Life Lately {Photo Dump}

I couldn't handle it anymore. That little red circle with number one inside floating in the righthand corner of my app icon can no longer be ignored. Therefore, I must update my software on both my iPhone and my computer and that entails hooking up the ole' phone to the computer which in turn leads to syncing and and a walk down recent memory lane. Plus, it's nearly fall .. so I really need to purge the overload of summer photos.

Sidenote: does anyone else loathe updating their software as much as I do? I have no idea why, but I absolutely hate it and put it off for months at a time. I have an internal fear it's going to delete everything I have and I won't like it, so I avoid it at all costs … or well at least until I'm annoyed enough by said icon.

Annnnnd here we are. Rambling about annoying little red icons. So let's just share some photos shall we? Here's a little bit of what's been happening round here.

We like to make sure we tell daddy to have a good day at work.

And drive extra safe. 

 And take selfies with our besties before heading to an impromptu concert post gals night dinners.

 And finish our pool days with bomb pops.

 And head to All About Kids gymnastics class when it rains.

 And go to music festivals that our friends do and stuff. Holly's in the middle. She's kind of a big deal when it comes to Forecastle.

 And seek out fun Chi O things at said music festivals.

 And sing as loud as you can with your hubby because it's fun pretending your 18 again.

 But then be smacked back into reality when your little one comes down with a nasty virus that's name is almost as bad as it really is: Hand Foot and Mouth disease.  So you take him to the doctor and are told it is only contagious to children.

 But a 103.5 fever and cold chills so bad they make you walk outside on the porch to lay in the 100 degree heat because you too have the virus.

 And then boom, you're all better and you eat ice cream and stuff.

 And read books naked of course.

 And prepare colorful toddler meals because you have no idea what he will actually agree to eat that day.

 And then take him to the pool and pray it wears him out so he naps extra long and you can finally get some work done.

 And then take family selfies.

 And thank your heavens this little dude came into your life.

 And celebrate the birth of a close family friends new baby: Julia!

 And snuggle her newborness.

 And ride a horsey.

 And play with our neighbors!

 And celebrate something major that is happening { THE PGA } .

And there you have it, life lately round hurrr. Later tater.

Violets are Purple

Roses are red, violets are blue ... I'm the luckiest gal that you're my you.

But, now that I actually think about it, violets are actually purple ... and well, nothing rhymes with purple.

Cheers to YOU, Mr. Shane. My guy, my fellow, my hubby.  Last year I wrote this sweet post ... buuuut obviously this year wine seemed more appropriate ... so for those of you new to class, feel free to catch up here.

Happy Anniversary to us. We deserve some wine!

 

The Last Time

Having a baby is no joke. Having a toddler is no joke. And I'm sure having a fully developed walking talking child/tween/teen/adult is no joke either. Lord help me when this toddler is a larger child. I imagine he'll be jumping off the tallest thing he can find, seeing as how he's already managed to teach himself to climb on the coffee table and living room furniture when I'm not looking.

This madness makes you laugh, sometimes it can make you cry and there are certainly days where I am at my wits end. Days where there is nothing to do but laugh and verbally say out loud "WHAT IS MY LIFE"?!  Days where I yearn to be that care-free college gal who wakes up at noon to roll out of bed in my sorority gear, head to lunch with all my gal pals and then take a nap at three, simply because all of that girly gossip at lunch made me tired. Nights when all I want to do is go to the movies, sit in a chair and eat overly buttered popcorn until my belly aches. Mornings when all I want to do is sit outside with a cup of warm coffee and enjoy the sound of silence. Hours where I want to jump in my car and stop at Kroger and Target, get everything I need without having to have a checklist because there are too many things on my mind, or a kiddo tossing out half the items before I can even get them IN! There are those days, those hours of course. They come, they go, sometimes they stay too long.

I'd been having a couple of those days back to back ... I think it had to do with hubs being out of town a little too often, toddler sleep regression which equals zero sleep for this lady, some personal anguish about some big girl decisions that I need to make, too many traumatic toddler tantrums of wanting to pull out every single ziploc bag and scatter Maggie's food all over the kitchen (the picture below was taken after I found the madness, cleaned it up and closed the pantry doors ... he wasn't happy I wouldn't allow him to keep doing it) and just general frustrations with work while wrangling a toddler at home. It all came to a head recently and I was nearly at my breaking point when I landed on a poem: The Last Time.

Do you ever have days or times where you feel like everything REALLY does happen for a reason?  Well, I do .. I'm a firm believer and call me a wacko - but this poem really hit home. Baby B isn't even close to some of these last times, and if we're blessed God-willing there will be at least one if not more Baby B's in the future. But for some reason this snapped me back. It took me away from my computer for a few days and really made me take a close look at my little human.

He's small. He needs me. He WANTS to be with me. And I am beyond privileged enough to be able to spend these days with him. So, I took a mental note to myself: breathe mama, breathe. These moments are fleeting. Let him be your baby and cherish it. There is time for work, there are things that need to be done, but let him be little and be with him. Be present. This is my job now, and when you're able: do it 100% - just the way you would anything you sign your name to. For now he is your greatest work, a work in progress. Make it count ... until The Last Time.

Babies and Bengals

In honor of the long anticipated NFL season kickoff tonight ... here's a little Throwback Thursday action of our NFL adventures.

We took little man to the first Bengals game this year and crossed our fingers he wouldn't be as terrified as he was last year by the loud noises the crowd brings. Hard to believe how much has changed since last season.

When Bennett was born he was gifted an AJ Green jersey by one of Shane's college roommates\fraternity brother.

A couple months later he sported it for his first appearance at Paul Brown Stadium.

And here we are today, one year later with a much larger boy that finally fills out that adorable little AJ Green jersey.

 It's gonna be a good season. I can feel it! WHO DEY BABY!