What a wedding!

Wowza!

I am still recovering from an AMAZING wedding weekend! My sis-in-law married one of my great friends this weekend, and it was an absolute blast!

I only took a few pictures from the rehearsal and the morning of the wedding, but I stole a few shots from Mark's sister. I'll hopefully be able to share more once the photographer posts their professional shots - he got some great ones, and I realized Columbus has some pretty cool photo opps (though gallivanting around in a hot shuttle bus for an hour on a 94 degree day wasn't quite as memorable).

So here we are, highlights from an incredible weekend (including an obscene amount of pictures of my daughter). I am so happy for these two!!!!!

 

I love my aunties!

 Gettin her toes did

 My hair... Arrica at Stile Salon did a PHENOMENAL job!

 

 Mackenzie's hair... a Pinterest inspired 'do!

Cheesecake Factory for lunch - YUMMO!

 Before the ceremony... Lindsay doesn't look nervous at all.... ;-)

Squealy baby thinks Aunt Lin looks beautiful!

 Bridesmaids

Our bouquets

Their venue. And old church turned nightclub turned event space. So gorgeous!

The happy couple - MARRIED! Aren't they adorable??? Emerson wants a cousin, HINT HINT NUDGE NUDGE!!! ;-)

Tooting my own horn

Anyone who's been reading this blog for a while knows I've been trying to lose the baby weight.

While it is important for me to get healthy and feel good about myself, my main motivation for wanting to lose the baby weight fast was because my sister-in-law, Lindsay, is getting married this weekend! Me, Jon and Emerson are in the wedding, and I didn't want to be the ugly fat girl in our family photos.

To help track my goals, I started taking my measurements and counting my calories in My Fitness Pal. I worked out when I wasn't completely exhausted I could, and tried to keep my splurging under control (though this was the hardest part).

So here's where the horn tooting comes in: I've lost 50 lbs in the past 5 months. Yay!!!!! Considering I only gained 40 lbs during the pregnancy, I am pretty happy with this. Toot toot toot.

But as most fitness experts will tell you, weight is only one factor. When you calculate my loss in measurements, since January 4th (the first day I took them, 3 weeks after Emerson was born), you can see a big change there too... no wonder my clothes fit better now!

Pounds lost since 1/4/12:
22.6

Inches lost:
Hips: 2.5
Bust: 2.5
Waist: 4!!!! Yay!! It's still wider than it's ever been, but um, I gave birth, so give me a break.
Thighs: 1.5
Butt: 2.5

And since I've already made you roll your eyes at least twice since starting this post, I might as well add this in... I am wearing an outfit today I haven't worn in TWO YEARS. Not since I found out I was pregnant with Jack and immediately began bloating.

I still have a good 10-15 lbs to go, but I am happy that I've made it this far. I don't feel like I've worked as hard I could to get back in shape, but that is my next goal. Now that the bulk of the weight has been lost, I want to focus on toning and eating healthier. I don't want to be one of those moms who just "gives up." I don't mean this in a negative way, but I don't think I'd be setting a good example for Emerson if I continue eating like I did when I was pregnant and never exercise. I have accepted that my body will never look the same way it did 10 years ago, but I don't want to stop trying to be healthier when I know that I can be. I want to be the best version of "this" me, the "mom" me that I can be. Does that make sense?

The other thing I think I need to work on??? Accepting compliments without a qualifier. Why do we do this ladies??? Someone gives us a compliment and we immediately downplay it. When people tell me that I "look great" or "congrats on losing all the baby wight" instead of just saying thank you, I always follow up with "Well, I have a long way to go." I needed to start accepting that, in 5 months, I HAVE come a long way already. Sure there's more I can do, and I'm definitely not 100% secure with my post-baby body, but I am happy with the result so far. So for one day only, I am tooting my own horn. Tomorrow I can go back to working hard.

Frankly, I'm just glad I fit into my bridesmaids dress. Don't tell Lindsay, but it didn't fit back in February - score!

Review: The SleepEasy Solution

Update: Check out my review of the Sleepeasy Solution online course to see if it's still working 18 months later!

Warning! Warning!

The blog post below will probably be of no interest to you. Unless you care that I am no longer a sleep-deprived zombie. Or if you are a sleep-deprived zombie yourself, in which case, do read on.

The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5

When my little munchkin was born, I hit the jackpot. From early on she was such a good sleeper. For the first 8 weeks of her life, she'd wake up in the night, nurse, and go right back to sleep. I truly felt well-rested on most days of the week while on maternity leave. Toward the end of my leave, she'd sleep from 9pm to 9am and only wake up twice, which for a nursing newborn was fantastic. She even had a few stretches of 7-8 hours in those first few months.

And then I went back to work, and it all went to crap.

Every single week, her sleep got worse and worse. Her 6 hour stretches slowly got shorter and shorter. When she used to fall asleep nursing, she started needing a pacifier to soothe herself to sleep. And then we got in the bad habit of giving it to her for every nap and a bedtime, which I'm not against whatsoever, but it only works if the baby can fall back to sleep on their own once they realize the pacifier has fallen out. My darling daughter did not get that memo, so when she naturally roused from sleep, she starting getting frustrated when she realized her Wubbanub was gone. So 6 hours turned into 4, which turned into 3, which turned into every 90 minutes all night long. By 4 months, I was getting about 5 hours of severely broken sleep all night long. It was NOT good. She HATED her crib and would cry immediately when we put her in it unless she was completely passed out.

The other problem we faced was that she was still swaddled. Swaddling saved us in the early days when her moro reflex was out of control and she'd startle herself awake. But at 4 months old, the moro reflex was gone, but I didn't realize that because I mistook her normal baby movements for a need to remain swaddled.

So being the obsessed and neurotic avid researcher I am, I searched high and low for the perfect baby sleep book. I think I read every single website, book, and article relating to baby sleep. I even *briefly* considered hiring a baby sleep consultant to come to our house and tell me how to be a parent. But at $900 a pop, I was desperate for another option. One Saturday while little miss was napping I ordered The Sleep Easy Solution based on reviews I saw on Amazon. 20 minutes later, I decided the 3-5 day shipping delay was too much, so I ordered it electronically. Yep. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I read the whole book in less than 2 hours. It made so much sense to me. I read about the long-term effects of sleep deprivation on both parents and baby, and decided that, just like some day I'll need to teach Emerson how to ride a bike, I needed to teach her how to sleep on her own. My bad habits were negatively affecting her sleep. I rushed into her room immediately when she made a peep, and would pick her up and try to feed her each time. When feeding didn't work, I'd give her the pacifier. At 4 months old, she was trying to tell me that she didn't need to eat every 2 hours anymore, but apparently I didn't get the memo. So by picking her up and either popping a boob or a pacifier in her mouth, I was robbing her of the ability to soothe herself. Couple that with the fact that swaddling her prevented her from moving around or getting into a natural, comfortable position that she preferred, and it was just a hot mess.

So here's where it gets sticky... some people claim this book and books like it to be controversial because they classify it as a "Cry it out" sleep training method. When I hear the phrase "Cry it out," I imagine someone laying their poor defenseless baby in a cold, dark room and letting them cry for hours and hours at a time. This book does NOT recommend that method. Not even close.

Without getting into too much (I'm happy to share more for those who are curious), what the book DOES recommend is giving your baby the space and the ability to learn how to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own. Unfortunately, most of the time, it does involve a few tears.

Let's be honest here... who likes to hear their baby cry??? Anyone, anyone? Of course not. No, we don't want to hear our babies cry. Yes, we want our babies to get the sleep they need. Yes, we want to soothe them as much as possible because we are their primary source of comfort and security. But one of the best points the book made is this: For 4 months now, I've been the one soothing Emerson to sleep. I don't want to hear her cry, so I immediately respond and then proceed to rock her, nurse her, or in any way possible pacify her to sleep. But guess what?? THAT WASN'T WORKING. If that works for you, great. But obviously it wasn't working for our family because I paid $12.99 to instant download this e-book. She was getting as much (or as little) broken sleep every night as I was, and I knew it wasn't good for her. She had started acting like she was on edge, or ultra-sensitive, and I realize now it's because she was so dramatically over-tired.

So as for the method, the basic premise is that you lay your child down awake, in their crib, with no sleep props like swaddling or pacifier (unless she can re-insert it on her own). The baby will most likely protest, but you leave the room. Then, you go back into their room at timed intervals to provide loving, soothing reassurance, but you do NOT rely on your old techniques (because remember, they aren't working). You talk to the baby in a soothing voice, but you don't pick her up and you don't give in and give her the pacifier. The point of going in is not to soothe the baby completely, because they will probably keep crying, but it's to show them you haven't abandoned them. You are to do this for every night waking until the baby can learn to sooth herself, which the authors claim can be done usually within 3 nights. 3 nights of torture for a well-rested household??? I wanted it to be true!

The first night, Emerson cried off and on for 63 minutes. I cried non-stop for about 75. I was ready to throw my Kindle in the garbage, but when she woke up the next morning, she was laughing and smiling and as happy as ever. She didn't hate me, and she wasn't scarred for life. Her reaction gave me the courage to try again the next night.

The second night, she cried for 47 minutes. I drank two glasses of wine. But she made progress!

The third night, she cried very intermittently for 29 minutes. I saw a ray of hope.

The fourth night, she slept through the night. And she has slept through the night for the most part every night since then.

HALLEJLUAH! HALLEJLUAH! HALLEJLUAH! HALLEJLUAH!

<Cue choir of angels singing>

This book has changed our lives. I thought Emerson was a happy baby before, but now that she's getting solid sleep, she is just in baby dreamland heaven. She actually reaches for her crib at night, and will play in it like it's the greatest place on earth. You have no idea the freedom I feel when I can lay my sweet baby in her crib for both naps and bedtime and she just rolls over and goes right to sleep, or plays quietly to herself for a few minutes before dozing off. And she wakes up every single morning by laughing or talking, not crying because she feels abandoned or exhausted.

The book gives some amazing and genius tips for all sleep issues, including night feedings for nursing moms, how to deal with travel, teething, and developmental milestones, and techniques for older children who are in a bed and not a crib.

If you've stumbled upon this review from Google, I must tell you that sleep training of any kind is not recommended until your baby is at least 4 months old and 14 lbs. So if you are under those guidelines... I feel for you sister. Go grab an extra pot of coffee and hang on - there is hope ahead of you!

I feel proud of us that we were consistent and have set our daughter up for a childhood filled with restorative sleep, because I know it's so important for her health and well-being. But mostly, I am proud of my little girl for not only learning this new skill, but for adapting to a big change and coming out on the other end smiling.

Because isn't seeing this happy little face at the end of every nap worth it???

5 Months

Hi sweet girl!!!

Somebody send out an APB, because there is a little munchkin in my house that has kidnapped my baby and replaced her with this big girl!

That's right... you are FIVE months old now! My teeny tiny little baby is now a grown-up. Okay, that might be extreme, but still.... I am amazed by how much you've grown!!!

Yes, that is you practicing your favorite skill, sitting up. You sit up all the time now, and though I'm not ready to leave you attended while sitting, you are SO good at it! You love to sit on your blanket in the living room and play with the mountain of toys at your disposal.

Oh yeah, that is definitely what you think it is - the longest string of drool in the history of the world.

Your other favorite skill??? Grabbing your feet! You do it all the time, but especially when we're changing your diaper or when you're laying in your crib. In fact, you wake up every morning cooing and talking to your feet. It is the cutest thing ever. I love coming into your room to get you, and you get a HUGE smile on your face because mommy has decided to come to the party, and then you go right back to grabbing your tiny feet. But I get it... those tiny baby toes are pretty stinking cute.

Speaking of waking up.... knock on the biggest freaking fat piece of wood, you are officially sleeping through the night. As in, we put you in your crib at 7:00pm, and you're asleep until 7:00am. It is amazing. To accomplish this task, 95% of the work was done by you. You were given a challenge, and you breezed through it with flying colors. The other 5% we owe to a book called The SleepEasy Solution (review coming next week). This book has changed our lives, and everyone in our household is sleeping better, which in turn is making our home a happy and smiley one.

As you grow you are looking more and more like "yourself." Meaning, you're not an indistinguishable newborn anymore. You have a unique look and, okay I know I am extremely biased, but seriously.... you are SO BEAUTIFUL. It's almost heartbreaking how beautiful you are, because then I worry about scary boys with ulterior motives who might some day break your heart. Your eyes are my favorite... a beautiful blue and little light brown in the middle. I just want to stare at you all day long because your smile just makes me so happy.

 

For as long as I can remember, your grandma Barb has been telling me that I was beautiful. I never doubted that my mom thought I was beautiful, because she told me so much. Most of the time I just rolled my eyes at her or said something like "Ohhhh, mo-om, stop it!" But now, I get it. (Yep, Grandma Barb- I get it now!) She wasn't saying those things to embarrass me... she truly believed that. Even in middle school when I could not have been more ugly or awkward looking. To a mother, you will be hard-pressed to find her another child that is more beautiful or perfect than her own. 

Here's an example: Back in 2012 (assuming you are reading this some time in the future), two famous celebrities were Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They are both said to be some of the most beautiful people in the world. Well they had a baby named Shiloh (and like 5 more babies, but this was their first biological one). Subsequently, Shiloh was predicted to be the most beautiful baby on Earth. I Googled her image, did a quick comparison, and determined that yes, in fact, you are more beautiful than the most beautiful baby on earth. 

Shiloh, 2007

Emerson, 2012

Yep, she's got nothing on you. (And the proceeding was soooo much biased mom-bragging, so feel free to ignore if it makes you cringe)

I am also loving how determined you are to learn new things. Every single week you have a new trick. You grab every single thing in your way, and it immediately goes into your mouth. Nom nom nom, washcloth, remote, hairbrush, nom nom nom. Thank God I'm not a germaphobe or I would be freaking out!

Vegetable oil, I will OWN YOU!

You amaze me every single day. All I ever want to do is be around you, because you are so fun and so sweet. We've got a big summer ahead of us, I can't wait to experience all of the firsts that are coming up - solid food, swim lessons, two flower girl stints, the beach! Here we go!!!

I love you princess...every day is better now that you're in our world.

Love,

Mom

New look, same bad puns

Are your eyes playing tricks on you????

Do things look a little different from where you're sitting???

Don't worry friend, you're not alone...My blog got a fancy new makeover!!!

When I first started blogging, I used it as an outlet for my grief. It was a way to process how I was feeling after losing Jack, and it truly helped me along my journey toward healing.

Then when I became pregnant with Emerson, I used it as a diary to document all of the little things I wanted to remember about my pregnancy. I was so scared, but I didn't want to treat the experience like it wasn't special, just because I had already been pregnant the year before.

And now, I use it as a both an outlet AND a diary. An outlet to share my fears, hopes, and annoyances, but mostly a diary of my everyday life as a wife and mother.

A long time ago, someone told me that I should take all of the posts in my blog and turn them into a book. As a way to help other grieving mothers, as well as other moms who were pregnant with their rainbow babies. But what this blog has evolved into is a snapshot into my life and feelings at any given point.

What is most important to me, though, is that some day my darling girl can look back on all of these posts and learn a little bit more about her mom and who she was at this time in her life. As morbid as this sounds, if I got hit by a bus tomorrow, I'd want Emerson to have some insight into her mother's personality (as kooky as it might be).

So instead of a book, I decided to turn this blog into a digital scrapbook of sorts. A 21st century diary, complete with photos, ad libs, and puns. And since I won't be able to remember every single little detail of Emerson's childhood, I am committed to keeping it as up to date as possible.

Hope you like it! A big thanks to Jenn for helping me look fancy!!

Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day with my beautiful rainbow baby. It was low-key, and it was perfect.

It was hard to get through the weekend without a tugging ache in my heart though, because I couldn't stop thinking about my dear friend. She should be holding her brand new baby today. But she isn't.

I gave myself 5 minutes alone in the bathroom to shed some tears for Jack, and then I went into Emerson's room while she slept and held her so close. Her sweet angelic face, her perfect features, her tiny hands remind me of how blessed I am, and how blessed she is to have a guardian angel and big brother looking out for her always.

Life is so precious, and motherhood is the greatest gift I've ever been given. I know the consuming heartbreak my friend felt as her due date passed. I hope she knows that she is an amazing mother. I also hope that everyone who is a mom stopped to take a second yesterday to realize how lucky they are.
Because even with the crying, the sleepless nights, the stupid teenage fights, the bad decisions, the expenses, the headaches, the annoyances ..... there is someone out there who would die to have the chance to have someone call her "Mom."

Birthday card from Emerson

I just got an email from Jon. He said Emerson typed me a birthday card all by herself! I am copying and pasting it here for your enjoyment:

                            Fffffffmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

\

\”””                        2.                       14             mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm[xmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm             

Best birthday card ever!                           

Twenty Eight

Alright confession time... who has seen My Best Friends Wedding??

You know what movie I'm talking about. Starring Julia Roberts, dude with a deep voice, and that English guy who is also the voice of the spoiled prince in Shrek.

The first time I can recall seeing this movie, I was in 7th grade. A wee baby. I remember watching this movie and being awestruck by the premise.

See, Julia and Deep voice guy briefly dated in college, then broke up, and became best friends. One night, they agreed that if they weren't married by the time they were 28, they'd marry each other.

Simple enough, right?? Haven't we all had that "back-up" friend that we said we'd marry if things didn't pan out any earlier?? I *think* I have this pact with my friend Brendan, but I guess our contract is null and void since, as you saw yesterday, I am lawfully wed.

The reason this movie is significant is that today is my 28th birthday. I am 28 years old!! Late twenties!!! Almost 30!!! How did that happen?!?! I'm the youngest child, youngest children don't turn 28!

Hahahaha. But seriously, when I was 12 and watched the movie My Best Friends Wedding, I remember thinking:

"Ok, so 28 is officially old. That's the age when if you aren't talking to someone (because that's what we called dating in middle school), you should probably just buy 50 cats and some mumus, because you've over the hill."

My, how my opinion has changed...... I know some day Emerson will have that moment of "Wow, my mom is OLD" and then I will have to school her on what old really is. And also tell her that if she waits until she's 28 to get married, daddy and I will pay for the whole thing. You've got that in writing princess!

May 9 in numbers

 3 years

1 beautiful rainbow baby girl

1 perfect angel baby boy

14 months of pregnancy

1 mortgage

6 months of unemployment

5 jobs/promotions/career moves

3 cars

2 sibling engagements

2.5 nieces/nephews born

2190 "I love yous"

3285 kisses

100,000 tears shed for baby Jack

27 dinners ruined/overcooked/burned

1,000 bad jokes told

5,000+ laughs shared

A million memories made.... and a lifetime of memories ahead

Happy anniversary to the greatest person I know.

99 things

Is anyone else having the busiest May in history??!?!!

I feel like this month is already flying by, and there's just a little too much going on. What happened to the days of having lots of free time?? Oh, that's right. They are off in a land where I still have a 25 inch waist and no responsibilities.

Anywhoo, I saw this 99 things post on Megan's blog and thought I'd give it a go since I have some new "friends" who've recently joined me. Including a new friend from New Zealand! :-)

This little survey thing is neato because it brings back lots of memories, and points out a few things that I'll need to add to my bucket list (the ones that aren't in bold). Annnnnd here we go!!

1. Started your own blog
~ Nope. This is not a blog. You are currently reading an excerpt from a literary journal on the current state of the economy of Turkey. You are also getting verrrry sleeeeepy.

2. Slept under the stars



~ Bahamas, Spring Break 2006 - my first kiss with my now husband :)

3. Played in a band
~ Does Rock Band on XBox count? Because I play a wicked guitar

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower
~ I don't know if this counts, but in Colorado I counted 20 shooting stars in one evening - gorgeous. Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars??

6. Given more than you can afford to charity
~ Yes, but at the time it was only $50, but for a broke college student that was way more than I could afford

7. Been to Disneyland
~ I've been to Disneyland Paris, that counts right??

 8. Climbed a mountain
~ In West Virginia and Colorado - booyah!

9. Held a praying mantis
~ I'm good on this one

10. Sang a solo

Everyday in the shower. And once for a tryout in choir in 6th grade. Spoiler alert... I didn't get it because I can't sing. Huh.

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris
~ Back in 2003 with my brother Adam - we had a blast practicing our high school French skills. I was better than he was. Truth.

13. Watched a lightening storm
~ Lots of times from our front porch

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child
~ I had an egg baby in 8th grade health class. I dropped it.

16. Had food poisoning
~ Yes, and it sucks @$.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
~ Been there, have no interest in going to the top because I hate crowds.

18. Grown your own vegetables
~ Sort of. We want to start a vegetable garden, but we might have to stick with just herbs this year since we're a little late in the game!

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
~ On said trip with bro back in 2003. What was she smirking about I wonder?? The actual painting is much smaller in person than I though it would be.

20. Slept on an overnight train
~ Again, on the trip with my brother, we took a train from Nice, France to Rome. It was pretty cool in an Agatha Christie, European kind of way.

21. Had a pillow fight
~ Yes, and I always lose. I'm not aggressive enough.

22. Hitch hiked
~ No, because I live in America and I don't want to be axe-murdered.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon
~ I've run 3 half marathons, so basically that means I've run a marathon and a half.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse
~ Of the heart.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
~ In the Bahamas from aforementioned spring break trip. Now that I think back on it, I'm glad we weren't picked up for being drifters. But it was one of the greatest experiences of my life :)

31. Hit a home run
~ Yeah right

32. Been on a cruise
~ Not a real one, but we did a 6 hour cruise to and from the Bahamas. I would LOVE to do a European and an Alaskan cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
~ Yep. They are neat.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
~ My maiden name is English, and I've been to England. So that counts.

35. Seen an Amish community
~ They make some delicious cheese!

36. Taught yourself a new language
~ I do want to try Rosetta Stone some day - I've heard it's legit

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
~ Again, yeah right.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing
~ In West Virginia

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
~ Not yet - Florence is on my bucket list fo sho!

41. Sung karaoke
~ Way more often than I should

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt



43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
~ Some rich dude bought us a bottle of wine at Hyde Park on Jon's birthday though!

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
~ In the Bahamas and in Florida.... ooh la la!

46. Been transported in an ambulance
~ When I sprained my ankle in my very first (and last) game of intramural soccer

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
~ Yep. It is incredible.

 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
~ Been to the Eiffel tower, not to the top because again, I hate crowds. Here is the proof:



51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
~ In Key Largo. And I threw up everything I had in my system. I have no interest in experiencing that again.

52. Kissed in the rain
~ The hubs and I have had some romantic moments ;-)

53. Played in the mud
~ Mud pit. Summer camp. 1992.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater
~ It's been awhile, but I can't wait to take Emerson.

 55. Been in a movie
~ My brother is an independent filmmaker, and I played the bit part of bitchy ex-girlfriend of the main character in one of his short films.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business
~ I would love to open my own froyo shop!

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason
~ I love looking at flowers, but I truly believe they are a colossal waste of money. They die in a week!

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
~ A few times, and I always turn yellow. I truly hate doing it, I won't lie.

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check
~ But I've over-drafted multiple times!

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
~ My favorite toys as a child were books, because I am a huge nerd. R.L. Stine anyone??



70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
~ He looks so honest from way down there.

71. Eaten Caviar
~ No, I can put away a boatload of sushi though!

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades
~ And I received 67 mosquito bites on one leg as a reward. That is not a typo.

75. Been fired from a job
~ This is my worst professional fear; failing an exam comes in close second. Again, big nerd!

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London



~ Yes. This isn't it, obviously, but this guy let me take a picture with him.

77. Broken a bone
~ Nope - I drink lots of milk!

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
~ And I have zero interest in riding on one of those two-wheeled death machines again!

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican
~ It is massive and beautiful!

82. Bought a brand new car

I had a brand new car right after high school, which I proceeded to annihilate with my terrible driving habits.

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper
~ In our college newspaper from when I was homecoming queen. It still comes up if you Google my maiden name. And so does my unfortunate blonde highlight job.

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House
~ My friend Jess and I had tickets to tour the inside, but they were for 7am, so ummmmmm.... we didn't make it. But we saw the outside???

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox
~ They were not fun, as I recall.

89. Saved someone’s life
~ This weekend, while pulling weeds, I saw a pregnant spider. Instead of killing it, I picked it up and put it in the yard. So I not only saved her, but all of her spider babies. You're welcome, ma'am.

90. Sat on a jury
~ And you can read all about my experience here

91. Met someone famous
~ The closest I've come is that the weather lady from our local CBS affiliate goes to my OB's office and we were pregnant at the same time.

92. Joined a book club
~ And it's the best one ever! But I haven't been in several months because I, well, had a baby and all.

93. Got a tattoo




~ It looks like this and is on my hip. I want to get one for Jack too but haven't found the right one yet.

94. Had a baby
~ Emerson Elizabeth is my whole world! Jack Benjamin is the most perfect angel in heaven.

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit
~ I get letters for class action suits all the time. Apparently I buy products from shady companies.

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee
~ On my hand on the way to Disney World when I was 8 - my hand was so swollen that I couldn't hold onto the bars on all the rides and I was terrified!

Phew!!! I am exhausted!

Is there an alien in your camera mom???

I wonder two things about babies and cameras:

1. How does a baby go from laughing and smiling to stoic and frightened the very second I try to take her picture?

2. Why does the camera flash make her eyes go as wide as saucers?? You'd think she was seeing a UFO the way she stares mystified at that tiny little light.

Because of these factors, I am in fear that I will never get to show the world how happy and smiley my baby is, because the second my phone/camera/hands inch into picture-taking form, all bets are off.

Oh well. Even wide-eyed frightened Emerson is still a cutey patootey :)

Insert pun about hair

I kept trying to come up with a catchy title for this post, but for the first time in my life, a witty pun has alluded me.

It's a clear sign that the world is going to end.

Anywhoo, this week has been crazy busy, and all of a sudden I realized that I'm in a wedding in 3 weeks, and I don't know what to do with my hair!!! Oh my goodness what terrible and severe problem!!!!!!!!!!

So obviously, it was crucial that I surf Pinterest to find some hairstyle pictures for Lindsay and Mark's big day. We're getting our hair done at a fancy salon, and for $65 plus tip, I need them to make me look fabulous.

Here are my favorites.... which one do you like best???

Update: This is the bridesmaids dress I am wearing, so you can tell me how fancy I should/shouldn't get: