Phew! This weekend was exhausting! Exhausting…but so.much.fun.
We started the weekend by driving up to Ligonier for a few days to visit my Gramps and Granny. My dad and brothers joined us, so it was a full house! The weather was hot. Very, very HOT. But we managed to have an awesome time despite the heat.
Gramps and his sweetheart :)
Charlotte finishing off an ENTIRE bowl of blueberries. She loves her fruit!
Her best pals. A few minutes after this photo was taken Gramps and Granny left for church. Charlotte cried big, huge, sad tears. She had the best time!
Charlotte showed off her dance moves for Gramps, spent HOURS with Granny playing, and had a blast chasing Reilly around the house. Andrew and my brothers spent Saturday golfing and we had a birthday celebration for Bradford that evening. A successful trip!
When we got home late Sunday afternoon, we decided to take Charlotte to our newly opened pool. She was SO excited:
We then spent the evening at a BBQ at my best friend Leslie’s parents’ house. It was so nice to spend time with her—Les lives in Indianapolis, and I haven’t seen her since our wedding! Charlotte, who loves pretty ladies, was in awe of Leslie. She had so much fun being the center of attention!
Leslie and her boyfriend Danny
Leslie showing Charlotte her “friend”….CG loved it!
I don’t think there is anything better than outdoor BBQs, long summer days, and time spent with friends and family. This weekend was hot, humid and pretty uncomfortable…but I had the best time laughing and sharing stories with people I love. One for the books, for sure!
Filed under memorial day family friends fun love BBQ
Today we celebrated our country and the memory of those who fought for us. I am so thankful to live in America, and for the men and woman who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
For Charlotte, today was all about the FLAGS:
Charlotte and her flag—a true American Girl!
We took Charlotte to her very first Memorial Day parade. We ran into her friend Autumn, which made the parade even better! Charlotte LOVED the flags, fire trucks, and seeing the dogs walk by.
She also got a lollipop! It didn’t leave her mouth, ha! I don’t think she quite understands that she doesn’t have to keep it in there.
After being in the sun all morning, Charlotte and I took long naps and then headed over to my parents’ house for a Memorial Day BBQ. My brother Richard grilled some delicious steak and chicken, and Charlotte relaxed while watching—what else? Barney!
Charlotte with her Uncle Bradford and Pop-Pop.
Coleman Family—Memorial Day 2012.
God Bless America! I hope today was spent outdoors (or in the AC—ha!) with the ones you love :)
Filed under memorial day family BBQ america
Happy Memorial Day! It is another HOT sunny day in Pittsburgh, and we enjoyed a fun parade in the heat. Charlotte is just loving the flags!!
Enjoy the end of the holiday weekend—we have had an awesome one so far :)
Oops, missed GRW again! Oh well. The summer has begun, and I am already feeling more “laid back”. (If that is even possible while chasing a 20 month old and being 31 weeks pregnant!). Here’s what is going on around here:
- The weather has been so gorgeous. I will admit though, I’m a little nervous that in May we are hitting 90 degrees….and I’m not really looking forward to a HOT June and July for the end of this pregnancy. Thank goodness for AC and our pool that opens this weekend!
- Last weekend I went to a HUGE consignment sale in our area called Just Between Friends. This was my first time attending and buying, and I have already decided I will consign in the years to come. I bought an entire wardrobe for Charlotte for under $30! And some amazing finds too: brands like Kissy Kissy, Feltman Bros., Hartstrings and Carriage Boutiques—just to name a few! And in PERFECT condition. This made me so excited. I never would have thought baby and children’s clothing would excite me so much! Now MY wardrobe on the other hand….HA….yoga pants and t-shirts? Yep.
- Who watched the American Idol finale? I will admit, I was a HUGE Jessica Sanchez fan and think her voice is incredible. But when Philip won last night, he was so sweet and gracious and overwhelmed—it’s hard not to like him. I love AI—and I’m always sad when the season ends!
- I’ve been nesting a bit lately. I feel like there is SO much to do before baby comes…and I don’t really know where to begin! We started by clearing out old clothes to make some space. We also just got a new kitchen table—and are trying to de-clutter everything! It’s not easy with the space we live in…and of course the baby will be SO small, but thinking about all the STUFF (swing, another crib, bottle gear, more clothes for baby, diapers etc etc) makes my head spin. Slowly but surely…
- This weekend Andrew has Friday and Monday off. Yay! We are heading to Ligonier for Saturday and Sunday, and will enjoy time with family and friends for the holiday weekend. We are so excited to take Charlotte to her first parade! I can’t imagine how excited she will be to see all the red, white and blue. And of course—the FLAGS! Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Filed under consignment summer memorial day american idol
Lunch at the park to start off the gorgeous weekend. Sun, laughs, running and playing were involved.
Running outside with dad on a Friday afternoon—a “get out of work early” surprise.
Waffles on a Saturday morning before heading to a huge consignment sale—big success :)
Lots of daddy time. Charlotte loves touching the flag outside of the clubhouse where we live. So…
…daddy finally bought Charlotte her very own flag. Major excitement :)
Our weekend included ordinary things: grilling, spending time outside, and spring cleaning. But it was special. Family time is always special :)
Filed under weekend ordinary love family
Today I am linking up with Elizabeth from E, Myself and I, where she is hosting a “Letter to New Moms” link up.
Now that I am about 7.5 months pregnant with Baby #2, I have been thinking a lot about life with a newborn again. I decided this link up would be a fun way to remember those newborn days with Charlotte. So…here goes!
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Dear New Mom,
If you are expecting your first child, I can imagine your pregnancy has taken over your life right about now. At least…if you’re anything like I was! I know I spent hours upon hours researching the latest baby swing, stroller, and every other baby gadget out there for my registry. I would rush home from work just to check off my to-do list to make SURE I had every possible thing ready for our baby upon arrival.
My advice to you? Don’t stress the small stuff. And by small stuff, I mean having EVERYTHING before baby arrives. I know how exciting it is to have your nursery all set up, with the crib sheets and bumper (yes, I had one…my baby lived) and mobile. But honestly? Your newborn probably won’t even be in that room for at least a month. And while you may think you don’t have a lot of time to get all of that done with a new baby, if it’s your first—you will. Newborns sleep a LOT.
Speaking of sleep..I’m sure everyone has scared you to death about never sleeping again, and to “sleep while baby sleeps!” and how exhausted you will be. I’m here to tell you that YES, you will be tired. You have a newborn! Newborns wake up a lot, and require a lot of attention. But you know what? It doesn’t last forever. It really seems like it will never ever end…but eventually they will sleep, and you will find yourself going into their room late and night to rock your baby who is growing up before your eyes. And trust me on this one—you will miss the 3am feedings when you could cuddle your baby close and smell the newness of her skin. In the big picture, the sleepless nights are SO few compared with a lifetime of that little person needing you less and less each day.
Oh, and the advice about sleeping when baby sleeps? DO IT. I didn’t do this, and was a very crabby human being most days (just ask my husband…).
When Charlotte was small, I was TERRIFIED of taking her out of the house. GERMS! Germs terrified me. I thought if we went to a restaurant she would come home with some awful disease and I would have mommy guilt forever. So when we finally took her to a restaurant when she was about 5 months old (yeah.)….it was awesome. We had the best time, and I wondered what took me so long!
My advice? Take your baby places. They will live, and you will feel a lot more sane! That’s what they make hand sanitizer for, right? (for you, not baby).
Being a new mom is a huge change. I would be absolutely lying to you if I told you your life could stay exactly like it was before you had a baby. If you’re like me, and you are the first of your friends to have children, you will feel lonely in those first few months. You really will be in a totally different, amazing, and sometimes terrifying world where you feel alone if you don’t have people around who “get it”.
The best thing I ever did for myself as a new mom was to branch out and find a play group. I joined a group of strangers once a week to chat, share horror stories, talk about diapers, bottles and the latest baby food….and it seriously saved my sanity. And now I have a new group of mommy friends who we still see all the time. :) I’m not saying you won’t still be friends with your friends who don’t have kids—because you will! But it does help to have some moms in your life who are going through baby “stuff”.
The best advice I could give any new mom is this: When you are in a stage with your baby that seems tough—in that moment it will seem like it will last forever. It really won’t. They grow up so fast—and each new day brings a new challenge and a new story. Hold on to every single moment. Good or bad. Because when (God willing) you are pregnant with your second baby someday—you will wonder when your first baby grew up.
Congratulations! This next chapter in your life is SO incredibly exciting :)
Love, Kendall
Filed under dear new mom link up newborn
On Being Intentional
This summer, my friend Corrina invited me to join an online Bible study based on Proverbs 31. I have never done anything like this before, but our “group” has been very encouraging and fun and it is nice to get to know other moms who are in the same stage of life I am in.
While browsing the blog Good Morning Girls, where our study is based off of, I came across a blog post about being intentional with your children. Courtney shared a story about taking her girls to Disney World. After the trip, she asked them what their favorite memory was. She was surprised to hear that the memory they loved most was not anything from Disney…but instead a day trip to the beach where they collected sea shells with their mom, and talked about God’s beauty. They remembered the one day their mother spent the most intentional time with them.
This story struck a cord with me, as I have been thinking a LOT about how I can be more present in my child’s life. I have read a number of articles recently about putting away the computer, iPhone, texting etc while you are with your children and really being in the moment.
Of course, we all THINK we are being in the moment when we play with our kids…but are we really? Do we really need to look at Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest during the day? I know I could spend a lot less time with social media, and a lot more time really being intentional with Charlotte.
Today, Charlotte and I went to the park. It is the most gorgeous day, and I couldn’t help but think of Courtney’s story. After our usual walk and playground time, I let Charlotte run around in the most beautiful grassy area by the lake. It occured to me that she doesn’t know what a lake is. I talked to her about the lake, the geese, the grass, the trees and the sunlight. I told her these were all God’s creations, and that he made her too—my most favorite creation of all.
She looked at me with wide eyes and smiled.
I know she is too young to understand all of this, but I also know she was listening.
Our children are always listening.
As we walked together by the lake, hand in hand, I couldn’t help but wonder how this time together would effect her life. I know I will never forget it. And even though it seems like such a little thing—talking about the beauty of the lake and the trees and the sunlight; to our kids…the little things ARE the big things.
Filed under parenting being intentional God love children
This year, I had the BEST day. Of course, in the big picture every day is the BEST day…but Mother’s Day weekend was especially wonderful.
On Saturday I enjoyed a “me day” out. I did a little shopping browsing, got a pedicure, and ate lunch at Chick-fil-a—my favorite!
I came home for a nice nap, and then Andrew took his girls out for a pizza and ice-cream dinner. Charlotte enjoyed her FIRST ice-cream cone! Do you think she liked it?
Sunday morning we joined my whole family for church. This was the best mother’s day gift. The sermon was touching, the music was beautiful, and I was so happy to be sitting next to my own mom and to be surrounded by so many other moms and grandmas in the congregation. My mom and I then went out for brunch—delicious and much needed girl time! I think it goes without saying how loved my mom is by her children, and now by her #1 fan—Charlotte!
My mom with all of her children and grandchild(ren).
And my little sweetie took a LONG, LONG nap. Almost 4 hours!
Sunday evening we went to my parents for a mother’s day dinner thanks to my brother Richard. Steak, chicken, grilled veggies and corn on the cob. Yum!
Charlotte gave Mimi her mother’s day gift. (idea borrowed from the fabulous AP). And we spent the evening watching Charlotte be a total HAM. She was so funny— dancing, running around, and making us laugh and smile.
This weekend I got everything I wanted for Mother’s Day. I got some me time, a pedicure, family time, church, and yummy food.
Spending the day out was great and gave me a chance to get a little breath of “no responsibilities”. But you know what I thought about most during my time away?
How much I wished I was spending the day with my husband and daughter.
Being a mom is the greatest job I have ever had. I am so proud to have been given the lifelong chance to raise children, and learn and grow right along with them. All the pedicures and time “off” in the world couldn’t take that away from me. :)
Filed under mothers day family love 2012
Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 29 weeks
Size of baby: Baby #2 is now the size of a butternut squash, weighing almost 3 lbs!
Weight gained: Not sure…I feel good, and of course I’m gaining, but I don’t feel as “fat” as last time. I gained most of it in the end with CG…hoping to not have that happen this time around!
Movement: Yep, and sometimes I even feel jabs in the ribs. This baby likes to move.
Things I miss: Sleep. I don’t sleep well at night anymore. I probably wake up close to every hour, and toss and turn. I just can’t get comfortable.
Cravings/aversions: I really don’t have many! I think I crave food in general haha.
Pregnancy symptoms: Bad heartburn recently. TUMS have now taken over before bed! Also, I found out this week that I have developed low iron, so I now have to take an iron supplement.
Highlight of the week: Finding out I passed my glucose tolerance test!! Woohoo!
Starting next week I will have bi-weekly appointments. Already! I’m starting to nest a little bit—I just finished scrubbing the kitchen floors, have organized all my clothes, and I am trying to start clearing “stuff” out so we can make room for baby. We have a lot to do in the next 2 months :)
Filed under pregnancy 29 weeks baby 2
In the past (almost) two years, I have adopted a few new names. One of them is my new last name. And the other, the one I hear more often than my own, (although not yet from my daughter!) is mommy.
This is my second mother’s day, and it amazes me how fast the time is flying by. I look back to last year and remember all of the worries, fears and hopes for my daughter. She was still a baby. She was 100% dependent on me and her daddy. She didn’t “do much” but she was the light of our lives.
A year later, everything has changed…and nothing has changed all at the same time.
Charlotte is no longer a baby. She is walking, starting to talk, can feed herself, ask for what she wants, dance, play independently, make funny faces and throw temper tantrums.
A year later, she is still the light of my life.
Thank you, Charlotte, for making me a mommy. Thank you for making me laugh and making me cry. Thank you for teaching me more in 2 years than I ever learned in school or from a book. Thank you for showing me how to love unconditionally with my whole heart.
In a few months we will welcome a new baby into our family, and my role as “mommy” will continue to grow and mature.
It truly is the greatest gift, and greatest job God has given me.
Happy Mother’s Day to every woman who has raised a child. I know how hard you work, and I know how much you love. :)
{Mother’s Day 2011}
Filed under Mother's day motherhood love
