Flowers and December Goals

Peonies and mums. I brought these home from Whole Foods yesterday and Danny said woah those look kind of funny. The peonies were little balls of dark magenta and did, in fact, look funny. I told him that they were peonies, the same flower that we had all over our wedding. :) Not ten minutes after we put them in water, one of them started to open up to show off a bit. They are gorgeous and I love the dark color to go along with the season.

Here are some goals for December that I would like to work on. I realize that reading my goals is probably last on your list of things to do, but it makes me feel more accountable when I write them down somewhere, especially if other people can see them. For example, last month I had four goals. I think I only accomplished two. When I failed at my posting every day of the month goal, I felt this intense guilt! It was a little extreme, and I will try to take them a little less seriously this month. More of a try-really-hard-to-get-it-done thing. Here we go:

1. Start Crossfit On-Ramp Program.
This is going to be the biggest challenge for me. I am super duper nervous about going since the only people I know that do Crossfit are in awesome shape and I am hanging onto WAY too much weight after being pregnant. I have worked out with a trainer a lot in the past so I am confident that my form will be great, but I am also confident that I am in the worst shape of my life after not working out since I was newly pregnant. That means I will be the weakest, slowest, and fattest! I win in all categories! Wish me luck with this one, I really need it. 

2. Use the crockpot more. 
I love the crockpot. It is the best piece of cookware in my kitchen right now, and I can get a meal ready to go at nine in the morning, and forget about it all day until it is time to eat. How easy is that?! I need to make a few good soups and roasts this month.

3. Create a play group for Claire (and me)!: 
I am going to get on Facebook and see if other people want to get together with their kids. I know plenty of girls I went to high school with, worked with, etc. that have kids now. Its time to get together, have our kids play, and bask in our new (and not so new) motherhood! Man, I really hope someone wants to actually do this with me. ha!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Christmas Stocking Tradition

When Danny and I got married, we decided to carry over a couple traditions that his family used to do around Christmas. One of my favorite traditions is writing little notes to put in every family member's stocking each year. One night (usually Christmas Eve) we sit down and each write a little note with nice things about each person in our family and stick it in their stocking for them to read on Christmas morning (after dig get through all the toys, candy and toothbrushes that Santa has brought for them). Then, after all is said and done, they get stuffed back in the stocking along with past years notes to be read again for the years to come. The stockings at Danny's parents house have so many sweet notes in them. It is so great to look back and reread them every year. They spark memories and are such a great way to bring the family together. Thanks Beesley family for passing down such a great tradition (among others) to our little family! :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I have a feeling ours will be wet, and I will be thinking of things to do with Claire indoors. This week has been slow on posts, but I was a little burned out trying to post at least once a day in attempt to keep my November goal. I needed to catch up on a little sleep too as Clairey has been happy to wake at 5 every morning lately. Speaking of November goals, I have one day to paint our living room. Darn.

To Grandmother's House We Went

eucalyptus trees on the side of 101 (my favorite part of the drive) source

Yesterday we made the trip to San Luis Obispo and back to spend Thanksgiving with my grandparents. It was Claire's first time there and we had such a great time visiting, eating, relaxing, and chasing Claire around. We were worried about the six hours of driving (there and back) but Claire was a champ and a joy to ride in the car with. As long as she was rocking out to Elizabeth Mitchell (or pretending to conk me in the head with her push toy) she was as happy as a clam.

It was actually great to be in the car. I usually get car sick (lame, I know) but everything went smooth and Danny and I were able to have some quality time together. Since Claire was strapped in tight in the backseat listening to her tunes, we were able to have some great conversations. 

We talked about California and how the scenery is breathtaking. About how we are lucky to have grown up and be living here right now. Sometimes San Jose can seem dull, and I often long for something more exciting. But when we are driving through eucalyptus forests and smelling the ocean while driving on highway 101, the monotony of the place seems to fade and I feel a sense of pride in my state. It really is so beautiful, and it was nice to take the time to appreciate that yesterday.

Danny droned on and on about John Steinbeck and how he described the landscapes we were driving through in his novels. I love to hear him talk about literature because he gets so incredibly excited and passionate. Danny dreamed out loud about the novel he is writing in his head. We brainstormed and laughed and interrupted and sat in silence, thinking about the many things we want to accomplish in the future. 

We talked about this blog and what I am doing and why I am doing it. We rattled off ideas for posts and my vulnerabilities. I love Danny because he is such a cheerleader for me. He is so supportive and encourages me to "just have fun" while writing. Thanks Danny :)

Claire snored (we are all sick with a cold) in the back and we giggled and bragged about how sweet she is. We can't be the only parents who do this, right? We love her so much, sometimes we can just sit and have a conversation about how much we love her. 

We are happy to be home now and enjoying this extra long weekend! Hope you guys are enjoying it too :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Today I am so thankful for this girl, my heart is about to burst.

Happy Thanksgiving. :)

A Beary Sweet Introduction

It is about time you meet that sweet, cuddly, kind of dirty looking guy that appears on this blog at least weekly...

This is Beary.

Beary is good for practicing eyes, nose, and ears

Claire calls him Bear-Bear. He is the newest member of our family, and has been giving us good cuddles since Christmas last year. Claire had multiple other stuffed animals before she was born, and I had originally thought she might get attached to this crazy, fluffy cat. I even brought this cat to the hospital to meet Claire the same day that we did. 

the hospital bag

Well, as you could imagine, this thing got fuzzy stuff all over Claire, including her little mouth. See you later Cat! We will hang out when Claire gets bigger! So I went searching for the perfect animal to love up on my girl. I had a bear in mind since we call her ClaireyBear. I found Beary on Amazon.com and had him here by Christmas. I even slept with him a few times in attempt to get Claire to love Beary even more.

I put him in Claire's stocking (after Santa filled it of course). And he waited patiently for Claire all night.

It took a few months of having Beary nearby most of the day and laying with Claire while she was nursing. The rest is history, and she adores this bear. She will pick him out of a stack of stuffed animals and hug him like it has been years since they last saw each other. I like the thought of something that she can be attached to because I had BrightHeart when I was little. 

Here is BrightHeart, my old friend from my childhood. 

raggedy little fella, huh?

He now sleeps in Claire's crib with her, and she probably likes him second best. Is everyone laughing at BrightHeart's nightgown? I had a matching one growing up. Brilliant.

What do you think about attachment objects? Did you have one growing up? Danny had a blankie...shh! :)

Taking Time To Be Thankful

Not to toot my own horn, but I feel like I am always thinking of things I am thankful for. It is just in my nature to feel nostalgic about anything and everything, and overly emotional about certain moments that might end too quickly. Our family tries to take the time to mention something that we are thankful for whenever we sit down to eat a meal together. I love making an effort to remember the good things in our lives. We sometimes mention what we think Claire would be thankful for that day if she could chime in with a little more than animal noises. 

last year right around Thanksgiving

One thing I don't do is write these things down. So they quickly escape my mind and I don't have a nice little list of things I am thankful for. Hence this post.

1. I am so so thankful for a healthy girl. My poor babe has been through the wringer before with allergies and a kidney infection and those months that she was hurting was hell, to put it lightly. I'm sure I will post about our experiences in her early months another time, but for now, let's keep this positive! Claire is healthy, and I actually do think of and am thankful for this every day,
2. I am thankful for Danny who works so hard to allow me to stay home with Claire for these first couple years of Claire's life. He is really sacrificing his comfort to keep our girl as comfortable as possible.
3. This might sound really funny to other people, but I am thankful for this blog. It has acted as a little creative outlet for me and allowed me to feel productive in a totally different way than changing diapers and nursing. 
4. I am so happy and thankful to be living near both sets of our parents. As much as I dream of living in a craftsman in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle (we used to live there), or near my sister-in-law on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, being near our parents has been wonderful. With the first six months of Claire's life being somewhat difficult for all of us, having the support of grandmas and grandpas was nice. Also, the ClaireyBear is a little slow to warm up to people so this more constant interaction with them helps her create even better relationships with them that will last no matter where we end up! :)

I am excited to be officially kicking off the holiday season this week! What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Is anyone making pumpkin pie from scratch? That is on my todo list someday, I've never done it. :)

My Heart Beats For Them

Danny and Claire (3 months old)

Since Claire came into the world, my sleep has been disrupted to say the least. She is 17 months old and still wakes up at least three times throughout the night to eat, all while sleeping sideways next to me in the bed. Up until Claire was 15 months old, I was able to count the number of hours Danny and I have slept next to each other since she was born. His bed was our little apartment sized couch because he had to be up at 6:30 in the morning. The norm was saying goodnight with a wave while I slipped into the bedroom to feed a crying, hungry babe.

So, these last two months since Claire has learned to sleep in her crib (which is two feet away from our bed) for naps and the first four hour stretch of the night has been different. I forgot that people sometimes cuddle in bed when they are going to sleep. We still have to whisper (almost silently) if we want to communicate while lying in bed. At least we are getting a little closer to normal.

Last night we were lying in bed trying to fall asleep and for the first time in over a year I could feel Danny's heartbeat. There is something special about feeling or hearing another person's heartbeat. It is so personal. It made me slow down for a second and appreciate him being there, and realize how much I had missed him while he had been snoring on the couch the last year. It also reminded me of the first time I had felt Claire's tiny heart beating after she was born.

You have to be so close to someone in order to feel their heart beating. You have to be quiet and still. It almost feels primal to me. Feeling this organ that is pumping life throughout my husband and daughter. It reminds me that they are individuals with their own thoughts, loves, and hardships just like me. It makes me want to hug hem and give them extra kisses. Most importantly, it makes me thankful that we are all healthy and here together. Love those two!

Our trendy dancing tunes around here lately:

The Weekend in Photos

the weekly Beary

Claire stored her breakfast in her play oven. hippo and oranges on the menu, eh? mmm

inspector Claire with the magnifying glasses

she would lick one, then set it aside

Philz Coffee is my current obsession

Claire is my little photographer

munchin on my Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

It was a good weekend. Today we can cross off one of my goals from yesterday. We cleared the patio of all of our TONS of crap and took it to storage. Swept and layed some outdoor carpet. Shopped a bit and now we have an almost complete patio! Pictures will follow soon.

I am writing this post as we sit outside in 47 degree weather bundled up in multiple sweatshirts and blankets...and enjoying some amazing almond toffee by R&J and a bottle of moscato. Highly recommended! Cheers to a productive day and some yummy dessert. The only thing that would make this better would be if we could continue this tomorrow. Oh wait! We can, happy early Veteran's Day!

November Goals

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1. Post an entry every day to my blog.
This is a must. If I miss one day, I will start to think about quitting. I want to keep this up because not only am I having fun documenting my life and interests, but I feel like one day, I will really be grateful to look back on the memories I shared here.

2. Keep fresh flowers in the house.
I don't know about you, but flowers really do brighten my day. I think they especially help when the seasons change and it starts getting dark at 5 o'clock. I linger at the floral section at Whole Foods each time I go grocery shopping. Yeah, they are sometimes a bit expensive, but I love bringing some living decor into the house. This is definitely a goal directed at my own interests. Normally, I would rather spend flower money on something more necessary, but this month I am allowing myself to splurge a bit. 

3. Makeover patio. 
Our patio is small. Currently it is used as storage for an old highchair, multiple vacuums, clothes Claire has grown out of, etc. We have been meaning to put some time into fixing it up for a while, but it always gets moved to the back burner to make room for something more important. Even though it is starting to get cold outside, we still want to spruce it up. Who knows, maybe even add a heater to keep it warm and toasty!

4. Paint the living room.
This is a pretty big goal considering it will take a lot of effort on all of our parts. The painting part is easy peasy. Choosing a color and actually getting out of the apartment for a weekend would be the hard part. Guess we need to talk to my parents soon and let them know we will be crashing there. Surprise Mom and Dad!

My Super Kiss!

I always thought it was silly that moms and dads would kiss their kids booboo to make it feel better. Call me insensitive, but before you have kids, your perception of kids and your role as a Super Parent is DRASTICALLY different. Well, in my case it was. I mean, who would have thought that my little ClaireyBear would be sleeping in between me and Danny every night?! I know I didn't! But she is and we (mostly) love the cuddle time.

Back to booboos. Now that Claire is running around everywhere we are experiencing quite a few OUCH moments over here. Recently she got hurt and I kissed the spot that was hurting (I don't remember where it was). She instantly stopped crying, smiled, and gave a little happy chuckle. I didn't even tell her that the kiss was supposed to magically make her stop hurting. It just happened, and now each time she smashes a finger or takes a little tumble, I kiss the booboo and she really is better!

My pre-mom self would have thought, umm there is no way a kiss could literally make that scraped knee feel better...

Now, I think it is so sweet that a kiss from Mom could make my girl happy. Oh how motherhood changes us!

this morning when Claire woke up