...because she's still little...right?

I'm not ready yet. A year looms near and all the books say to wean, but I don't go by the books. I go by her...and me. She's not ready. She loves her baba...and won't have anything to do with a sippy cup. I'm gunna miss her baba trance when it's over.

I've entered into the almost-a-year zone, and I spend my days flipping through her baby book, looking at old pictures, and wondering where the time went. A year ago, I was lying on the couch watching the t.v. remote fall off my belly because she kicked so hard. Time, motherhood, babies, love...it's all so amazing.

...because maybe she'll be a world-famous chef someday

She found the spice drawers...



...now I have a pile of garlic salt to vacuum. That okay...she had fun.

Portraits of Yesterday

Brett put her in the laundry basket and she didn't want to get out for like a half hour...and she put these clothes on her head on her own. EVERYTHING goes on top of her head, always. She tries to put the t.v. remote on her head.



We were lucky enough to get our fill of sweet, sweet Lily Grace yesterday. She's so pretty and so sweet and so yummy and so....I want another baby.

Found this framed art at Target yesterday and absolutely LOVED it. I've said over and over, if I could pass one thing down to a daughter, it would be this truth. I found this in a cart on an aisle endcap. I wonder if it was someone else's cart. That'd be bad, right? Well, it looks good in Lainey Love's room!

...and look what came in the mail yesterday. I cried. I gasped. My expectations were exceeded beyond words. Shutterfly's 12x12 book...so worth your money. They did the most fantastic job.

...because you don't have to leave the house to get beautiful

Brett told me I could go get a pedicure this morning and he'd keep Lainey. I love pedicures, but they're seriously a waste of $35, so I hardly get them. A pedicure sounded nice. But I'd rather spend $35 on Lainey any day, so I politely declined...and opted to do it myself.


P.S. Arbonne sea salt scrub...divinity.

Because Saturdays were Meant to be this Fun

...because sometimes ballerinas are little

Thank you Rennie for my first ballerina dress! There will be many more to come!

One Year Ago...

One year ago, I was folding the last of the baby clothes, painting the trim in the nursery and making sure every picture frame was just right. One year ago, I wondered if she'd be lucky enough to get her daddy's blue eyes or if her personality would fit her name. One year ago, I tried to imagine what this love would feel like.

I realized something today: eleven months is so my favorite...right now.

Bear With Me

I'm learning to mess around with html codes to change my template to get bigger pictures and header. Bear with me. I might mess it up a little bit in the process.

Osh Kosh & little red Keds

Taken straight from the pages of my diary. I was sixteen. August 5, 1995:
"Someday, I want a little girl... ...and I will dress her in Osh Kosh and little red Keds."







I don't think I had any idea then just how happy Osh Kosh & Keds would really make me...

Why I Love Mornings...

It's not about the coffee anymore or the way the sun stretches into our living room. It's not my big white robe or that refreshing feeling that everything is new. Those are good reasons, yes. But, I have new reasons why I love mornings. I love...

...the way she's not ready to give up her blankie yet 'cuz she's still a little sleepy...the way her bed head makes me smile ...the way she goes into her food trance when she's eating her scrambled eggs...the way her socks--at least one of them--always find a way of falling off in the night...the way her pudgy little fingers shove breakfast into that precious little mouth
Mornings are so delicious now.

Because Babies Get Into Twubble Sometime...

Fresh from a bath, that little rascal escaped the shackles of her towel and took off like lightning (the butt naked kind) to get into some baby trouble... ...'dat okay...she still my cute widdle baby!

A Sunny Sunday and New Baby Tricks

In a failed search for the Farmer's Market Sunday morning (it's open only on Saturdays apparently), we ended up at the Pier to walk and watch the fisherman, equally divine in my opinion. At first, I settled for a shadow picture so as not to disturb anyone to take our photo, but later gave in to a nice man who looked like he wouldn't run off with my camera. Then, it was a delicious day at Isle of Capri:
...and our new game: Put Latte on a couch cushion and push her around the hallway. Lainey laughs HARD...and looks at us like, "this is really funny, isn't it?" I am amazed at how far a little creativity goes with this kid.
These next pics were two seconds apart...I love how it starts as a gradual smile and then she's like, "Oh, alright...I'll give you a full out cheesy grin." But, I still like that first one best...I'll always remember her coy little shy grin. Oh, and apparently old dogs DO do new tricks because, after she hit 3 months old, we passed her nice swing down to Lily Grace so as not to clutter up the house. After 3 months, she was never a swing fan anyway. However, in an attempt at anything to get her to go to sleep yesterday, my mom suggested a swing. "Ha...yeah right, " I said, but Grandmas usually know what they're talking about, so I dug up the old back-up swing, cleaned it up, got Cubby all snug, and I kid you not...FIVE minutes later...this is what we found! ..and by "old dog", I meant the swing not my sweet widdle baby girl. "Old" and "dog" are two things that do NOT define her, thank you.

Nothing Less than Post Perfection

Oh that? That picture there? That, my friends is a teaser...more to come at the end. She's pretty heavenly, isn't she?

This is post perfection...if a picture's worth a thousand words, then this post is a book--and we're talking one of those really big books with lots and lots of words--the kind that make people think you're really, really smart if you're caught carrying it (and don't think I haven't tried lugging one of those around before just to look impressive... you know when you "accidentally" trip and Frederick Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy happens to fall out of your purse right in front of a hot guy? Silly me. How could I be so clumsy.) On to my point. Here's a TON of pics...all worthy of post perfection and none I could bear not to post. Fun day... my mama, my friends, yummy newborns and my cubby's cute overload all in one. Sigh. So doesn't get any better. Yes it does...I miss my sister. She'd make it better...and a couple other of y'all too. Pop some popcorn and enjoy. It's gunna take a while...there's like a billion pictures.

Fun day begins with Steph's baby shower...and, in my opinion pregnant bellies are the new black, the new pink, the new everything. A garbage bag on a pregnant woman outdoes anything Armani has to offer. I miss my belly. Congratulations, Stephy!

Day continues with getting my paws on this sweet slice of heaven, Lily Grace. She is somethin' else...I love her!P.S. Catching a baby mid yawn for a pic is like bird watching for me. I'll sit there all day 'till I get it.
Must add...love this pic. Watching my Jennygirl hold her loved-to-pieces neice. xoxoDay follows with Nurse Katie coming over. Katie teaches Mom how to rock out on Guitar Hero which elicits some serious shaking laughter from all who observe. Take it from me...you had to be there.Day continues with dip in the pool with Cute Cubby.
Day interrupted by Cubby making big mess in pantry.

Day moves on. Cubby learning to walk with new walker toy. Yay Cubby!

Day ends with these fun pics. I can't smoosh those cheeks enough. You may need to restart your computer after these...
I know I gush about her cuteness, but maybe that's just me being a mom...I'm obsessed with it. What really makes her special though is her sweet, sweet heart, the fact that she is loved so much, and the continual pinch-me-every-day realization that she--this wonderful creature--is ours.

Thankful. Happy. Enjoying the Small Things. ~k

go ahead...scroll back up and have another look. i know you wanna.