six months!

I have a full-fledged BOY on my hands.

Cormac is a punching, kicking, grabbing bundle of boy energy.

Which is why this month's photo session was especially challenging....

and basically ended up as just a cuddle session.  Which I'm okay with.

Here are some outtakes.  

Yes, I was wearing my bathrobe/pajamas. 

not quite able to sit yet...

whoa.

there's that smile

in mid flip...
and please check out that adorable fat knee!

"just relaxin'...and eatin' my hand..."

my little deer in the headlights...

"I will look anywhere but the camera."

"Just wait 'til I have teeth.  Then try to resist this smile."

He mastered the art of rolling last month, and recently has been making the moves to crawl.  He will actually get up on his haunches in the crawling position and boisterously rock back and forth about ten times until his falls on his face.  Then he does it again.  But no actual forward movement. Yet.

Jumps so vigorously in his exersaucer that sometimes I am afraid to bend down to try to pick him up, for fear he'll jump and knock my teeth out with his big ol' head. He'll try to fake me out:  he'll stop bouncing and smile up at me sweetly.  I approach with caution.   Then as soon as I reach down he starts jumping crazily again!

Sitting, but I still need to be there in case he takes a tumble.

Starting vegetables next week!

Weight: 18 lbs 6 oz {60th percentile}

Height: 26.5 inches {50th percentile}

Head: 18 cm {90th percentile}

* * * * * * * * * 

Happy six months

to my little man!

{hint, hint about his 1st birthday party theme!}

g

{25 things}

Source: etsy.com via Greta on Pinterest

1. I have exactly seven half-finished blog posts in my queue, and yet I decided to write this completely random one instead of finishing any of them.

2. Today I entertained Baby Cormac by whistling the Andy Griffith Show theme song for literally a half hour straight.

3. Then I allowed him to chew on my beaded necklace...that was still around my neck.

4. The first thing I thought of after putting him to bed was pouring myself a glass of wine.

5. I love wine.

6. I really love wine.  Especially after whistling the Andy Griffith theme song for a half hour.

7. My husband can't whistle.

8. I get a sense of satisfaction when I find things I can do that my Hubby can't.  Sorry babe.

9. Tonight I am hoping my Hubby will pick up a pizza for dinner on the way home.  By Thursdays I don't feel like cooking.

10.  I'm a total city girl...but I kind of want to escape to the country.  Wake up in a big feather bed and eat a huge, homemade breakfast.

11.  I'm determined to learn to make homemade cinnamon rolls, a la my Grandma Mole.

12. Grandma Mole is not her real name.

13. Did I mention I love wine?

14. I really, really don't want to get up off the couch and wash bottles right now.  So many bottles...

15.  Okay, only six bottles.  But still.

16. I can't wait to finish all those other posts.  Tomorrow, maybe?  One of them, maybe?

17. I made some really good linguini with scallops last night...but my camera battery died so I couldn't take any pics.  Boo.

18. When I finally make those cinnamon rolls, I promise to take pictures.

19.  I have been doing really well with my resolutions!  I took a nap and ran and drank lots of water today.  Yay, me!

20. I'm watching the Seinfeld episode where Elaine tells Jerry she "faked."  This is why I love Elaine.

21.  Now Jerry is calling all his exes to ask them if they did, too.  This is why I love Jerry.

22. Pizza's here!

23.  I love my Hubby.

24.  If you made it this far, I salute you.  And wonder about you.  :)

25.  I promise my next post will not be this random...

Much love!

g

ham & cheese sliders and raspberry-pecan salad

New year, new foods!

One of the reasons I love Pinterest is the abundance of food ideas.

I've tried quite a few recipes, some of which I really liked,

including...

Ham and Cheese Sliders!

They were easy and so yum.

The full recipe can be found {here}on 

this cute food blog.

I halved the recipe to make this for Hubby and I.

But after tasting them I wished I had made them all!

This is before I baked them.  They get golden brown on top and the poppyseed sauce gets absorbed in the bun {use Hawaiian rolls!!!!} making them a-maz-ing.

Make sure you use thick cuts of ham 

and thick, good quality Swiss.

Because the sliders were so gooey and savory, I paired them with a fresh, sweet raspberry-pecan salad.

You will need:
bag of lettuce - I like mix of spring mix and baby spinach {darker the lettuces the healthier!}
red raspberries, washed
handful of pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette - I like Newman's Own.
cheese to grate over finished salad - I used a chunk of pecorino with truffle

Just combine all the ingredients {except the cheese} in a bowl and toss to coat with dressing.  When salad is in serving bowl or on individual plates grate the cheese over and serve.  So sweet and delish!

Add some sliders to the plate and enjoy 

a sweet and savory 

supper.

g

{be resolute}

I think of all the New Year's resolutions 

to be made right now and my head starts to spin.  

Of course I want to be healthier.  Of course I want to be more organized.   Of course I want to be a better wife and mother.  And on.  And on.

{source}

It is enough to make a girl throw her hands up and ask the heavens, BUT HOW?!?!  They are such broad and lofty goals!  I realize I am the type of person who needs I need baby steps.  I need a precise plan of attack.

This year I resolve to be more resolute.  That is, wholeheartedly commit myself to something concrete.  I will commit myself to the following three manageable, attainable goals:

I will drink 3 bottles {or more} of water per day.  Formerly I barely drink any water...unless you count that which is in coffee. I would fill up my Nalgene in the morning and it would sit on the kitchen counter all day, untouched.  It's so big. That's soooo much water! I would think and ignore it.  Even when I would go to the gym I would usually forget my water.  So now I am toting a smaller {less bulky, more portable} bottle around with me wherever I go.  So far I've drank at least three each day, some days five or six.   My pregnancy prepared me for all the peeing I'm doing now.

I will take a nap every day.  I never did much napping...and I should.  I clean and plan and run and push and play and entertain baby...and by the end of the day I am not the most fun person to be around.  Hubby would always ask, "Why don't you take a nap during the day?"  Others would advise, "Sleep when he sleeps!"  Ha, I would think, my head buzzing with all the tasks I wanted to check off my list.  But something has to give, and since Baby takes 3 naps a day I resolve to dedicate one of those to napping myself.  Well, at least for 30 minutes.  Power nap.  This should help with the whole "be a better wife and mother" thing. :)

I will get my abs back.  I have never had a perfect body {no one does...except maybe Gisele} but my tummy was one of the parts of my bod I especially liked.  Also, I felt really great before and during my pregnancy and mostly now I'd like to get that feeling back -- of health and strength! And flat abs.  Sigh.  I have learned that even if you had a hard, flat tummy pre-pregnancy it will not stay that way.  You have to work back to it.  I remember being visited by an in-home nurse a couple days after delivering my baby boy in July, listening intently to everything she had to say, but then grabbing my "baby belly"and asking her -- "Okay...but when will this go away????" I was sort of trying to be funny {post-labor attempts at humor are always a hoot} but she took me seriously.

Her answer sticks in my mind even today, "Well, that is up to you."  
In other words: Be resolute.

So my plan is to cut out carbonated beverages completely {goodbye for now, my precious Red Bull!!!}, as well as cut out sugary snacks.  Thankfully I'm not a big soda drinker and have never had a major sweet tooth.  But every little change helps. Plus, I'll continue to run and have started doing strength training again at the gym.  Oh, and crunches.  Lots and lots of crunches.

Well, time for a nap... :)

g

goodbye 2011, hello 2012

2011 was my first full year of blogging... 

and oh, what joy it has been documenting my life and loves

and sharing what makes me feel
warm & happy

with anyone who visits.  

Here are some highlights from this past year...such a wonderful year...

January started with finally announcing my pregnancy -- my first baby bump alert!  I was so excited to be pregnant with our baby boy, Cormac Landon.

February was rather uneventful, but I did have a lovely Valentine's Date with Hubby and rocked the bump:

March brought a long weekend trip to NYC.  We've been there quite a few times, but this time was especially fun with a few NCAA basketball wins for the Wildcats.  Another adventure I'll never forget!

Some Time Square love:

April and May brought some beautiful baby showers as well as my final few months preggo.  I was HUGE ...but not too huge to put the finishing touches on the nursery.  In June it was ready for the reveal party and to be unveiled on the blog.  I had such a fun time creating this space for the little one...okay, and for me!

In July I turned 30!  Oh! The horror!  Really it was not that traumatic.  I think my thirties will be the best years ever.  Plus, I was ginormously pregnant, so I had other things to worry about.  Like peeing every five minutes. Also in July...Baby was born!  I announced the birth and told the whole gory/beautiful story eventually.  I blogged a LOT about my pregnancy and new baby...mainly because they were/are such amazing parts of my life.  I adored being pregnant and hope to someday share another birth with world.  But meanwhile, I will enjoy every minute with this guy...

July and August I was in survival mode, so I didn't blog all that much...except for the occasional new mommy rant.  Those first eight weeks were really tough, but oh so sweet in so many ways.  I now look at brand new babies and feel a tinge of sadness that Cormac will never be that teeny tiny again! Then that feeling passes and I am grateful for the sleep I now get. :)

In September we travelled to Europe to visit my parents who were living in Prague doing ministry for a year.  Those two weeks were incredible...and busy!  I didn't post much about our two weeks there, but I did share some photographs in this post.  Here are a few more...

Some pretty important guys in my life...

The Bjorn has been a lifesaver on many journeys.

It was hard not to love the city of Prague!

My dad baptizes Baby Cormac.  Welcome to the family!

October, November and December were spent doing a little baking, a little confessing, a little adventuring and a lot of figuring out how to be a mama.
Whew.  What a year.

What will 2012 bring?  One can never be sure.  I can say that we just purchased a big old house built in 1859 that we will begin renovating. Feeling incredibly blessed and excited about this new project!

  Little Baby Mac will {God-willing} grown into Little Toddler Mac which is sure to bring many adventures!  I am already planning his epic 1st birthday party.  (Yeah, I am that obsessive.)

Also pretty confident I will drink lots and lots of coffee.  That is a given.  

Oh, and we have some travel plans looming which include:  my first time in New Orleans, perhaps a weekend in Hotlanta, and a June trip to Toronto to visit the set of the Anne of Green Gables movies.

{source}

 If your heart just skipped a beat, too, then we are kindred spirits, you and I.

g

five months : a gift

dear baby boy,

You are five months old now.  I thought when you were in my belly, warm and protected and literally a part of my body, we could not get any closer.  but then I didn't know you.  I didn't know your smile.  I didn't know your joyous shouts and your passionate cries.  I didn't know the intense stare you have when you are trying to figure out my words and my sign language.  I didn't know your energy.  I didn't know your strong pull on my hair or your gentle touch on my face.

I didn't know I would think about you constantly, even when away from you.  that in a room crowded with people yours is the only voice I would hear. That even when someone else is holding you I would gravitate towards you like our hearts are attached with a string.

I didn't know how fulfilling my job would be to love you, teach you, feed your body with food and your mind with knowledge of your importance and of God's love for you.  What I thought I knew about being your mom barely scratched the surface.

All I knew when you were in my belly is that I wanted you.  I meticulously planned {as much as a mama can} your existence.  Your father and I waited until the time was right in our marriage to start a family, when we knew we could financially take care of you, and there was nothing else we wanted but you.  Then we prayed you would come to be...and you did, with no delay.   Some babies are pleasant "surprises" - but you were intentional.  An intentional gift.


A gift I am especially thankful for right now, during this season when there is such a focus on gifts.

I thank God for sending the ultimate gift - His Son.  I thank God for sending you, my son.  Both saved my life in more ways than I can express.

Both are gifts I don't deserve, but am ever grateful for.

I love you, crazy boy...happy five months!

*  *  *  *  *  *

Well, tomorrow Hubby, Baby Mac and I celebrate our first "Christmas" together, close on our "new" house, and then it is off to Minnesota to see my family - so excited for the time with them...and for Cormac to meet all his cousins!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

g

be our guest : guest room redo

No matter how small your house is, it is important to have a place for guests to stay 

and feel cozy and comfortable.

Before having our baby, we had a guest suite...which, being the largest bedroom, then became the master suite with the arrival of Baby Mac.  

So we were left with only the pullout sofa bed to accomodate visiting loved ones.  Hubby thought this was acceptable...particularly since we don't have frequent overnight guests. Me? Not so much.  I adore having a guest room in my home.  I don't care if it only gets used once a year...still totally worth it.

Plus, in October both my mother and sister were coming to visit.  

Joy! Wait - panic!  

Where would they sleep?

So, I had to get creative.  

We currently only have 3 bedrooms - 1 master, 1 nursery, 1 office.

Obviously, the office was my only choice.

So now we have an office/guest suite.

This works really well actually...the room has an attached full bathroom that hardly gets used.

I just ditched my own desk space to make room for a comfy daybed.

No biggie, my Mac is portable! :)

Here is the room {before}when we first moved in:

Here it is {after}my quickie recent redo:

 Changes I made were: 

- new window panels {Ikea} -- white brightened up the space!
- lavender-gray walls {Valpsar - London Coach}
- black iron daybed {Ikea - found on clearance for $59!!}
- gray throw {West Elm}
- white bedding {Ikea and West Elm}
- gray and white rug {Ikea - $19!}

{before}

hubby's office space {before}

and {after}

{before}

{after}

So to conclude my guest room tale, 

the visits from my mom and my sister went grandly.

They had a comfy place to lay their heads...

and I have a guest room again!

Does anyone else feel me on the need to have a guest room?

Much love -

g