Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Twenty-Five

So I turned 25 today and I have learned that after a certain age, I am not sure if it was 22 or 23, but birthdays become less exciting. It is weird to wish someone a "Happy Birthday" when there are no new responsibilities or benefits they get from their new age.  What do you say, "Happy Birthday now you can ... still drive, still drink, and keep feeling older." Twenty-five is the last one I can think of that there is a benefit to, no extra charges on renting a car. Nice!

I think this was my 17th Birthday?
My mom always made us crazy
wonderful cakes/cheesecakes.
Anyway, I grew up looking toward my birthday with great excitement every year. It was the one day everything was about me and it was okay for me to not feel guilty about picking something others may not like. For example, today I chose to go to Panera even though Mike doesn't enjoy it and it didn't make me feel bad. My birthday was also the day that I got a helium balloon placed at the end of our banister, streamers were laced on my chair at the dinner table, a "Happy Birthday" sign was put over the door way into the kitchen and my bedroom door was all decorated. My mom made sure our birthdays made us feel special so that is what I have come to expect. As an adult (I guess I can call myself that now) there is no Mom to get up early or stay up late to decorate and to be honest I probably should outgrow having that done for me.

My 19th Birthday. First 1 @ college.
My mom sent balloons in the mail with confetti.
Twenty-five is probably the first year that my birthday felt like a normal day, no crazy gestures because now I am that Mom. I was busy taking care of my little girl instead of caring solely about myself.  I can't wait for Lily's first birthday, to decorate the house to make her feel so special. Sure her first birthday isn't one she will remember on her own but, I hope the pictures and video can show her how much Mike and I love her and how special she is to us.
My 20th birthday with friends
at the Hard Rock Cafe.

I also have a new appreciation for birthdays because now that I am a mom, I know what happens on the first birth day. All the hope, excitement, pain, exhaustion, impatience, relief and wonder of what the next 18 years and beyond will bring. The birth is all about the child being born and the two people who brought them into this world. So on my 25th birthday I want to say thanks to my mom for giving birth to me and being a great example of what type of mom I want to be for Lily.
21st Birthday in Style with another
Cheesecake creation

As the day comes to a close, it is crazy to think that I am 10 years away from turning 30, half way to 50 and a quarter of a century old. This is the age teachers say to you when you are young, "write a paper of what you think your life will be like when you are 25." I can tell you right now, the paper I wrote all those years ago said nothing close to what my life is like now. I wanted to be a broadcaster on a network talking sports with the super stars, work stats with a professional sports team, or be a high school history teacher but instead I was given a different adventure. I have been married three years, and have an almost 6 month old baby girl, work part time, coach soccer and although I sometimes don't know what is going to happen next, I wouldn't have it any other way.

My Mom and Grampy just reminded me of one other birthday tradition. They always call and sing "Happy Birthday" to me. It's the little things that make special moments <3


Friday, February 7, 2014

5 Months!


Lily Update: The fifth month with Lily has been quite eventful! She has become very  vocal and really tries to interact with us. She has gotten great at telling us when it is nap time. She has been teething a lot of this month but still no teeth yet. She smiles all the time. Lily has learned what her bottle is and now thinks that all bottle shaped beverages are her bottle.  Lily got her first high chair this month and has slowly started to eat rice cereal. It is definitely a messy time but she is getting a lot better at keeping it mostly in her mouth.  She has also started to get her legs underneath herself in getting that much closer to crawling. Lily has grown accustom to always having a blanket in her arm and likes to sleep with it as well. Sometimes her  hands play tricks with her and will steal the paci out of her mouth as she falls asleep so the blanket keeps them occupied. Within the last two weeks she has grown tall enough for the bouncer and here/here/here are some videos of those exciting times. As you can see, Lily has quite the personality.

                                             





 Lily's first cold :(


 Lily's first highchair

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Lily practicing her motor skills. She hasn't figured out which side of the paci is the one she wants yet :) As you can see she thinks its pretty funny.