The leave is over

Wait, what?

Tomorrow is my first day back to work after an amazing maternity leave. Although I know the time has passed I still can’t believe my little boy is already twelve weeks old. People weren’t kidding when they said it would fly by in the blink of an eye.

Everett's eyelashes[I sure am going to miss those daytime snuggles]

But to tell you the honest truth, I’m ready to rejoin the working world. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade the time I’ve spent with Everett the past couple months for anything. It has helped me grow closer to him, better understand his needs and help me get used to being a mommy. That being said, I’m in need of a little separation now.

It doesn’t hurt that I know he will be getting the best care a little guy could get because we’ll be dropping him off with his grandmas daily. Both my mother and mother-in-law will be his caregivers. I promise, no one could love our little boy more than them and this makes it all the easier to head back to the office.

As I kiss Evie goodbye tomorrow morning I can’t promise there won’t be tears, but I do know that I have done everything I could over the past twelve weeks to give him a good start to a happy and healthy life.

Now, if there was just some way to make sifting through thousands of emails quicker…

Posted in Baby | Tagged , | Leave a comment

DC recap

Fresh off our trip to DC and I’m happy to report that Everett’s first trip was a success! Our little guy took to the skies like a pro. So much so that he got a shout out from the flight attendant over the intercom on his flight home for being an exemplary passenger.

Here are a few photos from #eviesfirsttrip:

Washington DC 2014[snuggling with dad during take off]

Washington DC 2014[hotel life is great!]

Washington DC 2014[checkin’ out the mall]

Washington DC 2014[future home?]

Washington DC 2014[oh hey Abe]

Washington DC 2014[so over all of these monuments]

Washington DC 2014[first dip in the pool]

Washington DC 2014[hanging out with cousin Frank and his gf Heather after lunch at Zaytinya]

Now, on to the fun part – my trip to the White House. The entire thing was so surreal. It’s true that while walking the fuschia lit halls I kept thinking I would run into Josh Lyman or Olivia Pope, but instead I got to chat briefly with the President and First Lady, pose for a picture with them (which I’ll share once I get it), and obsess over what an amazing opportunity it all was. Oh, and enjoy an intimate performance from Sara Bareilles. Not your average night!

White House 2014[you know I love a good tablescape]

White House 2014[dinner was de-lish]

White House 2014[I wanted to take the flowers home with me…and the china]

White House 2014[so lucky to have this opportunity – thanks to my father-in-law!]

White House 2014[she was amazing in person – so talented]

Posted in Family, Travel | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The missed Big Night

While I was still under the weather the other week I missed out on one of my favorite nights of the year – The Big Night.

Every year around Valentine’s Day, my husband and three of his buddies prepare a culinary feast for us to enjoy. My roll this year, as in years past, was to set the table and the mood for the evening. (Shout out to my gal Molly for helping out!)

Since I was unable to dine with everyone that evening, I’ll share a few photos of the set up. (My husband informed me that the food was amazing and that I missed out big time!)

The Big Night IV The Big Night IV The Big Night IV The Big Night IV

Posted in Friends, Parties | Tagged , | Leave a comment

(A belated) two months

twomonths

Ev’s favorite things:

trying hard to talk back
Motown music
facing out when being held
checking himself out in the mirror

Posted in Baby | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Life is crazy

Just when you think things are moving along fine, life throws you a curve ball. At least it did to me over a week ago.

I woke up one morning with a rash, developed a swollen lip and ended up in the emergency room. All due to some amoxicillin that I was prescribed for my root canal. I have taken amoxicillin plenty of times in the past but for whatever reason, I had reached my threshold and developed an allergy. The doc said this is a common thing for women after pregnancy. I feel like a science experiment!

I was put on Benadryl and Prednisone which completely screwed me up. I literally felt like I was taking crazy pills. After blowing through all of the breast milk I had pumped throughout my entire maternity leave and realizing that my mom, husband and bestie, Molly are lifesavers, I finally am feeling back to normal.

Just in time to pack up and take Everett for his first plane ride this Friday as we head to Washington, D.C. for a long weekend full of sightseeing and a dinner at the White House. Yep, you read that right. I will be joining my father-in-law for the National Governors Conference where I’ll have the chance to meet the President and First Lady. So excited!

Evie and me[thank God for this little boy – he makes everything feel better]

Posted in Health | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Love is in the air

The big day is a week away and whether you love or loathe Valentine’s Day I think we can all agree, it’s time to TREAT YO SELF!

ValentinesDayGiftGuide20141 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Posted in Gifts, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A recent few

Since becoming a mommy it’s been a bit hard to juggle spending time with my little guy while still keeping up my blogging routine. Thought I would share a few photos of what Everett has been up to lately.

State of the State 2014[kisses from grandpa after the Condition of the State address]

Best Buddies[snuggling with my brother, Karl]

My muscles[showing off my muscles]

Better at Grandmas[shout out to my grandma’s – they are the best!]

Baptismal gown[celebrating my baptism by wearing the same gown as my dad]

Family love[getting loved on all the time]

I try not to think about it too much, but maternity leave is officially over March 6. Enjoying every moment until then!

 

 

Posted in Baby, Family | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The big push

I’m not going to share my entire birth story with you like some bloggers do, but I will say that I pushed hard for a good two hours. So in my case, I honestly felt that a push present was necessary and my husband nailed it!

push present[Danielle Stevens engraved necklace]

Expectant dads out there – here are a few more great ideas should you be looking for that something special for the new mom:

PushPresentsorority gal necklace // open letter necklace // name ring // photo locket bracelet ]

Posted in Accessories, Baby, Gifts | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Ready for his close up

We are so lucky to have the love and support of our families and aren’t quite sure what we’d do without them. The fact that they live in the same city as us is just icing on the cake. To know that Everett will get to grow up seeing his grandparents often and playing with his cousins on a regular basis makes my heart happy.

He also will get to spend endless hours with his aunts and uncles – the snuggles and smooches are already in the thousands! His Auntie Mo is putting together monthly videos for us to remember just how fast kids really do grow up. Here is Evie’s first month of life! (Mom note: I get teary eyed every time I watch it.)

[password: everett]

Posted in Baby, Family | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Strike a pose

Everett had his first official photo shoot a week after he came home from the hospital and  let me tell ya – he’s quite the model! We got the proofs back and I can’t stop looking at them. Here are a few of my faves:

EvieNewbornShoot1 EvieNewbornShoot2 EvieNewbornShoot3 EvieNewbornShoot4 EvieNewbornShoot5 EvieNewbornShoot6

If you are in the Des Moines area, I highly recommend our photographer, Rachael of Rachael Maria Photography. She did amazing work and was so good with our little guy.

Posted in Baby | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments