some days...

Some days are better than others....it's this way in everything.  School, relationships, motherhood, friendships, everything....   I am having one of those days where everything is just fine.  It isn't even a challenging day with the kids..., but I am feeling a little down.  For some reason I am missing Boston and our life there.  I guess it might be the time of year. I am missing walking around our neighborhood.  Fall is the best. I miss Payson Park & Elisabeth. I miss my Perkins.  I miss my mama friends and those sweet little babes that I've known since they were a few weeks old.  I miss the schedule Brian had there.  We had more time together.  We had a routine.  Here...he works all the time.  All the time.  It's been a constant chain of events since we moved here and I don't feel like we have our routine yet.  We'll get there.  We left Boston on my birthday last year...it's almost been a year.  It was about this time last year that I found out we where moving back to Ohio.  I was thrilled.  And, I am happy to be here.  Like I said, it's just one of those days....

Ogunquit, Maine...JHP's first birthday

Ogunquit, Maine

The kiddos almost 2 years old

Woodstock, VT

JHP on Acron Street

Hayride near Crane Beach

JHP at Skyview Park

the babes in our great beginnings class about 2 months old

Maine

gender reveal via skype--it's a boy! :)

weekend recap

it was a great weekend.  zoo. shopping. family. birthdays. baptism. long car ride with my family. 
these little faces...

ideas...

my next house project is creating desk space for myself.  some inspiration....

love the thought of using a wallpaper background.  not loving this one, but i can think of a few prints that i would love to use.

enough is enough

I accept this to be true.  It's hard to believe this while going through something, but once I am through it I can usually make sense of why something happened.  Until now.  I just can't wrap my head around everything that has happened with Matt.  All the emergency room trips (complete with a 911 ambulance ride from the doctors office...), x-rays, ultrasounds... that have been for absolutely no reason.... it's hard for me to be frustrated about this because I know that everyone is just looking out for his best interest, but if I am being honest... I am frustrated.  I am ready to move forward, put the scares and drama behind us.  We had to have an ultrasound today to make sure that there isn't water in his brain (???).  The little dude has a big head.  So does his brother.  His mother.  His father.  His nieces, nephews, grandpas......  The ultrasound confirmed that his brain is normal.  Big surprise. I suppose this has all happened for a reason and I suppose that one day I'll understand, but for now I don't and if another doctor sends us to the ER or refers us to another specialist...I might punch them in the face.

weekend recap

my 15 year class reunion happened this past weekend.  a few classmates and i planned it and we had a good turnout.  overall, i think everyone had a nice time.  there is something about being home and seeing everyone that i grew up with that makes me excited to think about jack & matt growing up and having a stable childhood.  with brian's job there is always a chance that we might have to move, but i hope not.  i loved looking around that room and seeing faces that i've known since 1983.  i love that i know their parents and even grandparents.  there is something comfortable in that.  while a lot has changed, somethings never change. thank goodness for that.

Slade, Jake, Bradie, Ryan & me

Sarah, Christy, Josh & his girlfriend



Stef & Ryan

matt, 5 months

Dear Matt,

You just turned 5 months old.  You are beyond adorable and so very sweet.  I look at you sometimes and just can't believe that you're mine.  I am so lucky to be your mama.  The truth is, my face often hurts when I put you down for your naps because all we've been doing is smiling at one another.  You're smile is cute.  You and your brother adore each other.  I know that over the years you guys will have your moments, but I hold out a lot of hope that you will be close.  He LOVES you. 
Here's what you've been up to...
- you're eating solids! :)  you are like a little bird.  your mouth is open as soon as you swallow.
-you are sleeping a solid 10 hours a night--thank you, sweetheart!
-you take 2-3 naps a day and they are usually 2-3 hours. 
-you are rolling over from your back to your front.  at first you didn't like that, but lately you're cool with it and just fall asleep on your belly.  so cute!
-you laugh at jack a lot and you sometimes think your dad and i are funny too, but mostly jack. 
-i'd say your favorite toy is an orange ball that you shake. 
-you LOVE your jumperoo and if I say, jump, jump...you do.  like a crazy baby. 
-you're a big boy sweetheart... you weigh 22 pounds at 5 months.  totally off the charts.

i love you so much.

landscaping

we bought a house that was fully landscaped and we were excited to have landscaping...we bought our house in the fall.  as spring sprung so did our one million plants & flowers in said landscaping.  we realized somethings were overgrown (out of control overgrown) and some trees were dead.  this realization caused us to rip out ALL of the landscaping and have tree cut down.  who would've known it costs a small fortune to replace everything we ripped out.. not smart on our end....  we are slowly making progress and it's starting to look good.  it's funny, i know i am simple in most aspects and it turns out that i am the same way in landscaping.  we had landscapers draw up these impressive plans with beautiful designs, but i found myself thinking... boxwoods... hydrangaes.....and that's about it.  whatever.  i guess that makes it easy.  boring, maybe?  i like what i like....

home sweet home

Matt is on a napping schedule.  I like having him on a timed nap schedule.  He wakes up around 7am, then takes his first nap around 9am and another at 1pm.  The 9am nap is usually around 2 hours and the 1pm is typically 2-3 hours.  I love that he sleeps so well and that he has taken to his schedule so easily, but it leaves little time for me to get out of the house... Jack also naps at 1pm and he naps for about 2.5 hours. At first I felt confined, but recently I am seeing the benefits of slowing down.  I've had time to get the bills paid, the laundry done and dinner started without feeling overwhelmed or stress AND still have time to actually get on the floor and play with Jack & read/sing to Matt.  It's good stuff. Now, I just need to figure out a schedule for me.  I would really like to start running again.  I would also like to start doing Tracy Anderson again.  The goal is start being dedicated to exercise and finding a way to fit it in to our new 'schedule'.