Sometimes I Confess

Happy Sunday!!

I have to say... I wasn't going to do my Sunday confessions today - instead, I was going to do a "sometimes" post, but then I figured out that I could combine the two. Seriously, someone hold me back - my genius-ness is going to get crazy over here.

1. Sometimes I pick wedgies in public. This usually happens at the gym. No shame.

2. Sometimes I avoid people if I think there may be confrontation. I will literally run away from people if I think they're going to confront me about something.

3. Sometimes I can be very confrontational. Usually when my hormones are going crazy (read: PMS) and I've had enough of something (or someone) I flip. And I'm not a very nice person when I flip.

4. Sometimes I dip my french fries in my chocolate milkshake. But only when I remember. It's the perfect blend of sweet and salty. In-N-Out fries and milkshakes are the best for this.

source

5. Sometimes I wonder where I'll be in ten years. I wonder how many kids we'll have, where we'll be living, what our financial situation will be like... you know, stuff like that. Then I wonder how important all that stuff is. This train of thought usually happens when it's late and I can't sleep.

Anyone else feel the need to confess?

Why I'm okay with being looked down on

Greetings, friends of the blogosphere.

Recently I stumbled across this article. I'm not going to lie to you and say that it didn't bother me. It did bother me - in fact, I may or may not have been cursing the author in my mind while I was reading it. I thought to myself, I'm going to write the most kick-a** response and shove it down this lady's throat and make her wish she'd never written that stupid POS article in the first place! I thought about things a little bit more, though, and realized how pointless that would be. I realized one very important thing, and that is this:

I am okay with being looked down on. 

I could turn this blog post into a list of all of my accomplishments in the effort to prove the author of that article wrong. I could show her that it is, indeed, possible to have traveled the world and been successful as a young woman with a husband and child(ren). There are countless examples that I could give of other young wives and mothers who are far more well-traveled and successful than myself. Bringing up examples, retorts, and arguments would not, however, change this woman's mind (or the mind of anyone else who may think like her).

You see, it all comes down to one thing, and that one thing is quite simple, really. It comes down to happiness. I am happy being a wife and mother at age 25. I am happy because every morning, I wake up next to my best friend in the entire world. Every morning I go into my little girl's room and my heart melts as she smiles at me and reaches for me. No amount of success in the corporate world, no exotic vacation, no amount of fame and fortune could ever make me happier than I am as a wife and mother. You know why? Because my family brings me joy. Being their rock brings me joy. Sure, an all-expenses-paid vacation around the world would be freaking. awesome. BUT. It would be lonely. You want to know where I would be if I was not married with a baby?

I would have a successful career, one in which I would do quite a bit of travelling and probably make a decent amount of money. I would have money to spend frivolously, because I would only be worried about myself.

I would be lonely. I would be sad. I might feel a little empty. 

But that's ME. I am different from you. And you. And you.

I think that the main thing that bothers me so much is that, as women, we seem to be so divided. We can't just appreciate the fact that every woman chooses to embrace her femininity and womanhood differently. ALL women are strong, whether they decide to travel the world and have a career or stay at home and raise their children. ALL women have purpose, whether they're the CEO of a fortune 500 company or they spend their days running after kids. This whole "war" between women has got to stop. It really makes me mad that we can't see the value in other people's choices (and that we feel that it's okay to judge people based on their decisions). 

We all have our own paths. Some of us get married and start our families in our 20's. Some of us wait until our 30's or 40's. Some of us choose not to have children. Some of us can't have children. Some of us don't want to get married. Some of us will never find the right person.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those paths. Not one is better or worse than the other. They are just different. So let's stop judging one another, let's stop looking down on each other. Instead, let's try to support and love one another and find joy in the fact that each of us chooses to embrace our womanhood in different ways.

CONFESSIONS!!!!!

Like, OMG!

I'm blogging. And it's not a monthly Elsie update. Look at the sky, because you may or may not see pigs flying.

Anyway... I know that this is the first time in forever that I've done Sunday Confessions, so I'm not even going to bother making it a link up this week.

1. I absolutely love looking at homes. We aren't even really looking to move right now, but we have been going to different homes around town just to get an idea of what we will want when we upgrade to a bigger home. I have absolutely LOVED it. This could be because we are looking primarily at homes built in the early 1900's, and those always have character. So far, this is my favorite:

Zillow

2. I am constantly analyzing photos that pop up in my news feed. It's bad. I look at them and pick them apart in my head, whether they're professional images or simple snapshots. I guess this is the curse of being a photographer.

3. On that note, it is REALLY hard for me to post my own pictures without tearing them apart first, even if they're snapshots. If it's not taken with my iPhone, I tear it apart, and 9 times out of 10, I won't post it on my personal page if I wouldn't post it on my professional page.

4. I sometimes think that brushing my teeth requires a lot of effort. I always brush, simply because I have to wear my retainer every night, but that doesn't mean I don't grumble about having to do it. HA!

5. I want another baby, but I'm scared that I wouldn't love her/him as much as I love Elsie. I know people would probably tell me that that's ridiculous, but it's true! I worry about these things. So, mama's of two or more... how do you love two kids equally?

What do you have to confess? 

It's been a while...

Well, hello there.

I think it's safe to say that I took a much-needed break from this here blog. I guess that I will go ahead and update with her 7 month post. I will try to come back later  and write her 8 month post, and then MAYBE (just maybe) I will come back and write about something other than poop, first words, and drool. I know, get excited, people!

So... here are the pictures I took of her at about 7 months (no, I couldn't pick just one. Sorry) and the monthly letter:

Dear Elsie, 

Holy cow. You're seven months old. I know I say this all the time, but it really is crazy how time flies. Each day I look at you and I see that you're not my tiny little newborn anymore - you're getting so big. So big, in fact, that you said your first word! You'd said "dada" multiple times before, but never really made it obvious whether or not you knew what it meant. This time was different, though. You were crying because I'd changed your diaper and you wanted nothing to do with me. I picked you up to try and comfort you, but then Daddy walked into the room. You turned toward him, sort of reached for him, and, whimpering, said, "Da-da!" It seriously melted my heart. After that, we knew that you'd figured out who Daddy was. It's your only word, but it melts our hearts every single time you say it.

You're chowing down on solids, so you must be going through a growth spurt. The other day, you ate 2&3/4 cups of solids. That is a TON! I think it's safe to say that you are a big fan of the veggie blend. Thankfully, you've slowed down a little bit, so I don't think you'll quite outgrow ALL your clothes. You're still breastfeeding like a champ, but you just don't seem to be as interested as you used to be.

You've still got only two teeth, thank goodness! I say thank goodness for a few reasons: 1. You're kind of grumpy when your teeth decide to pop through. I'm not a fan. 2. You've decided that you like biting me. OUCH. 3. Have I mentioned how grumpy you get when you're busy getting teeth?

I lost count of how many diapers you've used. I know, I know. Terrible mom alert right here! I bet you're happy, though, because this just means that info won't be shared with your first boyfriend. Anyway. You're still in size 2 diapers and 6 month clothing. Carter's is still the brand of choice. I think you're about 27&3/4 inches long, but I have no idea how much you weigh. You're probably somewhere around 14 lbs and a few oz. So... long and skinny.

Other fun things:
You love bath time.
When we put you in your high chair, you bring your legs up, prop them on your tray, and lean back with your mouth open like you're waiting for us to feed you grapes or something. I'll have to get a picture of that one.
Screaming is your favorite.
You love the baby in the mirror.
You've learned the art of crocodile tears and the fake temper tantrum.

You start laughing and hitting things every time you see another baby. It's like you turn into a monkey for a minute because you're just SO EXCITED that there are other little people like you.


Basically, we love you.

Love, 

Mom

Something to be Thankful for

Happy Thanksgiving... (a day late)!! 

Hope you all ate tons of turkey and all that good  stuff. As for us? We just hung out with Mike's family. It was so good to spend time with everyone and I am so grateful that we have family just a few hours away. Anyway, here are some pictures of our day... and then a little six month letter to Elsie bear.

Dear Elsie, 

You're six months old now and I seriously can't believe it! I know I say this all the time, but it really does just feel like I just found out that I was pregnant. Anyway, you are as cute as ever - super long and lean at 27 inches and 13 lbs, 11 oz. I'm so glad that you've started "chunking out" a little bit - I seriously thought you were almost 29 inches by now... suffice it to say that I was wrong. :)

Anyway, you are so talkative, so aware, and so smart! You say "da da" when we tell you to, but I'm pretty sure you're not really aware what it means. You can sit up without support and go from sitting to your tummy (or your back, but that's usually because you've lost your balance and have fallen over). You really have no desire to crawl, and we're okay with that for now (less work for us). You don't really enjoy being on your tummy for more than about ten minutes at a time, so you tend to just get mad and roll right back onto your back.

You started solids about two weeks ago and so far your absolute favorite is Thanksgiving mush (turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, peas, corn, and stuffing put into a blender). You love bathtime, reading stories, and music. You've got quite the temper and can be a little brat when you don't get what you want - it's not the most endearing quality, but I'm sure you'll outgrow it by the time you're 30.

Love you more than anything, stinker!

Love, 

Mom

Sometimes I Wish I was a Polar Bear

Happy Tuesday! Long time, no see. Sorry I've been completely absent from everything. I haven't read blogs in who knows how long, and I really miss you guys! Maybe I'll get the chance to do some catching up over Thanksgiving break - we'll see!

I will have a 6 month update on little Elsie-bear, but her well child check-up isn't until this afternoon, so I don't have her stats yet. I also don't have her pictures done because, well.... I've been lazy pants.

Anyway.... back to the title of this post. My office mates were sitting here watching a polar bear video a few minutes ago, and I thought to myself, "How flipping awesome would it be to be a freakin' polar bear?!" 

Answer: really flipping awesome. 

1. I could drink all the coke I wanted, and I'd get it for free in exchange for the occasional commercial appearance. 

2. I would not be freezing my butt off when it's 0 degrees out. In fact, I might even like the cold weather.

3. I could have a pet penguin. Sure, the penguin would be terrified of me and try to run away every chance he got, but that's not important.

4. I would be cute and cuddly, but absolutely terrifying at the same time. Not even Bigfoot can accomplish this, you guys.

5. I could stay underwater for up to 9 minutes at a time. Think of how awesome that would be!! I mean, really.  

And.... that's all I've got for you on this chilly Tuesday morning. Drink some hot cocoa for me!

Elsie 5 Months

Hi Guys! 

So... this blog has been pretty neglected, but I guess that's what happens when you're a full-time mommy and grad student with a photography business on the side. Anyway... it's time for my monthly update on little miss Elsie. Yeah... sorry that almost all of my posts lately have been more for me than anyone else. I promise that if I can get a routine down, I will try to get into blogging a little more next semester.

Dear Elsie, 

At five months, you are still just a long, skinny thing. I'm not exactly sure how long you are or how much you weigh, but my guess would be that you're around 28 inches long and almost 14 lbs. You're wearing 3-6 month onesies and 0-3 month pants. You're getting close to moving into the 6 month onesies, but I get the feeling that it'll be a while till you fit 6 month pants.

I'm a little disappointed - I lost count of how many diapers you've gone through. I know, I know - I'm a failure of a mother.

You've now got TWO teeth! You're a bit of a grumpy pants when your teeth cut through, but can I blame you? No, not really - it seems like it totally sucks. You laugh at everything and are so, so alert. You talk constantly (just like mom), and it's so fun to have conversations with you.

You're a daddy's girl through and through, but you still have days where you just need your mom, and I'm totally okay with that. Your cuddles are rare, but when you give them, they instantly brighten my day and I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

We've tried solids a few times, but you don't really seem to be a fan. I think you just like secondhand ice cream and tacos WAY better than nasty mushed carrots or rice cereal. I can't blame you - I'm almost 25 and I still don't like carrots. They're icky.

Anyway, you're awesome and I love you lots. Keep on growing and learning, little monster!

Love, 

Mom