Bon Voyage!

During the week of 3/18-3/25, we went on a cruise with my mom and grandma. Our stops included Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Curacao and Bonaire.

I can't remember the last time I went on vacation with my gram or mom so it was great that we were able to share the time and experience together. Unfortunately, it was a very difficult trip to have a one year old. At sea day activities were very limited and sleeping in the same room with Jack is a nightmare. He is a very light sleeper and my baby who normally sleeps through the night was replaced with one that awoke several times a night and even ended up in bed with us a few times. I think the next vacation will be an adults only trip ;)

A few of the highlights from our trip:
- I did my first open water scuba dive in Bonaire. It was AMAZING! J has been encourgaing me to get certified for a while and while it wasn't something I thought I would enjoy, I ended up loving it. I got down to 78 feet (!), froze my tush off and saw an amazing reef. Can't wait to do it again!
- I actually really enjoy playing Blackjack ;)
-Apparently you CAN get sea sick on a really big boat….but a little Xanax will clear that right up!
-Half Moon Cay had one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.

And here are my favorite images from our trip:































Lindsey

Happy 1st Birthday Jack!!!

Jack's first birthday was AMAZING!!! We kept it small, just J's brother & family, Danielle & her kids, and my dad flew out. BUT all of our other loved ones were included via Skype. Welcome to the 21st century…How amazing!



I had been stressing about this "party" for weeks. I really wanted to keep it simple and absorbe and enjoy the moment but at the same time I had this need for it to be perfect. I scoured the internet for ideas and just plain stressed.

I found this really great idea for a "rainbow cake" on Pinterest and then I stressed over whether or not I should make the cake and frosting from scratch or box….good lord so many freaking decisions. Just like everythign else involved with parenting…what is the best decision for my kid?!

Well I opted for cake from a box and frosting made from scratch. I made a test cake a few weeks before because I do NOT bake. But when the day came to make the "real" cake, I changed my cake mix. BIG mistake! Apparently when you live at almost 6000 feet above sea level you really DO need to follow the high altitude instructions. Each colorful layer was super, super, SUPER moist and as soon as I tried to frost it the cake would just peel away. I was devastated.

I sent my dad out to buy a crappy store bought cake but my wonderful husband insisted we try to make the homemade cake work. This was such a special day and I just wanted everything to be flawless for Jack but J reminded me what the day was really about…it wasn't about the perfect rainbow cake, it was about love and celebration that we all made it through the first year. The resulting cake was not perfect or really even pretty BUT it was made with love.





Thank you J for your outstanding cake decorations! AND for not giving up on me or the rainbow cake ;). I love you.

Jack took one 45 minute nap all day so by the time the party rolled around he was absolutely exhausted. I was fearful he would completely meltdown and the day would be a wash but he totally rallied (with the aid of a LOT of sugar!) and it was wonderful.



Major lesson learned on this day: "Perfections is the enemy of completion." I would like to add that perfection can also be the enemy of enjoyment so let it go!

It was a bittersweet day and I was sad to see the first year end. But I woke up the next morning with a renewed excitement of the year to come, let the next chapter begin!







Lindsey

Bittersweet

My baby is officially 1 year old as of 22 minutes ago…

I have had a very hard time over the past week accepting the upcoming birthday. I am so happy for him but I have to admit I have had a great deal of sadness.

It's over. The first, wonderful, challenging, life changing year is over. The only appropriate word is bittersweet.



I suppose my sadness comes from the realization that I can NEVER get this beautiful time back. It is a moment that is gone forever.

I have so enjoyed watching him grow and change and become the boy he is today.



Jack, you have brought inexplicable joy to my life. You have made a better person. Your presence has taught me things about myself and life that I never thought possible. You are my light. You are my heart. You are so very loved.

Mom (a.k.a. Lindsey)

Lessons Learned

Exactly one year ago today, at about 8 PM, my contractions began and we started a very wild ride…

As my first year of parenthood winds down, I just want to reflect on a few of the things that I have learned this year.

* Slow down! Whether it be in the car, at the grocery store, in my desire for the future. I have learned to stop, take a deep breath, and live RIGHT NOW.

* Don't let others dictate what kind of mother you are going to be. Do what works best for your family.

* Breastfeeding is AWESOME!!!

* Look forward to holidays again. For me, around the age of 14, the holidays (namely Christmas) started to lose their luster. For whatever reason my anticipation and excitement surrounding the holidays has been on a downslide for years but now I can't wait to make holidays special again. I even bought Jack a huge V Day balloon…..and I HATE Valentine's Day.

* Have the courage to read out loud. I have had terrible anxiety about reading aloud since a very young age. Maybe it's because when I read out loud in class I felt like every one was watching me, which would cause me to get nervous and stumble and stammer like a fool. And while I still stumble on occassion while reading to Jack, I know my audience doesn't care...he just likes my voice :)

* It is possible to become a more patient person. Just have colicky, terrible-sleeper-for-the-first-5-months-of-life baby.

* Just because you are Mom does not mean you have to wear "mom" jeans, cut off your hair, and never have a cocktail again.

* Sometimes being an adult sucks! Ok, I may have kind of known this before Jack but having your own child makes the stakes go up, way up.

* Being alone is great….in small doses. I used to LOVE and cherish my alone time. I attribute it to only child syndrome. However, post baby, I admit I can't wait until "sleepy time" but after a few hours on my own I'm just lonely.

* "And baby makes three"= makes marriage even harder. I was totally one of those people who said "Oh we've been together for X years. It's like we are already married." And then I ACTUALLY got married and reality set in. Something inexplicable happens when you say I do (or at least it did for us). But then you throw another curveball, aka the baby, and you are left figuring life out all over again. For me, I had this picture in my head of exactly what kind of parent Justin was going to be and that was very unfair to him. Let's face it, this was a major first for both of us. Over the past year, I have had to learn to bite my tongue if J doesn't do something EXACTLY the way I would…in fact I'm still working on it. I think both of us have also had to adjust each other's new title and the new characteristics that parenthood has brought out in our personalities. Let's face it, "Lindsey" today is NOT the same "Lindsey" as a year ago.

* That being said, we make really cute babies ;)

* I DID learn all of the words to the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"!

* It's ok to not instantly fall in love with the little bundle of joy. Give it a few weeks and he WILL become your everything. (Thanks Cole!)

* Being a parent is HARD work but it is the MOST rewarding experience of my life.

* I have learned that am stronger than I ever knew…

There is so so so much more…What an incredible year!



Lindsey

Farewell C Cups

Over the last few weeks, I have begun to wean Jack. It is VERY bittersweet. It means my baby is moving into the next stage of his life. It means those very intimate moments of mother and child are gone forever. It also mean my fabulous C cups will soon be a thing of the past.

I must say, I am very proud of myself. Breastfeeding is demanding and a huge commitment. It is also a very personal decision and I was really quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. The first week was hard and I was doubtful of my ability and commitment but once both Jack and I got the hang of it it was wonderful. Breastfeeding makes life much easier in my opinion (I've always been terribly lazy about washing bottles!).

I can't tell you how many times during a 3 am feeding I would end up crying from just watching Jack with so much wonder and love flooding my heart. Those nights and memories are something I will cherish forever.

He has taken a bottle very well from day 1 and he has been slowing eliminating feedings by himself. For the past few months, though, he would walk over, tug on my shirt and wine, take a few "tugs" off of the boob and go back to playing. Five minutes later he would be back for more and this process would go on and on. I finally had had enough and we started to do a daily bottle, which began the weaning process. He has had no objections which has made this process much easier on me. Next week, we go down to one feeding (from me) a day (first thing in the morning) and the rest will come from bottles and solid foods.

Again, it's a bittersweet time but I am also REALLY looking forward to having my body belong to me again……if only for a short period of time.


(J took this picture during our fall family photo shoot. Jack was no longer maintaining so he needed a "boob break". Probably one of my favorite photos.)

Lindsey

Sleepy Time

When my sister-in-law enrolled her daughter in a baby sign language class a few years back, I was skeptical at best. And then one day while babysitting, she proved me wrong by signing that she was all done eating. How neat!

When it came time to enroll Jack, I was again skeptical. Not only in a 6 months olds ability to learn sign language but also my own.

Now, 4 months later, we are both doing great! His favorite signs are "light" and "fan". Totally random, I know.

The other day he did the sign for bed and I couldn't have been any more proud. I don't know why this particular sign means so much to me…I just think it is so cool that at 10 months he is learning to express some of his needs in a way that clearly makes sense to me.

Here is the link for Signing Smart if any mommies out there are interesting in learning more: Signing Smart

ASL bed sign is here.

And for you skeptics out there here is Jack doing the sign :)



Lindsey

10 Months

Bubba hit 10 months today! Instead of a lengthy commentary describing how well he's doing and how proud I am, I'll just show you :).




Jack's favorite toy from Christmas is his xylophone. I was just amazed how he corrected himself and turned the hammer around so he could use it the right way.



Goodness…Is it time to start thinking about a 1st birthday party already?!!?!?

Lindsey