Weekend Recap

The best thing about my weekend?

1. Seeing my BIFF

2. My BIFFs Bachelorette Party 

3. My unexpected day off on Monday! Making it a 3 day weekend! Rock on!

4. Eating hot dogs at the end of a drunk night! 

So, we all survived my best friends Bachelorette party in Grand Rapids! I must say it was a great time. Having all of us girls (bridesmaids) together at once, no babies, and a lot of champagne... It was the perfect recipe for a great weekend getaway. 

We stayed in downtown GR, it was the perfect place because we walked from the bars back to the hotel which was a perfect plan. No drunk drivers here! 

A Terrible Day

Well, it's been a realllllllyyyy shitty week - and it's only Tuesday! Let's sum it up... My daughter is teething and super cranky. That makes for a cranky mama no matter what day it is. Add PMS to the mix and you've got the beginning of a really bad week.

Sunday.

I went to breakfast with my man and Lennon, it was delicious. We spent time with his mom and dad and then I went home and got ready for work. Then....all of a sudden I had a meltdown. A serious, nervous breakdown kind of meltdown. An "I need my mommy now", (insert sobbing and whining) kind of meltdown. It was terrible. So I did what any grown adult would do... Call my mommy and call into work. I left my house with no purse, just keys and a phone and headed to my moms. I called my boss and told her about not coming in and let's just say, she was not happy with me. So, I spent quality time with my mom and I cleared my mind. Thank you, mom for everything. You're my hero. 1 more negative point on my attendance... Whatever. 

Monday.

Work sucked. I had SO much to do since I wasn't there Sunday. I had sent an email to my VP about meeting with him this coming week for a raise and Monday was the day. I was nervous but confident. I went in, presented my case of a well-deserving raise and be said NO. Now, I've never asked for a raise its always just happened. So, I was inexperienced but inward confident and I had a good point - or five million good points. Still said NO and gave me the run around. Holding my head high I shook his hand, thanked him for his time and assured him I would be meeting with him again in 6 months. Happy-Effing-Monday! Then, I found out some more bad news... Which lead me into today.

Tuesday.

Well, I emailed my VP again today and asked to meet with him about the bad news I found out yesterday after my 1st meeting. I was absolutely sure he would change his mind today and give me what was deserved. Again, I presented my case and we literally argued for what seemed like an eternity going in circles about why I do or don't deserve this raise. Not only was I told I would get this raise upon yearly review, It was brought to my attention that someone who was hired in that I trained and does less work than I do makes more than I do. Apparently this is what happens in the real world... And it sucks. So, Did I get a raise today when I met with my boss for the 2nd time this week about it? 

You guessed it. No. Happy-Effing-Tuesday!

Work was over and I came home of course in a terrible mood and I went into crazy Kaila cleaning mode - which is better than the original plan of grabbing a bottle of wine and sitting on the couch all night sulking in my failures. I grabbed the cleaning supplies and ran through the house like a mad woman. With the help of my amazing man we got the entire house cleaned except for the floors and then we quit cleaning because I was pooped. Goodwill bags full, bags out for this weekend and dress pulled out, heels cleaned and ready, and rooms are organized! A clean home = a happy mama. Kind of. 

This week is going to fly by. Then, it's off to Grand Rapids for my BIFFs bachelorette party! Then a week later it's back to GR and time for her WEDDING! Somewhere in that time I have to write a speech, Get my hair colored, get my nails done, workout = make my arms look good in a bridesmaids dress, clear up any pimples and make this PMS go away!

I'm so ready for a girls weekend. I cannot wait. 

XO

Little Moments

It's the little things in life that make me fall more & more in love... 

I remember the days of walking side by side with my mom when I was a little girl. I can remember looking up at her and her smiling back to me. I remember the times she would wake me up in the morning smelling like coffee and Ralph Lauren perfume. The times that she would kiss me and hug me a million times before she could say bye.

It's little moments like those I hope Lennon remembers of me when she's older. I cherish those memories, and they will last forever. 

Tonight in the grocery store I was so busy shopping and trying to get it done quickly. I looked down in the cart and caught a glimpse of Lennon staring at me smiling. She giggled as I looked at her and she said 'mama'! It melted my heart. I stopped what I was doing and just looked at her while Dan pushed the cart and got groceries. It was so sweet I couldn't look away.

Tonight after we got home we were in the kitchen making dinner and Lennon was clinging to my legs. She followed me everywhere I went and had to be hugging my leg. It was cute, then annoying, then frustrating because I couldn't get a darn thing done. Finally, I pulled her off my leg and attempted to clean up the kitchen and make dinner. She cried... And cried... And cried saying mama. Finally, Dan told me to go play with Lennon and he was going to finish dinner. After a long day at work, she just missed me and all she wanted was me to hold her! 

Too often I am running around crazy and forget the little moments that make the best memories. I picked Lennon up and we cuddled on the couch and played with her toys and laughed and giggled and cuddled some more. She was so happy! 

I am now rocking her to sleep thinking of all the little moments I probably miss by not being by her side all the time. Not paying attention to her when she's saying mama or not picking her up when she's tugging on my legs. Those moments only last a few seconds but the memories from them last a lifetime. So next time Lennons tugging at me, pulling my hair out, yelling because she's excited or saying mama 100x over and over again... I will stop what I'm doing and smile at her   I will make a memory for the both of us to cherish for the rest of our lives. 

Starting now.

Lennons 1st Birthday Extravaganza

This particular blog is awesome for 3 reasons

 

1. It's all about LENNON

2. It's about LENNON's 1st Birthday

and the weekend to follow...

aka - party all day err-day

3. It's MY 100th BLOG!

Dang, girl. WOOOHOOO!

 

 

So, let's start with morning of Lennon's 1st Birthday:

The morning of Lennon's birthday Dan and I got her up out of bed and jumping up and down in her crib was a curly haired blonde with beautiful eyes staring right at us! We made her favorite breakfast with a little twist... or tower, whichever you want to call it.

Birthday-Pancake-Tower-with a candle. YES! (Bought them pre-mixed in a box at Meijer. How awesome is that?)

 

 

Lennon seriously loved them. We sang happy birthday to her after we lit the candle. I guess I should have taught her how to blow out a candle before attempting to do this... but she tried and it was too cute! The candle was awesome until she tried to grab it so I had to blow it out really quick.

 

 

It turned out to be a beautiful day for the Children's Zoo! Lennon woke up from her nap and we got ready to head out. The zoo was on our to do list before Lennon turned 1 and we did it but let me tell ya, the Saginaw Zoo SUCKS. There were hardly any animals out, the penguins weren't able to swim because of their feathers, the wolves looked like dogs, you get the picture. We were there for 35 minutes and saw the whole damn thing. WASTE OF TIME. Lennon liked the monkey, so that's all that matters.

 

That night we had a little cookout at home with our friend Katie and then walked down to Party on McCarty! It was our first time going down there and we had a blast! There were bands playing oldies music on the stage, vendors with food, beer, and a free photobooth! We went down there with our friends and my dad and Jenny and Lennon had fun playing with her friends too! The kids played all night and we drank all night. WIN-WIN. Oh, and the best part? We didn't drive... we walked home after! WIN-WIN-WIN?!

 

 

After we left the party in our backyard we put miss Lennon to bed. After a long fun filled, zoo adventure day she was so exhausted. We relaxed, put on a movie and went to bed! That weekend was a blast!

 

Next up: Lennon's 1st Birthday Party!

Lennon and I prepared for her first ever party on Saturday morning by painting her little piggies neon pink to match her birthday outfit!  Find it here - Piggy Paint

Look at those toes!

 

After we got all dolled up I packed everything up and headed to the hall to decorate! I could not wait to decorate the hall and bring everything to life! I thought I went a little overboard on the decorations I bought but it turned out to be perfect. Maybe I spent a little too much money but hey, who doesn't on the babes 1st birthdays anyway? :)

 

Lennon wore her birthday hat for a little while and then realized it was on her head so she would NOT put it back on. Oh well, at least I snapped one good picture!

 

Here is the beautiful birthday girls outfit! Pink Tutu - Homemade I'm 1 onesie - and a fluffy birthday hat - oh, and the princess wand! Priceless moment.

 

 

The entire theme was princess! So, of course Lennon had Princess Punch & Mama made Queen & King punch for the big kids... too fun!

 

It's unreal how many gifts Lennon got for her birthday. This girl is spoiled! She played with EVERY single toy that we opened when we got home. Now our home is a disaster!

After our taco party we had SO many leftovers! We took the rest of the food and adult beverages to the beach Sunday for friends and family FUNDAY! Lennon loved running through the splash park and playing in the sand and we enjoyed the rest of our adult beverages and taco's! It was a great day at the beach!
 

Here are just some of the MANY pictures of Lennon playing with her balloons from her party! I love these!
I cannot wait for Lennon to have her 1 year photo shoot that her GG got her for her birthday. She is going to look so incredibly cute!

A special THANK YOU:

To Kay & Tom for booking the hall for Lennon's party,

 cooking all the delicious taco meat,

cleaning the hall and helping us out so much

Everyone for coming and all of the GREAT gifts

All of the friends and family that helped us clean

and Lennon for having so much fun

it was so entertaining!

<3 

Lennon is 1

Lennon is 1 year old! 

Happy Birthday sweet baby girl

AT ONE YEAR OLD

Favorite Words: Mama, Dada, Baba, GG, Nana, Papa, Choo-Choo, Oooo

Favorite Toys: Overly sized minion, Sophie, frog and ducky bath toys, her building blocks and her blankie that she falls asleep with every night

Favorite Foods: Watermelon, cheese, chicken and turkey, puffs and crunchies, cheerios, or anything Mama and Dada are eating

Favorite Activities: Bath time, swimming in GG's pool, mocking Mama and Dada when we say funny things, dancing to the Minion's banana song and singing "BABABA" after it's done, going for walks, playing peek-a-boo, going to the grocery store, playing with shoes, shaking her head NO, growling at us and the dogs 

(Can you tell she's learned a lot from Lucky?) 

Least Favorite Activities: Getting dressed after a bath & getting in her car seat

Nicknames: Bug, Babe - No nickname for Lennon, yet. Hopefully there never will be!

Awesome Favorites: Lennon's giggle. She giggles every time she thinks something is funny! She claps her hands when she is happy and she bounces when a song comes on.

Mommy's Favorite Moment: Well, there's probably many but I will keep it short and sweet. #1 would be the moment I named her Lennon #2 The first time Lennon walked! She took 6 steps across the deck toward me. Watching her take her first steps was a moment I will never forget.

Daddy's Favorite Moment: The first time she said Dada. Partially because he was so happy Lennon said Dada first but really, he teared up every time she said it and looked at him. It was priceless.

Lennon's Favorite Moment: When she found out she could clap her hands! The look on her face was amazing, she was so happy and excited! Also, the time that she got her Easter pictures taken and she grabbed the live bunny! She nearly took off it's face but she giggled and it was so cute!

Lennon's  Mama & Dada's Scariest Moment: When Lennon was 3 months old and we made many trips to the doctor for what we thought was asthma. She was having hard times breathing and it was terrible. After a long few months of breathing treatments, she is breathing good, happy and healthy!

Well, friends... That about sums up Lennon's first year in this world. Of course there is much, much more but it would take forever and a day to remember it all. But, I am so thankful for the technology that we have! I have blogged as much as I can over this past year to be able to look back on Lennon's best and worst times and we have video taped most of Lennon's funniest moments, giggles, laughs, walking, crawling, rolling, you name it! 

1 year ago today I was sitting in the hospital bed cuddling with a bare naked baby girl on my chest. I was in heaven - pure heaven on earth. My life was complete & my world was perfect. My little girl, my man-the love of my life in one place, all together at last. 

This year changed my life. I am a better person because of this little girl. I am a mother, I am a fiance', I am a lover, a teacher, a bruise-kisser, a tummy-tickler, a dream inventor, and most of all, I am happy! I couldn't even begin to imagine a life without Lennon. My life without her would just be... well, incomplete.

I love you sweet girl, forever & ever.

Happy 1st Birthday!

XO

I Saw God Today

Somedays are worse than others in life. Bad days at work, bad nights at home, bills piling up, cranky baby. It is stress around ever corner it seems. It's times like that you want to give up. You don't want to go to the grocery store to get milk, you don't want to wake up early to work out, you don't want to wash dishes, mop the floor, spend any more money on birthday parties or weddings... You just want to give up. Quit your job, stay at home with the baby... Life could be, in your dreams, perfect. 

I drove home tonight in the gloomy, cloudy, rain and as Lennon is crying in the back seat I wanted to give up. I turned up the oldies station I was listening to even though I had a headache. On top of that, I have a cold, I'm tired, I'm drained, I'm stressed out. I feel like I could just fall asleep... 

 I am at a stop light zoned out trying to drown out the helpless cries of a tired 11 month old... and out of nowhere I see a rainbow, it's peaking through the clouds just enough for me to see the pink hues and the blue shining clouds. At that moment I hear my papas song. Let it be, let it be, whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

I got goosebumps.

 I turned the radio down, Lennon had fallen asleep, the light turned green and I began singing and tearing up as I drove home. He was there with me. I needed strength and He was there, I needed hope and He was there. Even on my worst days I have him. 

It reminded me of one of my favorite songs... It brings tears to my eyes just typing this as I am rocking little Lennon to sleep. How could I be mad at such a little babe when she's just tired? How can I be so stressed out, it's just a job? How can I let the little things get to me when I have such a beautiful life and so much to be thankful for? I just have to learn to let it be. 

:)

I've been to church,

I've read the book,

I know He's there,

But I don't look,

near as often as I should,

His fingerprints are everywhere,

I just look down and stop and stare,

open my eyes and then I swear,

I Saw God Today

The BEST way to clean your microwave!

So today I was browsing Pinterest today and I found a tip on how to clean your microwave... Sure, I was skeptical at first but now I am hooked! Even Dan said, "Wow"! Mmmhm! High-Five to that Pinterest!

Follow these easy steps and you will have a brand spankin' new looking microwave too! (And your kitchen may smell like vinegar for a day but who cares? You've got a clean microwave!)

• Pour one cup vinegar (into a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl... make sure it is glass) then add one cup of hot water to that.
• Place measuring cup (or bowl) in the microwave, set your timer for 10 minutes and turn it on.
• After 10 minutes CAREFULLY remove the cup with the HOT liquid (use an oven mitt or you will burn yourself! 
• Grab a good cleaning rag, wet it down and wipe out the inside of the microwave. Be cautious, the HOT liquid may be in the bottom of the microwave still. 
• Wipe dry with a paper towel and TA-DA! Take a picture, send to your mother and brag about your microwave because its so clean! 

It's the final countdown!

"Insert humming, drumming and loud music" ... The final countdownnnnn!

5 MORE DAYS until Lennon turns ONE!

I'm feeling... Excited, anxious, stressed over party planning, and broke [that ain't a joke]. It's all a little bittersweet. 

We have bought the decorations, bought her party outfit, picked out a cake, and bought her presents! What's left? Oh yeah, sending out invites! Oops again, I really suck at remembering things. Nonetheless, we have gotten a lot accomplished! Now all that's left is putting it all together, wrapping gifts and celebrating this beautiful young life with family and friends!

We even let Lennon help pick put her gifts! She didn't do a very good job and of course went straight for the minions! Which of course are her favorite right now but we didn't get her any... Those little banana singing creatures are so expensive!

As of this week, my sweet daughter has officially celebrated all of her "firsts" for Holidays as of July 4th! And now in 5 more days she will be 1 year old! I can't even believe it. 

Let the countdown begin! 

'Merica, Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day! Happy for our Freedom! Happy for our military men & women! Happy for our family & friends! Happy for the amazing fireworks! Happy for a safe holiday! 

Our day started with a fantastic (sort of healthy) breakfast! Not so much healthy! But damn it was good, sorry body challenge I had to cheat!

French toast, festive berries, lots of sugary syrup! Lennon loved it. 

We cleaned the house while miss Lennon napped and I picked up my wedding band [ohemgee] it's beautiful! I made sure it fit and then I didn't want to take it off. I love it!!! I took a picture but I can't spoil it yet, sorry. 

Lennon woke up and we headed to our friends house for a cookout-birthday party-pool party-extravaganza! It a was hot, sunny, perfect weather, festive, cold beer kind of day! We sat in the sun, played in the pool, lounged around with some Summer Shandy and brats and enjoyed our AMERICAN freedom! 

[funny story: Dan and I were sitting at breakfast talking about Lennons heritage and how I want to make her a book of her family tree and history. Not only for her sake but ours as well. I want to know what we are. Dans reply? "Want to know what Lennon is? She's AMERICAN. Want to know what you are? AMERICAN!" It was the best response ever!]

After the pool party we spent some time home relaxing. Lennon took a really long nap which was wonderful and left us able to go to the fireworks! 

We went downtown and hung out at our friends shop. We had all of our friends there and great music! Good DJ, private party, security guard and all! It was a safe, fun and exciting way to have fun and watch the fireworks! 

Katie and Brandon with Lennon. Lennon loved them! 

As soon as the fireworks started Lennon started clapping! She was clapping and laughing and pointing to them! She was so excited and having so much fun. It was amazing seeing her face light up and watching her enjoy the big booms! 

And of course at the finale she got a little scared and ran back to me just to sit on my lap and enjoy the rest of the fireworks!

As soon as they were done we took of! Lennon fell asleep as soon as her head hit the car seat! 

We had such an amazing Fourth of July together. I am so blessed to have my family here with me and be able to enjoy the fireworks together to celebrate our country and honor those who keep it safe! 

Happy Independence Day, 'Merica!

Curly Hair & Cuddles

Tonight Lennon & I got to spend some much needed mommy & daughter time together. Lennon sat in her high chair and had dinner while I began writing the million birthday invites to send out to family & friends. Well, an 11 month old baby doesn't stay entertained, even with food, for too long. I gave her some puffs, she threw them on the floor... Gave her milk, threw that on the floor. I sat there in frustration asking, can you please just be quiet so I can get these done??? The frustration was building as Lennon was getting more aggravated. She was tired, cranky, and craved my attention. I was exhausted, cranky and just wanted a little quiet time to get things done. 

REALITY CHECK, KAILA. 

I'm a mom-HELLO? When does anything get done when I want it to? Do I ever have quiet time? NO! 

I looked at Lennon and she was pointing at me saying, mamma! Then she put her arms up and kept repeating it until I caved. My heart melted when she looked at me, pointing at me saying mamma.

At that moment I put the pen down, left the food on the table, left the dishes in the sink and grabbed my baby girl. I made a bottle with the 1 clean one I had, grabbed her favorite blankie and headed for the couch. We cuddled, she guzzled 6 ounces of bubs and crashed. I felt so anxious to get up and finish my long never ending to do lost of; finish the invites, do the dishes, clean the kitchen, organize the bills, vacuum, sweep Lennons chicken dinner off the floor, etc! There was so much I could do that I went to roll Lennons sleepy head off my arm and onto the couch... Just as I did that she rolled into me, grabbed my shirt and sighed. 

I melted, and that was it. I forgot about my never ending to do list... And I laid there on the couch snuggled up with my baby girl with her curls in my face and the sweet smell of lavender baby lotion on her skin next to me. She looked so peaceful and so sweet I couldn't resist. We fell asleep together and when she woke up we cuddled even more! That is... Until Lennon got her energy back and started crawling all over me. :)

Never take for granted the little things in life. There's always going to be a to-do list... But these little moments are memories that I can't let slip away. After all, my curly headed baby girl is going to be 1 soon! 

XO