Then and Now

I was so excited that my mom saved this sweet knitted hat and sweater from when I was a baby. Such a bummer when I put it on Aliyah last month to find that I had waited a bit too long. Not exactly sure how old I was in these pictures (maybe 2/3 mo), but I was definitely younger than Aliyah (7 months)

Marcie 1982

Aliyah 2010

I Love You Over and Over Again

My Peaceful Dove,

I haven’t written you in some weeks. I’ve found myself struggling more with words lately. How can I tell you the things I feel for you without saying what I’ve already said?

I’m not sure it’s possible.

I’ve whispered in your ears a thousand times that God picked you out especially for your father and I. I’ve traced the words I love you in your tiny palms over and over again. The two of us have sat many afternoons just studying each others faces. I’ve looked at you so long, I feel as if I should know the number of lashes on your lids and the name of the exact color of the blue that fills your eyes.

I’ve come to realize that all I can do is continue searching the rest of my days for new ways to tell you the same things - that you’ve changed everything. that you are my most tangible joy. that being your mother is beyond a gift. beyond a blessing. It is the thing that my life was meant for.

but you’ve heard this all before.

and you’ll hear it again.

today and tomorrow and the day after that one too.

love, your mama

Bath Time Mohawk

Getting your first bath time mohawk is a big deal. So to mark the occasion, here’s an awesome little photo from Aliyah's bath last night.

What makes this an even bigger deal is that she HAS hair at all. Just a few short months ago she was a baldy bald head. We didn’t have the heart to brush down such excellence, so we put her to bed with it.

sweet dreams rockstar

A Helpful Daddy

‎I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the weekends Tyler always wakes up first, grabs Aliyah and the two of them spend some quality daddy/daughter time together. It is fabulous for them and of course I appreciate any extra minutes I get to sleep in! Today, Tyler didn't have to work so we were able to stretch out our weekend - yeah!

Aliyah is usually still in her jammies when I get up, but recently I’ve awoken to find my dear child in the craziest get ups. Her daddy-selected fashion ensembles have included tank tops on cold days, mixes of polkadots and patterns that hurt your eyes to look at together and multiple times I’ve discovered her wearing clothes she outgrew months ago and her baby belly hanging out in all its glory.

However, there really are few things I find more amusing than seeing what kind of silly clothing combos Tyler comes up with.

This morning he managed to squeeze her 20(ish) pound little body into a size 3-6 month shirt. After I stopped laughing, I took a few pictures. Tyler was proud that he matched stripes with stripes. And I’m happy to report that shirt and those pants are now tucked away with the other itty bitty baby clothes.

she is still scooting (backwards)... crawling is coming soon I know it!

The Beautiful Thing About Becoming a Mother

You know what is the beautiful thing about becoming a mother? You get to always be one. It’s not like being a child or a teenager or a twenty something - those are all phases. They are all moments in life that come and go. But to be a mother. To become that woman who holds a tiny newborn in her arms and who watches that newborn grow into a unique individual. To become that woman who knows the feeling of loving another being with every cell in her body - the beautiful thing about that is that it never ends. No matter what happens in life. Becoming a mother is a journey that always will continue.

Diaper Deals and Other Stuff

Just thought that I would share a picture of this sweet cake my mom made:

It's a "Snow Day" cake - white cake with white icing!!!
and pink sprinkles ;)

On Tuesday (the 2nd day of no school due to the snow) my mom surprised Aliyah and I by coming over with lunch and a "snow day" cake - yup! my mom totally rocks

Also I wanted to share an amazing deal to any mamas (or papas) out there who are interested in cloth diapering... Cotton Babies just announced a "seconds" sale. There are cloth diapers on sale as low as $9. This is what the website says about the diapers on the seconds sale:

... cloth diapers with minor defects. Most issues are cosmetic (slightly uneven seams, dirt market, etc) and will not affect the diapers performance.

We have only used gDiapers, but with such a great deal, we ordered a few of the one-size snap. I have heard such great things about bumGunius and am really excited for these to get here. I will keep you posted on how these compare to our current stash.

No Soliciting

check out my sweet M&M

I went to our neighborhood HOA meeting last night and the topic of outside soliciting got brought up - which got me thinking...

I need to find someone on etsy that will make a pretty sign I can hang by our front door that reads "There maybe a baby asleep in this house. If you are selling something, keep walking - we are broke and you will be too if you knock on our door and wake up our child" I want it to say those exact words.

I love the walk-ability of our neighborhood. The neighbors who stroll by with their dogs and strollers - but there must be a van that lets out somewhere nearby with salespeople of every sort and they are driving us bonkers... the snow seems to be slowing them down a bit

I remember a nice day a while back when a door to door salesman knocked right after I'd gotten Aliyah down for her morning nap, causing our dogs to go crazy, and thus waking her up causing her to tummy scooch, fussy sleepy-baby circles around me in the living room while I looked longingly at the to-do list that I hoped to accomplished during her nap.

This happens atleast once a month during naptime.

Does anyone know how much it would cost to get a trap door installed on our front porch?