Looking back {Our wedding}

Jeff and I started dating in high school.  We actually went to freshman year homecoming together back in 1991.  (I bet you wish I had a picture to share!)

We dated on and off like typical high-schoolers, then went our separate ways in college, but always remained friends.  We began dating again after college once we were both in the same hometown again.

In 2003 we packed up and moved across the country to fulfill my dream of living near the beach in San Diego.  We lived together for many years before he proposed in the winter of 2009.  

I knew I did not want a big wedding, and was perfectly happy jet-setting to a beautiful beach destination to tie the knot.  It quickly dawned on me that we already live in a beautiful beach destination!

After searching the city beaches for the perfect spot, we decided to get married just a half mile from our home at the Catamaran Resort and Spa.

Here's how it went...

November 21, 2009

I saved my favorite picture for last...

It took us eighteen years to make it official.  And of course, we wouldn't change a thing!

It's Tuesday and that means I am linking up again with Melissa from Growing up Geeky. Head on over to take a peek into other bloggers' weddings.

My two-year old can party

Leila turned two...so we partied for two days!

Leila enjoyed turning two, twice.

On Friday morning we casually celebrated with friends at a local park.  I just love watching her interact with kids her age!  When everyone sang "Happy birthday" to her, her face lit up, just as I had hoped. 

On Saturday evening we took our San Diego family (plus Uncle Jay and Grandee from out of town) out for a pizza celebration.  For Leila's enjoyment everyone wore party hats.  Betsy made her a delicious strawberry cake decorated with a favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character.  (Check out her foolproof cake decorating tips here.)  Leila was spoiled with gifts. love, and attention.  She was in heaven! 

Two days of celebrating for my two year old!  Thank you everyone for making this day extra special.  XOXO

Leila loves...

• Acting "big" and reminding me sweetly, "Leila big."  

• Coloring.  Even though she normally just uses one color...brown.

• Pretzels, granola bars, our daily green smoothie, milk, pork tenderloin, any and every fruit, black beans, cookies, and cheese.

• Yo Gabba Gabba, Micky Mouse Club House, and Baby Signing Time.

• Shopping at Target and running errands with me in general.

• Her best friend Charlie, her stuffed animals, her pacifiers, and her blanket.

• Playing pretend, young kids, swimming, climbing, walking (instead of being in her stroller), bike rides, and doing whatever I do.

• Books.  She likes us to read to her and also likes reading by herself. Her current favorites are Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?, Goodnight Moon, LMNO Peas, No, David!, and  On the Night You Were Born. 

• Family hugs, her bedtime routine with Daddy, and snuggling with Mommy.

I get it now

I hate to admit it, but when I was simply just a daughter and not yet a mother, Mother's Day was just another day.

Yes, it was a day to celebrate mothers everywhere, especially mine, but not a day that I could really understand.

I get it now. I recently realized that Mother's Day is more important to me than celebrating my own birthday. (My birthday has always been an excuse for a week-long celebration!)

My feelings toward my own mother have changed since becoming a mother myself. It is overwhelming to realize how much she loves me. I am forever grateful for everything she has done (and still does!) for me.

My wish on this Mother's Day is for Leila to feel the love that I feel...forever.

Leila and Grandma, January 2012

Leila and Baba, July 2011
Leila and Grandee, September 2010

Leila and I are so lucky to have such wonder mothers in our lives!

Happy Mother's Day!

Things I will never understand about my husband

Today is Jeff's 35th birthday.

Happy birthday babe! (Who am I kidding?  He doesn't read this blog.)


He has already started calling himself 36. I just don't get how he never remembers how old he is and that he thinks it's funny to be older.



In the twenty years I've know him, I have not been able to find the answers to any of Jeff's man-mysteries.

Can you help me out?

Why does he get a tiny hole in the middle of every T-shirt he owns?

How does he manage to lose eight pounds in four days?

Why do his feet still smell after showering?

Why does he refuse to pay for a haircut even though he hates cutting it himself?

Why is it that I am always ready to leave the house before him?

How is he able to snore when he inhales and exhales?

Please. I'm stumped.

From bad to worse

These are by far my favorite series of photos I've taken of Leila.

She has quite a personality and these show off her silly-crazy-fun side!



She had no idea where that cracker went.



And this is where I drew the line. Bath time!

I'm linking up again this week with Mama G over at Growing up Geeky. This Tuesday's topic is your favorite photo. Any photo taken by you is fair game! Link up here...

I'm hoping this one (my official entry) wins the prize.



Is it strange that my favorite photo of her is a silly one? It looks like she totally forgot the cracker was on her head.

16 Months

A day in the life of a sixteen month old toddler.

Rise and shine at 7:00 am. She plays in her crib for a while before I go and get her up. I love listening to her talk to her stuffed friends. She has such a sweet voice (most of the time).

First things first...we watch about 20 minutes of Sesame Street while she drinks her milk and I drink my coffee. She can just about put her cup in the sink when she's finished. She's a little short. I'm not sure I'm ready to teach her how to stand on a stool. Although she'd love it. She's into everything!

Morning play


Next up is a light breakfast at of cereal, eggs, fruit, oatmeal, toast, or pancakes. She just started feeding herself successfully with a spoon.


Adventure time- Forget the stroller, Leila wants to walk. We walk everywhere. She's great on her feet walking, running, or climbing.

Snack- Yogurt is her current fave. She loves when I put "surprises" like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or cheerios in the spoonfuls. I should add pea or carrot surprises. but that's too mean.


11:30 Nap- We did it. Yep, yep! We made the great nap transition. It was not nearly as difficult as I though it would be. It took about two weeks to ease her into it. Now Leila naps once for about three hours. I hope to slowly be push it back as she gets use to our new routine. I love having more time to play and enjoy her in the morning. It is definitely her happiest time of day!


Snack- We eat a lot of small meals throughout the day. Sometimes she eats more than I expected, sometimes less. She's been pushing away her plate when she's finished instead of signing all done. Leila also stopped signing more, now she says it in the cutest way.

Indoor play- blocks, kitchen utensils, climbing the furniture, dancing...


Outside for more adventure time


Snack

Play, play, play...Daddy style!


Dinner around 6:30. She's been eating what we eat for the past few months (with a few exceptions). Makes life way easier this way!

Quiet play- She will sit with us on the couch while I read her a few of her favorite books. Actually, she usually makes me read the same book over and over again.

7:00 Night-night- Some nights I put her to bed, other nights Jeff does. We each do the 7:00ish bedtime routine with our own personal twist. Leila is a wonderful sleeper. She wakes up at night...maybe? Luckily we haven't had to go in once since she started sleeping through the night.

16 months and fun as ever!
It's her world and I'm happy to be in it.

This is love

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the day that Leila would snuggle up with me on the couch. Yesterday it happened!

After straining a muscle in my back (from a too hard workout maybe?) I was glued to the couch most of this week so far.

Not the best time of year to be sitting on my ass. I have presents to wrap, more cookies to bake, shopping to do, cleaning that needs done, and fitness to be working on. (Remember I said NO to holiday weight gain this year!)

This super Type-A Momma has a really hard time sitting still. I am jumping out of my skin right now!

I guess good things can come to those who take it slow...extra love from my little girl.

And seriously, I know I can get it all done in one stinkin' day if I need to. I am that crazy.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Jeff and I planned to take Leila to see Santa last Friday. Being the rookie that I am, I did not expect that we would have to shell out $22 to get a picture with Leila on his on lap. I also probably should have known that I was not allowed to take my own picture unless I paid for a photo package.

Forget it, we agreed no picture. Maybe no Santa for that matter since the line was a few families deep.

I went back to shopping and Jeff took Leila walking around the mall. I didn't think twice about what they were up to. I was way too busy buying a new pair of jeans! (Thanks in part to last month's challenge.)

When we got into the car Jeff said he had a surprise. He showed me the picture he bought of Leila. I about died it was so perfect!



Not for a second was I upset that he took her to see Santa without me. They did just fine without me. Imagine that?!?!




Did I mention that Jeff taught her what Santa says? "Ho. Ho. Ho." just like the Santa in A Christmas Story. Hilarious!

Jen + Jeff

Twenty years ago we met in the halls of our high school. Thank goodness I do not have a way to scan and post our freshman year homecoming dance picture. (Let's just say we looked adorable and cool.)

Two years ago we got married.


We drive each other crazy, but we love each other more.


And I wouldn't have it any other way.


Here's to two years...and counting!

Aunt Kimmy is baaaaack

Auntie Kim and Uncle Tim are visiting from back home this weekend.

My sister came last year at this time. We celebrated Leila's one MONTH birthday!



Here's Aunt Kimmy and Leila at lunch on Friday. (She still can't decide on what to be called...we'll let Leila decide.)



We've had a busy few days so far. More to come!

Change

I finally love staying at home. I've been quite a flip-flopper on this topic this past year. One day I feel the urge to teach, to have routine, to make a difference, and the next day I realize I AM doing that.

Three days later I am dying to get out of yoga pants and a ponytail.

I never expected to like staying home. And I didn't...at first. My maternity leave was hectic. No more than three hours of sleep in a row for four months makes a Momma crazy. When I went back to teaching in January it was wonderfully terrible. I couldn't help but wonder if getting my final pink slip in June was the universe trying to tell me something, again.

This second chance at staying at home with Leila has been not-even-close to perfect, but it has changed me. Changed how I picture myself, how I picture our future.

I like what I see.

Goodbye Baby, Hello Toddler!

I love that Leila is a toddler. It is her personality that I love the most. Her spunk, her fearlessness, her stories (oy,oy oy,oy really means more than you think!), her dramatic tears, and her love for the outdoors.

I know I have said it before, but Leila is FUN to hang out with. Never did I imagine that my tiny blob-like baby would be such a cool little person in just one year.

Look how big I look!


Dr. Seuss said it best...

I hear so many moms talk about how they miss the baby days. Not me. Don't get me wrong, I loved my blob baby.

But now Leila is a toddler and we're smiling about it!

My birthday girl

Dear Leila,

This has been the craziest and most wonderful year of my life. You captured Mommy's heart just hours after you were born. I will love you forever.

Yes dear, of course I loved you before you were born!!! But this is the moment I will never forget.

It was 12:26 am on Wednesday, September 22nd when I first heard you cry. I remember you cried, but not what it sounded like. Honestly, I was still in shock from the previous day's events. The next three hours were a blur too. I knew you were a healthy baby and that was all that mattered.

Finally it was just you, me, and Daddy in our hospital room. Before the nurses left they asked if they should swaddle you and put you to sleep in the bassinet. I sweetly told them, "No thank you, she can sleep on me." There was no way I was going to put you down in that bassinet so far away (literally touching my bed).

That night you slept and I fell in love. As I was patting your little bottom it hit me...this was exactly what it felt like when I was patting my big pregnant belly the night before. I knew all along you liked to stick your butt up into the air, and here you were still doing it IN MY ARMS.

That was the moment I realized I could love more than I ever imagined.

Happy birthday baby! Mommy loves you!

Dear Leila,

Once upon a time we were cool.



Love,
Your parents

She has to believe us, right?

Family Day

Once a week we make a point to have some family time. Lately we've been doing summery stuff like going to the pool, hitting up the local farmers market, and of course...Sea World.

I like Sea World more and more each time we go. Today I really noticed the people (maybe I'm taking Leila's cues!) and watched how much fun everyone was having. It's different living in a vacation destination because so many people are out and about just enjoying themselves and their families. Sure puts a smile on my face.

Leila and Mommy about to get going...


Danger Dad doing dangerous things around dangerous animals...


Our favorite adventure at Sea World today was The Bay of Play. Yep, no sea creatures or Shamu show could top watching Leila interact with the other kids and adults in the baby/toddler play area.

Making friends...


Look at me! Look at me!


Leila tried walking on the soft surface and made it a few steps. She's been walking more and more these past three days. She still chooses to crawl 50% of the time but I guess you could say WE HAVE A WALKER!!!

Teeth and walking all in the same month! No wonder she takes such wonderfully long naps. Busy girl!

Leila's future boyfriends

Dylan, 3 1/2 months old, cried when Leila grabbed his face.


Logan, 12 weeks old, made her jealous with all of his hair.


Noah, 10 1/2 months, clearly fighting for her love.


Redmond, 2 years old, seemed to understand her babbling.


Young love is simply adorable!