Happy 8 Year Anniversary

 Eight years ago Brady and I got married. We were unreasonably young (22 years old), totally clueless, and didn't really know what we were getting into-- but, we were terribly in love. We never could  have imagined the amazing family we would grow.  Brady adds meaning to my life and I'm glad to share each day with him. Our anniversary is sandwiched between 3 kids' birthdays and often gets overshadowed by ninja/princess parties but it definitely deserves its own shout out.


Recently I found an SD card containing long lost honeymoon pics.  They're funny to look at - I'm all awkward wearing ill-fitting polyester shirts. Brady looks young, hot, and is wearing a sling to protect the 24 post-op staples in his pec. Seeing them reminds me how far we've come and the adventures we have in store
         
8 years ago :

Almost here. . .

Lately I've gotten a second wind. For the first time in 9 months I feel great, alive.  I'm back to doing things I love- field trips with my kiddos, running, fiddling, searching through cookbooks, reading, and transplanting my perennials. I've even de-junked my closets, drawers, and tilled a small veggie garden out back.  The past 9 months pregnancy has felt like an impairment and it almost feels weird to feel like myself again.

I cursed myself six years, 3 babies, ago when I declared that I was 'great at being pregnant.' Growing my 1st baby I felt vivacious. I gained the minimal amount of weight, worked 50 hours a week, exercised, and smiled my way through the 9 months of baby prep. Now at the end of this third, last, and intolerably long, pre-natal period I've totally reversed my perception of maternity.  At times this pregnancy has been  physically debilitating, emotionally discouraging, and depressing. The months of barfing, never-ending flu-like fatigue, unfair and unstoppable weight gain, umbilical hernia, muscle cramps, heart burn . . . Let's just say it's been a good thing I have a major prize at the end to look forward to.

 I feel guilty that this baby is emerging into the world after such a crazy wind-up. I wish that I could have spent less time feeling crumby and more time counting baby kicks. At times my relationship with Baby has been strained.  I have a few friends expecting their first babies and I have enjoyed seeing their posted photos of baby bumps and nursery plans.  They also have made me realize that I haven't been the blissful pre-natal steward my baby deserved. Luckily, Baby will come out soon (hopefully this week after my mom gets here) and I'll have years and years to make it all up.

 

Last week my friends Katie and Robyn threw me a Friday night baby shower with pedicure stations, homemade sugar scrubs, and lots of happy chatting.  It was fun to celebrate the coming baby and feel pampered. The necklace that I am wearing in the above picture is a gift that was made at the shower from my friends that came. Each friend put a bead on the necklace representing themselves. They are to remind me of the hopeful wishes and good vibes I have coming my way.

Manassas Civil War Battle Field

 We spent the afternoon at Manassas Civil War Battlefield. It was a peaceful, fascinating, and a beautiful place to reflect, enjoy each others company, and run around and pick dandelions.

The gold medal race

Every year Liam runs a race in our town. He trains for it, looks forward to it, and then hangs his 'gold medal' up on his wall. This year he upped the millage from 1 K to the 1 miler and he took it in stride.  Elsie also ran too and even though she is only 2.5 years old she amazed us at how far she could run. She melted everyones heart as she started bowing at the finish line for people that were cheering.  Brady did a good job being her pacer and I was the designated family cheerer.

These are our friends Dan and Amanda who also ran the race. They have graciously volnteered to be our middle of the night babysitters if I end up going into labor at 3 am. Dan is a Harvard trained lawyer who decided after a few years practicing law in NYC to be a Management and Organization Phd student in Brady's program. Amanda teaches writing at the University of Maryland and they are as genuine and cool as people come.

spring things

We've spent hours this week soaking up warm weather.
 Somehow this:

Always seems to turn into this:

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We got a hose spray gun and the kids have spent every spare minute squirting everything in sight (including each other, of course.) Everyday after school the kids like to look for fish in our neighbors koi pond. This week we got a net and Liam caught himself a shiny orange beauty.

The kids always fill jars of hand-plucked, pretty, little flowers which we have stationed throughout the house.

Liam lost his 6th tooth this week and is saving his tooth money up so he can buy Ninja Turtle nun-chucks. He of course likes getting the money but he's highly suspicious of the tooth fairy. He always tells Elsie that "it's actually not a fairy, it's just an adult"- although he hasn't quite pin pointed who the adult is.

DC Cherry Blossoms and Elsie

 

 

zoo

This week was Liam's spring break and I'm not ready to give him back. He always makes me smile, he is endlessly entertaining, and a good friend for his sister. In the picture below he is at the national zoo and laughing his head off with the kid next to him while counting the seals that swim by.  In honor of spring break I let them get some popcorn, which apparently only comes in size ridiculously large. We also spent the week relaxing, chasing the ice cream man, going to the park, and the visiting the wildlife refuge. 

At the zoo I had a really unlucky moment and accidentally dropped my cell phone down in the beaver cage.  There wasn't a zookeeper in sight and no one seemed to know what to do.  While Liam stood watch, ready scare the beavers if they decided to attack, everyone around me gawked and rolled their eyes as I went to retrieve it myself.
 Nothin' like seeing an 8+ month pregnant women ungracefully jump and climb a zoo fence (that luckily wasn't electric.)

Elsie loves to dance and spin and can melt your heart with her twirling