weekend recap + Mother's Day

This weekend we had a lot to celebrate!  Saturday we went to the Frederick Celtic Festival to celebrate Brandon being done with his masters and graduating with a 3.8 GPA.  We are so incredibly proud of him!  Natalie loved the festival.  She loved walking around holding Daddy's hand, playing in the hay and she absolutely loved seeing all of the puppies there! 
  

love those two to the moon & back

Sunday was my first Mother's Day just the three of us and Brandon did such a great job to make it a special day regardless of how many little bumps came up.  Natalie and I started the day in matching outfits (one of my favorite parts about having a little girl) but that quickly turned into sick baby snuggles when she vomited her breakfast up on me. A mother's work is never done :)  Bath time for the little miss became bath time for all of the puppies too and Natalie could not have been happier to have Gemma in the tub with her!  We spent the rest of the morning playing outside, took a lovely afternoon nap and then went for a family walk around the neighborhood before dinner. All in all, it was a wonderful day :)

sappy card + wine = true love

It was a busy but very fun weekend for us :)  Hope all the mama's out there had a fabulous Mother's Day and I hope everyone had fun weekends!

Mother's Day Q&A with Liz

In honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to get my own mom's advice for new mamas and her personal thoughts on motherhood.  I sent her an email with ten thoughtful questions that I really wanted to know her most heartfelt responses for.  While I was hoping for longer answers and a bit more detail, I should have expected the short and sweet responses from my mom. Regardless, I know this is something that I will cherish for quite some time :)

1. How did Dad celebrate your first Mother's Day?
Your father purchased a food processor.

2. What was your favorite Mother's Day gift?
The very Cuisinart you girls hate.

3. Looking back now, what was the hardest part about being a new mom?
My mom died in 1976. Your dad's mom had just died so I was at a loss for what to do. I was petrified of being a mom. What if I broke you!

4. What advice do you have for first time moms?
When people want to dish out pearls of motherhood wisdom, nod, smile and say bless your heart.

5. What advice do you have for moms who are adding a new baby to the family? (No Mom, this is not a hint to anything.)
GO FOR IT! The second, third, fourth... more are easier!

6. What was your favorite age? Why?
When each of your would nuzzle my neck and snuggle me and then [when you] were old enough to talk and tell me where you wanted to go on vacation.

7. What was your least favorite age? Why?
Probably 19-20. You all were old enough to vote yet young enough to wreak havoc with my heart.

8. What was your proudest moment as a mom? This can be child specific (obviously, I am sure it would be about me as I am your favorite) or can apply to the group as a whole.
When you stopped your projectile vomiting! lol. There are too many to name. They are still occurring. 

9. What is/was the hardest part of motherhood?
When each of you took the car for the first time. Or when you all proved your independency and moved away.

10. What is the best part of being a grandma?
Being able to set up education accounts and knowing their educations will be paid. (No payment for not graduating.)

I threw in a bonus question.
Who is your favorite grandchild? (Obviously, everyone knows it's Natalie).
Juice, Gemma, Lugnut, Hank and Lady.

There you have it folks, Liz's short and sweet thoughts on motherhood :) As for her response to the bonus question, at least my dogs weren't last!  

Happy Mother's Day!

As my first real mother's day comes to an end I cannot help but get a little weepy.  I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my Natalie is here and I am a mother. I am so incredibly blessed to have her in my life and I cherish her so much.  Lately, I have felt a very strong need to hold her a little longer at night before putting her in her crib and taking in moments with more awareness about just how precious they are.  She really is my whole world.  My friend, Rachel, sent me the following video and I wanted to pass it along to the other mamas out there, especially those who are celebrating their first mother's days :)

Happy Mother's Day, y'all. You're doing ok :)