pair.

Exhibit A

But what I think would really be fun would be hot pink pumps. That I could deal with shopping for. But would hot pink pumps plus tight black dress = trying too hard for a woman in her 30s? I also want to avoid looking like a hooker. I think perhaps part of my problem is that I'm so used to regular mom clothes that I feel like I look like a hooker anytime I'm dressing up, but...maybe I just look like a hooker?


When I was in college I would sometimes refer to myself as Big Leather at parties when I was two drinks to the wind because I had this ridiculous (read: ridiculously FABULOUS) leather miniskirt I was prone to wearing when I wanted to bring sexy back. But Big Leather needs to RIP. I would like to avoid bringing Big Leather back out. Help me to keep Big Leather at bay, while still maintaining an air of (age-appropriate) sexiness.

If I do hot pink shoes then what jewelery? I have very little to choose from so I would have to buy something. I haven't bought a handbag in 10 years (seriously) so if I got something cheap-y at Target, then what kind would I want? Matchy in a hot pink sense? Not matchy?

Other relevant info:

• I have a couple simple & small black bags that I could use if I don't get anything new.
• I don't do earrings.
• I plan to wear my hair down.

Help! Help!

XOXO,
Someone Formerly Known As Big Leather

56 Days

I used some of my babysitting time last week to spy on our dream house and explore the neighborhood and the nearest downtown on foot. I fell even more in love. The fact that there is a beach and walkable lakeshore just a couple minutes by car from the house? OMG. Dreamy. Like vacation.

On Friday night we began the paperwork and on Saturday Husband-the-Realtor put in an offer on the house. By Sunday at 1 pm we had come to an agreement with the current owners and as of right now we are well on our way to moving into our dream home.

OH MY GOD.



 

 Yes. Glitter letters, pre-teen style. Because ZOMG AHHHHHH! We are moving!!!! It's happening! Finally! This has been such a long-time coming. I only half-decorated Bella's nursery back in 2009 because the thought was that we would be moving in the near future. But then the economy and job changes and getting-real-estate-licenses happened and everything was put off for three years. So I am jumping out of my skin to get to finally dig in and feather my nest. No more "temporary" feeling. And all of those major frustrations that we have given the mis-match of this urban townhome with being a family of four will be gone. Now I will have an actual entry way and a mudroom (versus a tiny stair landing). I will be able to open windows at night for the first time in six years (as opposed to being woken up all night by loud trains). I will be able to access both sides of the car from inside the garage (versus loading Oliver into his car seat, backing up, and then buckling in Bella). There will be plenty of bedrooms. And a playroom. And a yard that we can actually walk out into right from our house or deck. And a hundred and one other wonderful things.

Now, Husband would be compelled to point out once again that there is still the inspection and confirming the financing and all that. Plus, a new house means we'll have new problems. But I'd rather have a big weepfest down the line if it goes awry than stifle my excitement right now.  And I'm so, so, SOOOOOO freaking excited. And new problems? Bring them to me! I'm thrilled about exchanging those old problems for new ones.

In 56 days, on August 6, we will close on the house. I can't wait. I think I'll start packing today to celebrate. Speaking of celebrating, I'm going to try to make sure that come my 32nd birthday on August 8, we'll be moved in and able to spend our first night there. Happy birthday to me!

I'll take more pictures this week during the inspection - y'all HAVE to see the glorious mudroom - but for now here are a few more from MLS.

Backyard facing the house. That's a little fire pit. We are dreaming of fancying it up a bit and maybe adding a gazebo to the backyard someday.

Kitchen. I know white appliances are supposed to be poo-pooed in favor of stainless steal, but I don't really care. We currently have stainless steel and honestly it just gets all fingerprinted by the wee ones. I'm excited about a gas stove-top, which I much prefer over electric.

Main living room that overlooks the backyard. The photo doesn't do it justice - it just feels so spacious and lovely in there.

The outside of the house*. It's missing a front door, but what can you do? Nothing is perfect.

Oh, I love it all so very much. SQUEEEEE!

*Photo possibly not of actual new home.

Project 52 Catch Up (Weeks 21-23)

Congrats to Raising Snowpeas for winning the $20 Starbucks giveaway!

 

And now for three weeks of Project 52 so I can be caught up!