etc thursday!!

its etc thursday (whats that? look here!)! i'm sharing a couple that are about a month old. because i think they are super cute to the max. aaaaand i haven't gotten around to shooting new ones today since i've been crazy busy at work. boo!

i think part of the reason i love these two photos so much (other than their major "awwwww!" factor) is that i have some very similar taken of me and my mom on my first birthday. she stands in the kitchen looking at my birthday cake while she holds me and i'm cuddled up in her arms. i remember looking at that photo as a little girl and loving that captured moment between us. i also remember thinking that i couldn't wait to be in her shoes someday :) 

go embrace that camera, people!

holiday wrapup

oh my oh my, what a whirlwind christmas weekend. it flew by in a flurry of fun and tissue paper. emma thoroughly enjoyed the experience but i know she had no real understanding of what was going on! to her, it was a time filled with all her loved ones, yummy munchies, and a bunch of cool new things to play with. she didn't quite grasp the concept of opening her gifts but we helped her along and she was impressed with her lot of stuffed animals, learning toys, and her first car! aaaaah the good old cozy coupe!!

we spent the holiday, as we usually do, spread between 3 households.  we are lucky enough to live in the same town as all of the grandparents. this means alot to me. i remember growing up getting to visit my grandparents who lived 3 hours away and it was the best thing ever.  i can still see my grandmother standing at the top of their red steps with arms wide open.  and my grandfather in his recliner handing out werthers originals. my other set of grandparents later moved to florida from new jersey and into our same neighborhood which was even BETTER. i have vivid memories of my grandfather picking me up from school with a bag of chocolate chewy chips ahoy cookies and a diet soda with a straw. heaven :)  so, it's special to me that emma's grandparents are all here and are all involved in her life in a very active way. (and may or may not sneak her bites of cookie here and there!)

that being said, it was EXHAUSTING.  being a little frazzled from work and recovering from surgery, we didn't get it together to host our first holiday at home this eyar.  next year, though, this is definitely  the plan. i want to do one christmas and i want people to come to us. i want to read "the night before christmas" to my baby and fall asleep in holiday pjs. i want to get up on christmas morning and make homemade cinnamon rolls. i want to set my own christmas table despite the fact it will never be as beautiful as my mom's. call me greedy but it's hard work traveling all over town with an almost one year old, people. especially OUR almost one year old because all she wants to do is move, shake, and explore! this holiday was no different....case and point, the picture below capturing one VERY excited emma claire.

{she's got the right idea!}

{beep beep, here comes trouble}

these are good problems to have and i am so deeply grateful for my family and their involvement in our lives. it was pure delight to get to spend the holiday with everyone and i know i am spoiled beyond belief.  all i am getting at is that it will be nice to start traditions of our own now that we have started a family.  i think next year will be just the right year to do it....emma will understand more. and i'll have a whole year to prepare, which i'll need ;)

christmas in my eyes is never in the gifts {althought they're fun!}. but, this year, i'm very excited about one of my gifts in particular. my parents purchased a copy of adobe lightroom for me. i've wanted it for SO long. for those who don't know, its a professional photo editing software that lots of professional photogs use. i'm about as UNprofessional as they get but i'm looking forward to learning the program and making some beautiful edits to our bajillion photos. i'm also hoping that it will inspire me to get out and use my camera more creatively.  i'll share the learning process here, of course!

for now, i'm receiving a belated christmas gift in the form of the flu. it has systematically hit every member of my immediate family so it was only a matter of time for me. tissues, tea, and lots of throat lozenges in store for me. i haven't even gotten out of pj's yet today....be jealous. not really. 

happy monday y'all!

oh, and in case you're interested....this is what i looked like this time LAST YEAR. just looking at it makes me ache all over. {cue ryan saying "oh my god, you're HUGE"} :) gotta love it! i'll let you guess which christmas i prefer!

merry christmas!

 christmas has always been the most meaningful of holidays for me.  in a way i can't describe but know that those that celebrate understand, it has been filled with the magic of family traditions, reflection, and gratitude.  i look forward to sharing this with the newest member of our family and watching the magic in HER eyes as she grows to know the true meaning of christmas.

this christmas, we wish all of you the joy, peace, and love that the season holds. may your holiday be filled with hugs from loved ones, yummy heart-warming food, and time to give thanks for all the wonderfulness of your life.

from our family to yours....MERRY CHRISTMAS! :) :) :)

embrace the camera

i love reading blogs. especially blogs written by moms about their lives and their families. i always get a good laugh and can TOTALLY relate.  a good cup of coffee and a skim through my fave blogs is part of my daily ME time ritual :) one of my favorite blogs, The Anderson Family, is written by a mother of 4 sweet kiddos. she does a post every thursday called "Embrace the Camera" which i have really taken to. (it helps that she is a phenomenal professional photographer and always captures the most beautiful and candid moments with her kids).  she encourages others to follow her lead. the point of ETC in her own words is this:

do you have pictures of yourself, with your little people?

in this day and age of the "momarazzi", many of us are always behind the lens...rather in front of it.

some of you feel much more comfy behind the lens, and i get that.

look, you think i want pictures of myself in the same velour jogging suit for the 3rd day in a row {i slept in that jogging suit each night too---i know, gross, right?}

well, i don't really want those pictures...but my kids do---or, at least they will one day.

how many of you LOVE looking at pictures of your parents, when they were young{er}?

i'm raising my hand!

sadly, i don't have a lot of pictures with me and my mom from when i was younger.

i am off to change this for my kids.

i want them to have an abundance of pictures...to remind them of these days that we spent at home together.

the days may seem to drag...but honestly, the years fly.

is my son really about to graduate...from kindergarten?

wasn't it yesterday that i was wiping his diapered bottom?  and now i am wiping his pee up from all around the toilet. embrace the pee.

and embrace the camera.

i LOVE this. i love everything about it. i'm totally a momarazzi (!!!) - behind the camera snapping like a crazy person trying to get emma in action or pics of she and her daddy (swoon!) or other friends and family members. i admit shamelessly i took a camera with me the first time we went to publix with emma as a newborn {dork}.  the fourteen THOUsand photos taken since emma's birth speak for themselves. truth be told, i think this behavior is quite normal for a first time mom thank you very much. but, i digress....

it hit me a while ago that i don't have alot of me and her alone and that made me sad (just like i don't have many of my mom and i when i was younger). i came upon this blog post and thought the concept was perfect!! so....here we are....our first of hopefully many camera embracing moments! i don't promise to look pretty or put together because that isn't the point.....i DO promise to be happy and loving on my beanie (and hopefully NOT wiping up pee). :) enjoy!!!

{alright mom, enough!}

under the weather

The little beanie is under the weather today.  Runny nose, high fever, general yucky-all-over feeling.  After a visit to the pediatrician, she was diagnosed with a viral illness and is recuperating at home with a treatment regimen consisting of rest, fluids, tylenol, and most importantly lots and LOTS of snuggles and kisses.  hoping it will clear up before chrismas arrives. glammy and peepaw took her to see the horses today and she was quite impressed. i snapped a few shots on my iPhone as she squealed in delight ;)  bless her heart for staying happy despite not feeling well.

we've got one last minute christmas list item to cross off but will otherwise be spending the last few days quietly enjoying the presence of the people we love the most....and thanking our lucky stars for the burst of life and love we've been given this year with emma's arrival.  may we all take the time to reflect on life's many many blessings. 

i am anxiously awaiting the bow and tissue paper storm that is upon us in the coming days.  merry christmas to all :)

mommy meltdown

{sweetpea}

most days i feel like i am at least doing a decent job at this whole mommy thing.  "balance" is a word that gets thrown around alot and while i'm beginning to think it's a figment of my imagination as opposed to an obtainable reality, most of the time i feel like i'm doing alright in that department.  between residency, time with emma and her daddy, and my own personal interests and hobbies i'd say on average things are in my favor. yesterday was NOT one of those days.

{a little bow intolerant these days}

{those lashes!!}

{yea....this happened}

we started the day at a women's brunch held by my friend Sara, mommy to Emma's BFF Carlee.  these two princesses were born three weeks apart and Sara and I have watched them sprout up before our very eyes. it's always a blast getting the girls together. all the guests were asked to bring something and i did buuuuut, it was something i picked up at fresh market on. the WAY. to the party. oh my, who am i?????  i had been so busy this week that i just hadn't gotten around to making something homemade and felt really rotten about it. strike one.  sara's friendship has been very meaningful to me in a way i don't know that she realizes.  first, i have no close friends who have kids. sure, i know people with children but no one i feel like i can talk about the mountain of good stuff but ALSO the handful of challenging, stinky, not-fun stuff.  sara is one of those people and for that i am incredibly grateful.  there is no pretending or face-saving with her and i love her for it.)

{best buddies!}

{this looks breakable. perfect}

{sara and the girls :)}

we headed out to grandma and grandpas for some snuggles....AND some mommy relief.  emma may look like her dad but she has her mom's personality and for her age, this means A LOT of energy. on a regular day, great! on a day like yesterday (and add in my stupid busted foot), not so great. i needed some grandparent help in the worst way.  my dad was doing his traditional holiday baking (i live for this family tradition).  we sampled (and approved) every cookie and played with some kid-friendly low lying tree ornaments. later, emma got out some energy while i rested on the couch.  my eyes felt like dead weights and my foot was really aching at this point. again, who am i???? kicking back on the couch while my 11 month old plays....great parenting. strike two.

{to DIE for}

{emma mommy shot}

by the time we got home it was time for the beanie to hit the hay.  she's a great sleeper and has been for some time but last night was NOT her night.  i think between the brunch and her grandparents she ate too much or at the very least something that settled wrong and she had a very rough night.  we are totally spoiled at this point because we are sooooo used to her being a 12 hour a night sleeper that we were a little dumbfounded.  we let her cry it out a bit but no luck. eventually i went in there and based on the sounds that were coming from her little bum, i knew her tummy was upset.  we rocked and rocked and rocked and drank a little warm juice....and someone tooted to her hearts content (not me!).....and finally, over an hour later fell asleep soundly. until 1 am, followed by 4 am. poor little tooter. and i was frustrated....not at her but just generally. exhausted, in pain, and frustrated. strike three.

i woke this morning to the biggest grin you've ever seen and a heart melting hug from my beanie who had already made it out to the kitchen and was having breakfast with her daddy.  i think sometimes, i like to envision myself as one of those make believe moms who "has it all together" and leads a "perfectly balanced" life.  days like yesterday remind me that 1) this isn't true {not even close!!} and 2) even though it's not, i'm doing the very best i can every day to raise my beanie and enjoying the ride while i do it.  and i get to do it with my BEST friend :) those two images above don't exist, they are merely figments of the imagination of a mommy who wants so badly to do right by her baby girl, by her hubby, and by herself.

{my slice of perfect}

{don't worry, be happy!!!!!}

i realized, looking at the 2 toothed grin and her handsome daddy, that i may not have it all together, but in my own way, i have it all <3

random acts of randomness

Lots of randomness to post today.  The holidays do that to me, I guess!  First some very exciting news to report....our friends, Brian and Tiffany Sheehan, had an early visit from Santa this year.  Their baby girl, Madison, was due 12/31 but she just couldn't wait that long to meet her parents and came early this Tuesday.  I was lucky enough to meet her yesterday and she is just as beautiful as she can be.  She has that sweet newborn smell, makes the cutest soft coos, and has a full head of black hair! She's perfect and healthy and the new family is just busting at the seams with joy. Can't think of a BETTER Christmas present!!  Brings back so many wonderful memories :)



I'm still recovering from surgery a little over a week ago. Here is my foot in all it's busted glory.  What you can't see, thankfully, is the metal pin sticking OUT of my foot! Oy! This came as a surprise to me when we went for the first post-op visit.  I've seen alot in my tenure as a medical student and now MD but this actually made me a little sick to my stomach....I have a Franken-foot! Stitches out on Monday, pin out the following week....yikes!  For now I'm all bandaged up and sporting a really sexy stylish orthopedic shoe. Ladies, try and contain your raging jealousy.

Here is my Ryan hard at work in his makeshift home office.  Our real office is totally jam packed with the contents of our old bedroom because the remodel is in full swing.  As I type there is a jackhammer busting up our slab as the plumbers lay new pipes....SO exciting.  Ryan has been pushed out into the kitchen area.  It's so fun to see him learn the ropes of the new job and to watch him get excited about all the new things he is learning.  He stays very busy but he's around much more if that makes sense....it makes his girls very happy :)  We'll probably spend the weekend trying to make some space for him in the actual office.

SOMEone is excited about Christmas!

Emma is staying busy as a little bee! This bean has so much energy, she runs circles around Ryan and I! She's our personal trainer, I like to joke :)

I live for that sweet face with those chub cheeks and button nose!!!

She's learning to walk which is simultaneously terrifying and exciting! She cruises around like a champ and loves this activity center on wheels that she can push around the house and practice her walking skills!  She can stand without assistance but usually only does it if no one is watching....I think she's a tad scared of the possibility of tumbling down so usually only lets go for a few seconds before she's grabbing on to something.  It's just so fun to watch her learn and put it all together :) 

Presents? For MEEEE?? Her investigations of all the Christmas decor in our house have begun...

love that sweet little first freckle

She was very interested in the velcro on my ortho shoe and spend a good 10 minutes playing with the tabs.  She gave me some pretty hysterical looks like "what the HECK is this, mom??"

We have bells hanging on all of our main doorways and Emma has discovered them as she does most things with a serious noise component.  Jingle all the way, baby girl :)

She was very interested in helping mommy dust yesterday and took to taking care of the entry doorway. Look at those knees!!!!

I hope everyone is doing well and loving the cold weather and holiday season! I'm loving having some time off to really spend around the house, piddling around, doing random things (like this blog post), catching up on ME time and family/friend time.  As horrible as it sounds, the post-surgery recovery is really forcing me to slow down and sit still so it's been nice in an unexpected way.  I'm taking it easy this morning and then spending the afternoon working on a case report for work.  I'm working hard on a very recent and very exciting professional development which I'm not at liberty to share yet.....but if and when it works out, I'll be shouting from the rooftops.  It could pan out to be something wonderful....and I have faith that if it's meant to be it will be.  Keep your fingers crossed for me :)

Happy Thursday, everyone!!

no words to say...

No words to say. No words to convey. The feeling inside I have for you.

The lyrics above, from one of my favorite Tracy Chapman cards, sums up exactly how we feel about our Emma bean who turns 11 months old today.  I'm not exactly sure where the time flew away to but I know its been the most wonderful and exciting (and hard!) 11 months of our lives.  There are no words for our love for her, the way in which she enriches our lives, and how much we look forward to every day with her.

Oh Emma, mommy & daddy love so much about you at 11 months, this is gonna be hard....

Beane, what we love most about you at 11 months:

- that you are learning to read books. you point to pictures and flip the pages and squeal with delight. 

- how talkative you are! you actually know the word "baby", "puppy", and of course our favorites "mama & dada" we love listening to you jibber jabber and learn your voice.

- how you sing especially when we are in the car

- that you now ride forward facing and can see everything going on

- your strong, bold personality that is so sweet at the same time

- how you really LOVE to make messes (yes, we actually LOVE this, its hysterical!)
- your snuggles....you give big hugs to mom, dad, and all your stuffed animals
- how much you love to eat! you like to remind us what a big girl you are and do it yourself! i laugh that i sometimes have to pour your bottle into your sippy cup to get you to drink it!
- how playful and friendly you are. you love playing with your friends at daycare. you are such a social butterfly
- how much you love your puppy. watching you toss the ball to deja is so cute!
- playing dress up with you! and watching you explore your shoes, headbands, and clothes is adorable!
- your sweet kisses. big, open mouthed, slobbery ones = the best!!!!
- your sweet face and smile....what a beauty!
- how it is virtually impossible to get you to sit still....something tells me this is going to be an ongoing theme.

Emma Claire, you are perfect. We are so blessed to be your parents. You make life so beautiful and you shine from the inside out!!!  Someday you'll understand how much we love you....until then, we'll just have to tell you every single day :)
Happy 11 months!!

vacation!

Yay for vacation! After a very tough month I'm happy to have some bona fide time off to spend with my family and friends.....ESPECIALLY over the holidays!  In addition, the way my December schedule worked out made it such that essentially the entire month of December is vacation :) Yay!!!

The ironic thing about my vacation is that 2 days in, Ryan headed back to work!  This is extremely exciting, though! Ryan signed on to work as the Director of Construction Operations at Lawson Construction Group, a Construction Management company here in town run by an old co-worker.  He is SO excited about this new change and is loving the variety and adventure that this new job holds.  I am so happy to see him so happy :)

Emma continues to keep us in stitches and totally enamored.  She is just shy of 11 months old.  HOW did this happen???!!!  She's very verbal and mobile these days.  "Baby" is her favorite word and she loves pretending to talk on the phone.  She sings loudly and proudly while we ride in the car and loves to dance in the living room.  She has so much energy and SO much personality.  She's a little rascal and keeps us on our toes! She's loving eating "big girl food" and is starting to refuse her bottle on a regular basis.  I can sometime trick her into drinking her milk if I put it into a sippy cup :) She's working on her walking skills and I sometimes just stare at her and think.....this little magical person is all ours!!! I can't believe that we are already planning her FIRST BIRTHDAY party....oh my!

                 

goofball!

oh good, a murphy girl who likes to do dishes!

mmmmm chili!!!!!

I had minor surgery this morning to correct a bunion that I've had since I was little....glamorous I know! It's been painful for some time and just got worse when I was pregnant with Emma.  It was finally time when it just got too hard to walk/exercise without lots of pain.  It's not exactly how I wanted to spend vacation but my schedule is pretty jam packed and we figured it would be better to do this with one munchkin running around as opposed to two! ;)

It gives me an excuse to catch up on all my favorite blogs, do some baking, photo editing, catch up on sleep, and do some serious online christmas shopping.....perfect!