Four Happiness Friday

This week was a rough week but we have some fun things planned for this potentially snowy weekend (snuggles and hot cocoa for everyone!) so here's to hoping that helps us get out of this rut.  I struggled to come up with four happy things which makes me feel really ungrateful and really frustrated.  I was so excited about winter until we decided to put our house on the market!  So here we go...

1. The snow has been super pretty and I really love it [minus the hindrance it is putting on getting people over to show our house].  I am sure Brandon didn't mind having a snow day on Tuesday after being off Monday for the holiday. Oh the joys of being a teacher! I love watching the snow fall while snuggling up in front of our little fake fireplace. It has been so cute to see Natalie climb up on the couch to look out the window with her puppies. The three of them are so cute together. Natalie watches the snow fall with such wonder and I love getting to witness her excitement about it.  I cannot wait until she is a little bit older and we can bundle her up to play in it.  I don't want to take her out now for any length of time because she can't really articulate to me when she is cold.  Soon enough though!

2. Sons of Liberty. I love being married to a huge history nerd because I am a closet history nerd.  I am absolutely loving the Sons of Liberty miniseries being shown on the History channel.  We dvr'd it and have been taking our time to watch it.  I am really sad that we will be watching the last episode in the series tonight.  I am not ready for it to end. It was so well done and entertaining.  I understand that there have been quite a few inaccuracies but get over it.  I am much happier watching cute Sam Adams run around Boston than if I was watching a portly Sam Adams. 

3. Mr. Hank. He has been such a good dog this week, which totally makes up for the fact that he ate the blinds last week.  Brandon and I have taken the baby gates down to patch holes and we put up make-shift gates when we are all in the living room. Hank has taken it upon himself to be the babysitter when the gates are down.  He follows Natalie wherever she goes to make sure she is staying out of trouble.  Or maybe he is trying to get in trouble with her. Or more likely, he is hoping she has a little snack. She loves to run away from Hank and have him chase her.  She'll stop quickly, turn around and be greeted with a ton of slobbery kisses which sends her into fits of giggles.  Regardless of the reason Hank has been following her, it has been so cute to watch.  When I was pregnant so many people told me that we would be foolish to keep the "vicious pit bull" because they are a "dangerous breed".  I would sooner get rid of the people who said those things than my sweet boy.  He loves that little girl so much and it makes Brandon and me love him so much more.

4. We have had several showings on the house since the listing went up last Friday night. In fact, we have one tonight.  I can't help but hold out a little bit of hope that this showing is the showing. I am ready to get this thing sold and move on!  I was so not made for selling houses!  I can add realtor to my list of jobs that I could never have.

So while this week was a rough week, we really do have so many things to be grateful for.  I just need to remember that and remain cautiously optimistic, as Dr. Levy would say, when it comes to the house and getting it sold.  I need to remember to embrace the little happiness moments when they occur and stop worrying about things that are out of my control.

Ugh. So much easier said than done!

first steps to big things

Wednesday night our realtor, Mike, came by to sign the paperwork to list our house.  It was intense, exciting and a little bit scary.  There is so much unknown but Mike has been super reassuring.  He knows how crazy I am because he helped us to buy our townhouse and I appreciate how confident he is about selling our house while also being very realistic about what we can expect.  Before leaving, Mike looked around the kitchen and told us we needed to de-clutter and depersonalize the place a bit before we take pictures for the listing.  Seemed easy enough.  As soon as Natalie went to bed, Brandon and I set to work.

I had absolutely no idea how depersonalizing our house would make me feel.  I didn't think much about it while we were doing it.  Mike gave us a task to complete and I wanted to get it done.  Wednesday night we took all the pictures and magnets off of the fridge.  We took down our engagement gift magnet board from Danielle and Dee. We took down our family pictures in the living room and in the office. We packed up a box of kitchen things we have out but don't use often to make the kitchen look bigger and cleaner. It was a good start.  

Thursday morning when I came downstairs and went into the kitchen and saw how bare it was in comparison to the previous morning, it started to hit me. We were going to sell the townhouse. We were going to leave behind this place that has meant so much. When I went out to start my car, the lock box hit the door and it made me twinge with guilt about how loud it was.  I had forgotten that Mike had already put it on the door.  I looked down and saw the for sale sign sitting next to the front door, remembering that someone was going to come put that up in our yard. I got a little emotional.

The townhouse is where I feel like our story really began.  It was where we really fell into our marriage and started our happily ever after as husband and wife.  It was where I experienced one of the hardest losses of my life in my miscarriage.  And where my marriage found strength to overcome infertility obstacles.  It was where we, as a couple, got to experience the joy and excitement of a positive pregnancy test. It was where we brought Natalie home, where we spent the first year of her life, where we really became the Wilkinsons. It's hard to take these steps towards something different, but I am excited to see what is to come.

Four Happiness Friday

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that January is almost over already.  How did that happen?  If this is any indication on how the rest of the year is going to go, I better start planning Natalie's birthday now! Just kidding... maybe :)

1. As of today, our home is officially on the market!  This is the first step towards something big and I am really excited.  I always knew that we would sell the townhouse and move on to a single family home, but this all seems to surreal.  It is really bittersweet.  I am excited about looking for a new home and the possibilities that come with that, but the townhouse held so many firsts for us.  It was our first home together.  It was our first big purchase as a married couple. It was where we brought Natalie home, where she said her first words and took her first steps.  It will be sad to leave the townhouse but we are really excited for this next chapter in our story.

2. If you have ever been to our house, then you know Hank.  He is our lovable, snuggley, huggley 110 lb pit bull.  He is our first born and was the absolute right dog at the absolute worst time.  Luckily, I convinced my dad and Brandon that he would make a great addition to the family.  Our realtor told Brandon and me that Hank is a bit of a liability when it comes to showing our house.  He is, what we affectionately refer to as, a face raper. He loves to give big, slobbery, wet kisses whether you want them or not.  I knew if week-day showings came up, we would have to do something about the dogs. I talked to my supervisor about it and she was super supportive and totally understood.  She is going to work with me to make sure I get my hours in while also being able to go home and scoop the puppies should there be a week-day showing.  I am VERY lucky to work in a place that offers me that kind of flexibility. Amy knows I am a stickler about getting my hours in so I think that works in my favor!

3. I weighed myself on Wednesday morning just for shits and gigs and I am down THIRTEEN pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I have been feeling really good and seeing that number just confirms that I am doing something right.  I don't know that I have a real number goal that I am aiming for though - number goals don't go well for me - but I can see a difference and I feel one as well. I have been really working on eating breakfast and lunch and it has made a huge difference in how I look and feel. It's seriously encouraging.  I haven't felt this good about my body in a really long time.

4. I am starting a project with the editor of a blog that I really love and I am excited to share more about it in the near future.  Right now, it's in the beginning stages so I don't want to say too much, but it is something that I am excited about.  As to not leave too much suspense, I will be working with Nancy from I Made This Dish to work on my New Year's resolution of packing lunch.  Stay tuned for more details on that :)

the terrible teens (months)

Everyone has heard of the terrible twos and the terrible threes (or my new favorite term - the threenager), but why doesn't anyone tell you about the terrible teens (months).  I don't know if it is just a phase, good Lord willing it is, but Natalie has been just mean lately.  Life in the Wilkinson house has not been a peachy and roses.  It is a scary war zone sometimes.

Up until now, we have been SUPER lucky.  For the most part, Natalie has been a good girl about diaper changes and getting dressed.  While we have experienced some diaper changes that made Olympic sports look like a cake-walk, we have had it easy from what I am hearing from my mom friends. This winter when we have approached her with her coat, she puts her arm out in an effort to help get it on.  Once her shirt is over her head, she will generally put her arms in and try to find the arm holes. But in the last couple weeks, those things seem to be happening less and less.  

If she sees her coat and does not want to go, she holds her arms stiff at her side. That child is freakishly strong.  When it comes to getting dressed, if she is not ready then it's a fight to get her shirt over her head.  When it's finally there, she will stick her arms in and finish putting it on, but the battle to get the shirt on in the first place is crazy.  Pants? What are those? No pants for her these days.  The other day I was trying to put her pants back on after a diaper change. It was a struggle to say the least.  You would think I was trying to brand the child the way she kicked and squirmed.  She finally slammed her head back and busted my lip.  For the first time ever, I lost my patience with her.  I let out a "you have got to be f-ing kidding me, Natalie".  [Yep, the full blown f-word was used] She stood up on the couch (a big no-no), put her hand on her hip and said ut-oh. She knew she was wrong and she did not care. Heaven help me when this girl gets a full vocabulary. 

Standing on the couch is her new favorite thing and a huge no-no. I am constantly telling her no. She repeats the word no back to me. I tell her to sit down. She tells me no. I give her hand a little smack and tell her to sit down.  She winds up and gives me a full blown hit and tells me no. I pick her up and put her on the floor. Cue meltdown while trying to climb on the couch again. I make the mistake of asking "are you going to sit on the couch like a nice girl?" To which she will always shake her head no. At least she is honest.

If she is not fighting her pants or trying to stand on the couch, she is busy terrorizing the poor dogs.  Our pit-bull, Hank, takes the brunt of it.  She calls him "Bad" as if that is his name. She is constantly using him as a jungle gym or hitting him with blocks. He just lays there or responds to the love smack with a smothering of kisses for her. He loves that little girl and is so patient and sweet to her.  So Brandon and I try to take a page out of his book.  

We try to remain patient and calm.  She is learning and growing and this is all part of that.  So we hug her close when she is being mean and pray that this phase doesn't last another two years.  I know our sweet little girl is in there.  Last night she proved it. We snuggled up and watched all the "pup-pas" in 101 Dalmatians.  She nuzzled into me so sweetly before taking a chomp out of my arm... Biting. Awesome. At least she is vaccinated :)

Ready-made Friends

I have said it before and I am sure I will say it a million times again, I never, in a thousand years, envisioned having a relationship with my nephew.  My younger sister wanted nothing to do with me (and the feeling was mutual given the lifestyle choices she has made/is making) and that meant not having a relationship with my small friend Tim.  While I am sure I posted about it somewhere, Michelle was awarded sole legal and physical custody of Tim in August and I could not be happier about it.  I get to watch him grow up and I absolutely love watching his relationship with Natalie grow and change.  It really is something special.

While my own cousins are particularly awesome, I was jealous of Brandon and how close in age he and his cousins are.  I am closer in age to some of my cousins children than I am to them, but that does not at all change our relationship.  In fact, when I wanted beer senior year of high school, it really worked to my advantage! I digress... I am excited that Tim and Natalie are close in age.  They have a ready-made friend in each other and this weekend proved that we are FINALLY getting to an age where they will actually play nicely together.  This weekend also provided my favorite series of pictures of them to date...

I cannot handle how cute they are :)  Natalie did annoy Tim quite a bit and Tim got on her nerves more than once, but they are two years apart, this is to be expected at this stage.  I am sure in a blink of an eye these two will be running around in the yard playing soccer together.  Ugh, they are growing up too quickly!

Four Happiness Friday

We survived another week! Can you believe it? This week was a weird one for us since schools were closed on Monday so Brandon had an unplanned three day weekend.  I am sure he was devastated. 

1. HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, DEACON WAYNE!! I am so excited about the next few months.  There are so many little babes to celebrate.  Last year my friend from Florida, Jessica, was the first of SEVEN of my friends to bring tiny humans into the world. Today is her little bundle of joy's first birthday.  I am so proud of the mama that she has become and I am so happy for her and Matt!  I wish we were there to celebrate with them but I will happily celebrate from afar (I am sure Natalie wouldn't mind a cupcake to celebrate!) and cannot wait to see the pictures from the big day!  

2. Today is my co-worker/friend Jessica's first day back at work after maternity leave.  While I know this is hard for her, I could NOT be happier to have her back at work, even if it is just part-time!  I have missed her so much! It's nice to have people who make coming to work so much more enjoyable.  I am really lucky to have a handful of FABULOUS ladies that I work with who bring me so much joy during the 6-3 (that just doesn't have the same ring as 9-5) and on the weekends too.

3. This has been the week of Natalie being the silliest child alive. Every day this week she has made Brandon and I laugh until we cried.  Her new thing is taking Brandon's phone, putting it on her ear and mocking him.  She says "yea... yea..." throws in a fake laugh before a few more yeas.  The sad thing is - it is an almost perfect impression of him on the phone.  It kills me. Monday night, Brandon and I laid in bed and watched videos of Natalie.  It is truly amazing how quickly she changes and grows. I am in love with her newest silly face.

4. I hit my lucky dozen in Starbucks rewards so today my coffee was free :)  No better way to start a Friday than with a free coffee! Yay for being a gold card member!  Starbucks really is my one vice.  Yes, I love the occasional glass bottle of wine with friends, but there really is something so enjoyable about sipping a good Cinnamon Dolce Latte while scrolling through emails at 5:45 in the morning when the office is empty and peaceful.  I feel like I get a head start on the day before the 200+ people I work with get into the office and the real hustle and bustle of the day begins.

Phew! So much to be happy about and thankful for this week!  I am really happy that I started to take the time to do this because, even in just the first two weeks, I already feel more grateful for the things that I have and, more importantly, the people I have in my life.

Four Happiness Friday

I said in a previous post that I wanted to find a way to incorporate into my blog something that Jenn over at Two by Two Mom does.  (Almost) Every week she has her "five on Friday" series where she talks about five things that made her laugh, that she is happy about, that she is thankful for, etc.  I love this idea so much because I think it's important to remind ourselves how fortunate we all are. So here it is: Four Happiness!  Every Friday, I am going to reflect on the week and get ready for the weekend by sharing four things that made me happy during the week or things I look forward to in the coming weekend.

So, without further ado here is the first Four Happiness segment...

1. I got a text from the daycare provider on Monday morning at 3:16 saying that they were going to be closed for the day.  While I was initially fairly frustrated because I knew I had a lot to do at work, it ended up being a lovely little day with my girl. She hadn't been feeling herself so it was nice to have an extra day to snuggle her and hold her close. She is growing so fast and will only allow me to snuggle her for so much longer before she decides that she is going to be completely independent. 

2. This week we had our practice wide retreat. It was nice to have a day out of the office to regroup and refocus.  The speaker at the retreat this year was Brad Montgomery.  He is a motivational speaker who talks about using humor at work and finding happy.  His big take away is that people who are happy at work are more productive at work.  Seems simple enough.  He encouraged us to "find happy".  He said there are so many little happiness moments throughout the day and we need to celebrate those.  The other day I walked down the hall and one of the offices had refilled their candy bowl with legit candy - it was a "confetti moment" as Brad called them.  A small little something that made me happy.

3. This text message:

I love that man to pieces. He is such an incredible dad. He knows how happy she gets when he sings and dances to Doc McStuffins with her, so he always does it. It melts my heart :)

4. We have officially begun house hunting!  I have been told numerous times we are not bringing baby #2 home to the townhouse.  I never questioned it, I simply agreed.  With Jessica Garvin announcing baby #3 on her blog last week (and in the CUTEST way), I have been having a little bit of baby on the brain. So finally, I questioned it.  That questioning led to Brandon and I making the command decision that 2015 would be the year of the single family home. If we want more children, then we need a place to put them! I LOVE looking at houses so this is very exciting for me :)

happy new year!

I feel like this last year went by in the blink of an eye!  I guess that's part of the fun of parenting.  Dr. Levy once told me, "the days may feel long, but the years are short".  That could not be more true about this last year! But it was an incredible year.

This year, the New Year's Eve festivities were definitely low-key [read: I was in bed by 8:15pm] because I have to work today.  However, it looks like we'll have a short day today, so I am hoping to be home by 1 in time for the Winter Classic!  And of course, tonight we cheer on our Bama boys in the Sugar Bowl :) ROLL TIDE!

This year, I came up with my resolutions mid-December and implemented them right away.

• Pack lunch. Yep. Something so simple as to actually bring lunch to work because I had been terrible about it.  I would either spend money and get food or I would simply not eat lunch at all.  Brandon has been really awesome about helping me with this and he makes me a sandwich or puts together leftovers that I will actually reheat and eat.
• Separate work and home/personal.  I am terrible about reading emails when I am home and doing work related things while I am out of the office.  I am working very hard to separate the two but I am a sucker to the "always on" culture. 

I generally don't last long when it comes to resolutions, but I think these ones are pretty good and they should stick!  Did you make any resolutions? Do they have staying power?