St. Thomas, Talking, and Easter!

Ok so it's been almost a month again since my last post. I really need to get more consistent, I know. The problem is that you never have enough time. I don't know about you other moms out there, but by the time I get off work, pick up Charlotte, get home and make dinner, I probably only have about an hour to an hour and a half to actually play with my child. Then it's bath time, story time, and night night time. I am worn out by 8:30 p.m. every night! That leaves little time for cleaning (yea dream on), working out (my elliptical is collecting dust in the basement), or blogging (last thing I want to do!) I realize though that if I don't write down what is happening, it's going to be 5 years from now and I'll be quite mad at myself for not recording these memories while they are somewhat fresh in my slightly sleep-deprived mind.

So let me catch you up on what's been going on. Life without Bruiser is still very hard. Sam and I still talk about him all the time, and cry about him just as often. It doesn't take much - seeing a dog that looks like him, getting a card in the mail, or just thinking about how he loved this time of year brings a tear to my eye (well not really because I can't produce tears but my face gets all ugly and screwed up and I hurt inside). We are moving on, but still have big holes in our hearts.

In my despair, I decided a good therapy was to chop my hair off. I don't hate it over two month later, and luckily it's growing out quickly. I don't love it either though. It's just OK. I want my long hair back!


my before and after! long or short, which do you prefer?

CharCat
Charlotte is a joy at this age. Don't get me wrong - there are moments of pure insanity, where I wonder why no one tells you once the baby can walk and then the baby can run all hell breaks loose! I often spend my evenings chasing her down the street, trying to explain to a 20-month old why she can't wander down people's driveways, or why she can't eat a stick. Clearly she wants to have fun, and sometimes mom is the antithesis of fun! She is so smart and clever, she literally repeats every word you say. "Sub, peas, corn, sky, duck, horse, neigh, book..."

So here's what I need to update you on....

Girl's Trip 2015

In late February, my mom, sister, Charlotte and I traveled to the beautiful island of St. Thomas. We had an awesome time, as we always do when it's girls only! This was Charlotte's second girls trip and she truly enjoyed the island, the fresh air, and just being outdoors. She had to get a breathing treatment right before we left, and the doctor said the humidity would do her good, and boy, did it! We stayed at the Ritz Carlton and after a few wrong turns with S-cookie driving on the left hand side (side note: St. Thomas does not believe in street signs or any sort of signage on the island), we finally arrived after a long travel day! (side note #2: direct flights are in my future).

The grounds were beautiful, with a protected marsh in the center featuring iguanas, birds, and lizards. We had mostly great meals, and two not so great meals. The most fun, however, was just being together and being silly - our usual M.O.



Easter 2015

For Easter this year we headed to Washington, DC to spend the weekend at my sister's place. We went to the National Zoo and got to see Bao Bao, had a lovely dinner out with everyone including my sister's boyfriend, Klaus, my best friend, Mal, and of course, my peanut pants. She was the talk of the dinner table, and she ate a few bites of her pizza and ice cream for dinner.





Easter Sunday we went to mass and Charlotte was a very good girl. I only had to get up and leave once for a few minutes during the service. The choir sounded great and the setting was beautiful. It was so nice to be together with the whole family for Easter mass and brunch. Charlotte looked absolutely adorable and got lots of compliments on her dress, courtesy of Grandbirdy!





Charlotte loved exploring around S-cookie's condo, and seeing her MalGal again. It was a wonderful visit and we were all sad to head back.

Spring time
Now that it's spring and the weather is cooperating, we are getting outside more and more. Charlotte loves looking for "airbos" and for "tweet tweets." I would estimate that she can say over 50 words at this point - she is one smart cookie!

I was in New York for work recently, and had to spend three nights away from my girl. It was the longest I've ever been away from her and even though we Skyped each night, I missed my little girl so much. Luckily she was in good hands with daddy.

We got to see Birdy, Haugs, Josh, and the dogs this past weekend when I took her home for a visit. We saw horses, ponies, hens and cats! Haugs even babysat so I could go to a bridal shower Friday night and he had a great time with peanut. We went to Birdy's open house on Sunday, and Charlotte loved running around the huge house!


at Birdy's open house on Sunday

Because I'm Happy
Even when I am sad, Charlotte makes me laugh. She is my light, my joy. Everything pales in comparison to the happiness I feel when I put Charlotte to bed, she looks up at me, waves, and says "night night mama." This is what she did tonight. I just melt. These are the moments that I live for. And these are the moments I hope I remember for the rest of my life.



Until next time...

Moms: 12 Tips to Make it Through the Holidays

With only 64 days until Christmas, stores are already decorating their interiors and putting out the "hottest toys for 2014" lists. Read on for some of my best tips for how to manage it all without losing your cool.

1. Remember that it's not all about the gifts. My church announced they are starting to collect new and gently used bookbags for children in El Salvador. Not everyone has the same opportunities that we have. Instead of buying one more meaningless cashmere sweater, offer to sponsor a family in need this holiday season.

2. Take time for yourself. I know, I know. You hear this all the time. It's hard to find "couple time" let alone "alone time." My alone time typically consists of showering and drying my hair - what a treat! In all seriousness though, it's important to have quiet time to catch up on reading or two hours to get a massage and go to the salon because your roots are 3 inches long. Pick one day on the calendar and block it off as "MOM DAY!"

3. Take help when it is offered. For some reason taking someone up on their offer to help feels like a failure. I know I've had many friends and family members offer to help me out and I've never gotten back to them or just say, "It's fine, I am getting along great." Sometimes we need some help! If a friend offers to come over and babysit for an hour so you can go to the grocery store, doctor's appointment or to get some shopping done, remind yourself that you are not failing and reply, "Yes, that would be great. Thank you!"

4. Reconsider the visit to Santa. Last year I took Charlotte as a 4 month old and she was all smiles. I saw a lot of parents with older children though who were scared, screaming and crying. If your child is terrified of Santa, don't force them to sit on his lap. Ask your child what they would like to do! Maybe it is to go see Santa, but then they get nervous when their time is near. Remind them it was their idea to see him, but they can always change their mind too. Alternate ideas to the forced close proximity to Santa: snowball fight, build a snowman, bake some cookies together, create a keepsake holiday ornament with a recent photo.

5. Watch your favorite holiday movie with a glass of wine. My all time favorite is Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation. I think I have just about every line memorized at this point and it still makes me laugh to this day. The point is to watch something that makes you happy and reminiscient and it will be even funnier with a little buzz.

6. Set spending limits. Talk to your spouse/partner/significant other about what you can afford to spend this holiday season. Deciding upfront how much you'll spend rather than racking up credit cards with high interest rates is the better way to approach it. If you and your significant other decide not to exchange gifts this year to save some money (my husband and I did that last year) then be sure to do something small together. Even if it's just cuddling up together with some hot cocoa and watching your wedding video or looking at old photos together, it doesn't have to be expensive to be meaningful.

7. Start planning now to get holiday photos taken. I know it seems early, but I've already got my photo session booked for Nov. 1. If you plan to get cards in the mail and want some photos hanging before the actual holiday, best to get the outfit now and the photographer on the phone. Last year I waited too long and was rushing to get cards in the mail. This year I am thinking ahead so that come mid December I can be less stressed.

8. Try on your holiday dress a few weeks before Christmas/New Year's/etc. I made this mistake two years ago after I found out I was pregnant. I was barely showing but the dress my mom had bought me six weeks earlier no longer fit. I was hysterical and emotional and couldn't find a darn thing to wear - a recipe for disaster at 7 pm on Christmas Eve night! Even if you're sure the dress you plan to wear "still fits" give it a try. The worst thing to happen is my scenario above. Best case scenario is that you try it on, it doesn't fit, and you have an impromptu stop to H&M or Ann Taylor Loft in the works. (see #3 above for babysitting help)

9. Ask for what you want, not what you need. As moms, I think we immediately feel guilty if we want to indulge a little bit. This is the time of year to ask for something other than new cookware or bath towels! If you really want that $25 Nars Manhunt lipstick or $25 Diorshow mascara that normally you'd never think of buying, put it on the list! Maybe Santa thinks you look smoking hot with red lips and long lashes too.

10. Take lots of photos and videos. This may seem like a given but often times it's the day after Christmas, everyone is leaving and not looking their best, and this is suddenly when the family portait idea comes up. Make a timeline on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and be sure to schedule that family shot when everyone (including you) is looking their best. The little ones grow up so fast and it's nice to have those keepsake photos and videos to look back on as they get older.

11. Laughter really is the best medicine. If something doesn't go right (your child cries during a holiday concert, or ruins their fancy Christmas dress with a crazy poopy diaper) laugh it off! We've all been there. Make sure you have a few friends who you can share these experiences with because in the end perfection is boring. It's the little things that make the holidays memorable.

12. Keep Calm and Remember There's New Years! If Christmas means the entire family is in town visiting, schedule a low key New Year's Eve. Last year Sam and I rang in 2014 with a cranky baby (we later found out she had an ear infection) while watching "Finding Nemo" with a bottle of Prosecco. Giving your loved ones a kiss at midnight is sometimes the best part of New Year's Eve night (well, for me it is anyway.)

Christmas 2013 - Charlotte (3.5 months, and Bruiser, 5 years old at the time)

Catching Up - Charlotte Faye Turns One!

It's been hard to play catch up lately, sometimes I feel like that's all I get done doing! That leaves little time for writing, but alas, I have a few spare moments so want to update the blogosphere on what is going on in our lives.

Charlotte Turns One
Charlotte turned one on August 26, 2014 and reflecting back on the year was extremely awesome and therapeutic. It's easy to have those days as a mom where you really doubt and get down on yourself. Looking at pictures from when she was a newborn and realizing how far Sam and I have come as parents since 1:19 pm on August 26, 2013 was amazing.




My birthday present to Charlotte was her one year scrapbook. It took me about 3 months and I won't even say how many hours to complete. When she is older I will give it to her to show what an amazing first year she had, and how truly loved she was from the very beginning. The scrapbook features events from her very first smile and bath, to her first big trip to Grand Cayman and Oak Island, North Carolina and everything in between.

Charlotte's first birthday party was a street fair theme. It turned out amazingly thanks in large part to the party planning awesomeness of my mom (Birdy). We had a unique space to work with - my skinny strip of grass and the driveway but we made it work! We had a popcorn maker, cotton candy machine, sangria for the adults and kids, and enough food for 100 people! Charlotte had a blast and friends and family seemed to enjoy the day! Some of the unique touches we implemented was the photo booth -- which everyone seemed to have fun taking photos with the old school Polaroid camera (purchased at Michael's). We also made a one year birthday banner and had photos and fresh flowers of her everywhere.

Here comes the bday girl!



And now for some more photos from the party...











And now for my favorite photo - nothing is better than snuggling with my peanut girl...Happy Birthday, Charlotte Faye. We love you!

Summa, Summa Summatime!

A lot has happened since my last post so I’ll try to update everyone on what’s been going on with us. We took a family vacation to Oak Island, NC in early June and had a blast. The house was beautiful (303 Womble Street) and Sam, Charlotte and I got to have one of the master bedrooms/baths so it was very plush! Definitely made me realize how new construction gives you a) a lot more space in general but also very big closets, and b) how I need a master bathroom like whoa!

Traveling to Oak Island was a little intense. The drive down wasn’t as bad – we broke it up into two days, driving only 6 hours the first day. My mom (Grandbirdy) had bought Charlotte a portable DVD player for her baptism gift and that was a bit of a lifesaver. Charlotte loved to watch her “Dora the Explorer” DVDs. She was less interested in “All Dogs Go To Heaven” and “The Little Mermaid.” She’s probably still too young to appreciate those ones just yet. Our house had a pool so that made it very easy to stay on our regular two nap a day schedule while still enjoying some sunshine.



At the beach, Charlotte was just a tiny little sea turtle! I’d put her down and lay out my beach towel and she’d be gone, crawling to the sea at the speed of lightning! She absolutely LOVES the water and even put her face in! She also loved all of the dogs that were on the beach, especially since we had to leave her furry brother Bruiser at home with Grandbirdy.





The vacation was very enjoyable – good food, good laughs, and quality family time. One of my favorite moments was the process of getting this photo. I told Sam that I wanted to get some beach photos of our family. So we went out to a restaurant and then decided we’d get photos closer to sunset. We weren’t anticipating high tide! By the time we got to the beach the water was so high and there was hardly any sand in sight. We got drenched getting this photo, but I will hopefully never ever forget this moment in time.



The drive home was pretty brutal, and at the 9.5 hour mark, Charlotte reached her limit. We were stuck in DC traffic at the time, and it just so happened that at the moment Sam turned to me and said, “Do you think your sister would let us stay with her tonight” I happened to look up and see the sign for her exit “River Road!” It was literally serendipity! S-cookie graciously let us stay the night with her with only a ten minute heads up and it ended being a great night there. Just goes to show that when life gives you lemons you can certainly make some lemonade! Charlotte loved seeing her Auntie S too!



A few weeks later Charlotte turned 10 months. She is getting so big and we are just enjoying every minute we get with her! She’s at the stage now where she gets into EVERYTHING! Bruiser’s water bowl. Check. Climbing up the entire flight of stairs. Check. Opening the kitchen cabinets. Check. Learning to open and close doors. Check. The days of letting the baby play on their own for 2 minutes while you throw in a load of laundry are long gone!



She is also eating much more now. She loves the mixed baby foods including apples and raspberries, brown rice and plums, and corn with squash. She has started picking up foods and loves goldfish. She also started eating Rice Chex recently (thanks for the tip, Dana!)

Moms – are there any other great finger foods you’ve had success with introducing to a 10 month old?

The 4th of July was spent in Washington, DC at Auntie S’s house and it was a great mini Hauger/Meriwether family vacation. Of course we had some Chevy Chase-like drama with Sam breaking the handle off of the shower (it ran nonstop the entire time we were there), and only a couple of overly dramatic moments. Not bad for my immediate family! My favorite part was probably Charlotte’s first parade- the national parade! After that we went down to the waterfront to see the water, boats and have lunch. We ate while she napped in her stroller. When she woke up we took her to see some ducks and Grandpap Haugs and I ran through a sprinkler for everyone’s entertainment. A great vacation and I can’t wait to go on a week-long one next year with my family. Destination next year will most likely be Sandbridge, Virginia.







Now that we are back I am busy organizing details for her upcoming birthday party – theme: shabby chic street fair! We are also getting family portraits taken at a Cleveland area beach. Stay tuned to hear more about our crazy adventures!

Charlotte's Baptism

Our dear daughter, Charlotte Faye, was baptized on Sunday, May 18, 2014 at Saint Dominic Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio. We were lucky to celebrate with our families on such a beautiful day.



Godparents: Samantha Hauger and Anthony Meriwether.

Enjoy the photos and video!

Click the link below to see a video of her getting baptized:
http://youtu.be/pBmIX-DOJPg