just do it.

a few weeks ago, my sister heidi ran her cute little tush off in the nike women's half marathon in dc...i am still in awe.  that is some serious running! 

as a surprise, my mom arranged so juliet and i could be there to cheer her on.  we had so much fun!

i've always loved dc - we have a handful of friends there, so we're up at least once a year - there is so much to do, and the food...dc has some great food!  this time we took it easy and ordered in thai food...have you tried pad kee mao?  holy moly - i've ordered it the past three times we've had thai - it's that good.  anyway, even though this was a super quick trip, it was such a good time.

great job, heidi - we're so proud of you!

look at that form.

four months.

our little juliet is four months old today.  i am constantly torn between wanting to freeze time and being impatient for what's next: as fun as she was yesterday, today brings even more surprises.

we are so lucky to have you, baby girl - keep being your sweet little self! 

j's favorite way to wear a onesie

lately.

as you may have guessed, i am now back at work, and therefore not blessed with much time to, say, update the blog.  i'm working on it though.  time management remains a major goal of mine. 

i have so many different feelings about being back at work, and i'm not sure i have them all together yet to share.  bottom line: i am working, and i am happy to contribute my skills, and the bacon that i bring home helps keep juliet in diapers: all good things.  however as with anything in life, there is a flip-side.  suffice it to say i'm torn.  i can't express things quite as eloquently as i'd like, but hopefully soon i'll be able to share my thoughts and also get some perspective from other working moms out there. 

this all being said, we make it our number one priority to enjoy every second of our evenings and weekends with miss juliet.  each little moment is so precious...well, the 1am diaper change may be on the low end of precious, but it's still not so bad. 

cuddles: there is nothing better

developmentally, juliet is in the land of almosts.  she's almost ready to roll over...she is so close!  and she really wants to sit up by herself.  we've caught a few giggles out of her lately, but the instant we turn on the video camera she clams right up.  dah!  we'll catch her soon.   she has her 4 month checkup later this month, and i can't wait to see how much she weighs: baby girl likes her groceries!  so far still nursing 100% {going to see if we can make it to 6 months exclusively breastfeeding and then introduce some solids}, and i'm happy to say i've been able to keep up with her appetite.  she is a champ sleeper - i'm hesitant to tell you how long she sleeps at night because i really don't want to jinx it - it's good...it's very good.  also, juliet is a chatterbox!  i guess it's because i tend to provide a running narrative of her life - oh we're changing your socks?  well, let's talk about it! 

i know this hasn't been much by way of an update, but i promise to try to keep this space more up-to-date with juliet goings-on.

thanks for staying tuned!

hey mom!

we are family

juliet isn't quite sure what to think of bathtime yet. she's glad she's graduated from the kitchen sink to the tub, but i can't really say that she feels one way or the other about the bath itself.  hopefully this changes, because there are few things better in this world than a big bubble bath and curling up in fuzzy robes afterwards.  and hot chocolate.  and puppies.  i think i'm losing focus.

she does, however love all of the up close time with both mommy and daddy.  i love how she lights up when we're both around.  when we go in to tag-team for the 4am diaper change/feeding and she flashes one of those big smiles, it's like she's saying "hey!  this is our little family - isn't it great?!"  ...you forget for a minute that the sun won't be up for another 2 and a half hours {but just for a minute because 4am is still crazy early}.

we love you, baby girl!

winter baby

juliet was having a tough time falling asleep for her afternoon nap the other day, so we bundled her up and took her for a ride around the neighborhood. 

thanks to aunt sheila for the sweet snow suit (:  juliet was so cozy!

won't you be mine, valentine?

i know we're a day late...but hey, we've got a 2-month old over here. 

juliet was our valentine this year, and she set the bar high.  lots of sweet cuddles, a long nap which let me make cupcakes for daddy, and a good night's sleep - best gifts around if you ask me.

we love this little lady.

just because.

we've all been a little under the weather in this house for the last little while, thus the dearth of postings.

i feel like we're rounding the bend though, and hope to be back in fighting form soon!

in the meantime, while we nap/ chill/ drink our 25th cup of tea today, enjoy a little snippet of life.

it is so good.

at least one of them is sleeping...

one month.

our sweet girl is a month old today.

when and how that happened, i have no idea!

all i know is that every day, i am more glad that she is ours.

a few highlights from the past four weeks:

juliet is a champ at tummy time - she holds her head up like a cute little turtle and almost looks like she wants to roll over...i am not sure i'm ready for that just yet.

she sleeps 5 hours at a time just about every night.  we can't believe it ourselves.  during the day she can be quite the cat-napper, but pretty much regardless of how the day goes, she can be counted on for a good long stretch of sleep {and so can we!}

the girl can eat.  and eat.  and she took a bottle for the first time yesterday!  i'm so excited that jordan can share that time with her now too - she is so funny when she's eating...sometimes she takes a little break and gives you the sweetest smile before getting right back to business.  it's the best.

she likes loves her moby wrap.  my sister-in-law gave us a wrap, and i will tell you: if our house were burning, i would grab my family, any important papers i could find, and this wrap.  it's pure magic.

not a juliet highlight, but i am enjoying breastfeeding for the sheer pleasure of eating everything in sight...seriously, i am always hungry!  it's pretty awesome (:  to that end, i'm trying out this recipe tomorrow.

i hope you've enjoyed the start of 2014...we over here will continue to hunker down and get to know this little lady a little bit more.

ps: recipe post coming soon!  have a great sunday!

a little 2-week reality check.

hello!

i cannot believe our little girl is two weeks old {plus a day!} already...seriously, it seems like we were just taking her home from the hospital yesterday.

i am surprised to see how much has already changed in these short 15 days.  for instance, i now realize that i can survive on a broken-up sleep schedule {knock on wood, but juliet has fallen into a great sleeping pattern: 3 hours down, 1 up to eat, then back down with little to no fussing...i am counting my blessings}.  i also have had to revise some of my expectations for myself.  i am a doer: i feel most complete and accomplished when i get things done, and i will usually push myself to do so...but nowadays, there is someone way more important than that extra load of laundry, or the floor which desperately needs to be swept, etc.  and so?  i give myself a break.  as long as my baby is fed and safe, my day is complete.  dinner will figure itself out {especially when my parents stop by to feed us (:...thank you again!}.

also, you know all of those "i will never..." statements that you think up when you think of what you will/ won't do with your child?  some are worth sticking by definitely, but others may need to be revised.  i swore up, down, right and left that i would never give my kids a pacifier. {when i was a kid, i used one for too long and it made me have speech problems later which had to be corrected in therapy...read: "hi! i'm thephanie."...}  but you know what?  pacifiers work, people, and if it soothes my baby and helps her sleep i am all in.  

i am also very thankful for the little things in my day...the cup of coffee i enjoy during her morning nap, the books i read to her as she's falling asleep {this morning it was are you my mother?}...my sister coming over whenever i need an extra set of hands and literally doing anything i need in return for a few minutes of baby-holding.  heidi: you are a gem!

so this is life nowadays!  and i couldn't be happier (:

hope you all enjoy your weekend!

she's here!

juliet alexis moger

december 12, 2013

7lb 4 oz, 20 inches

perfection.

 {this is currently my favorite picture taken of anyone at any time}

3 days.

3 days.

we are three days from our due date.  i almost can't believe we're actually here.

for the past few weeks i've been having a strange feeling {i'm sure a lot of first time moms get this...maybe?}...anyway, my feeling is that i'm just going to keep on being pregnant.  mainly b/c i don't know what life is like after this stage, and this is all i've known for the majority of 2013...but i just feel like "ok - my life is now a little rounder, and i get kicked a few times a day, and this is alright!"

don't worry: logically i know what comes next.  i've read the books.  i've heard the stories.  it's just all so magical thinking about everything that's going to change, and how life is going to be, and how i am going to be and how my husband and i are going to be.

i've never been one to eschew change - i actually like mixing things up a bit...routine depresses me big time...so i'm not worried about the changes, i'm just so curious: what will they be?!

on a very bright note, i am officially off of work for 3 months.  YES.   and while i have a few days {we think (:} before our little miss makes her debut, i'm really taking the time to let myself experience these big feelings.   the doubt, the worry, the excitement...i am feeling it all, and i want to feel it all.  i want to let this in, and let this experience be so real.

so here we are: 3 days out and as ready as we'll ever be.

 

sweet bibs my mom & grandma made...and baby's first bear

pregnancy love list.

this little baby in here is getting very ready for her debut.  her kicks are some of my favorite parts of the day these days.  she has some really active periods of the day, and then some where i figure she's napping.  happily, she has been less active overnight than she once was...maybe this is an indication that she will sleep right through the night?  {i know...keep dreaming (: }

i have been thinking lately about when i was newly pregnant {and, let's be honest...way before we even thought about being pregnant, ha}...i would scour my favorite blogs for good recommendations on those little somethings to make pregnancy just a tad easier on mom.

i really appreciated the insight i found, and so i wanted to throw my two cents in and post a few good things which i feel have made these past 8 months just that much sweeter.  i don't have a lot on the list, but i hope if you're pregnant and looking for some relief, or thinking about pregnancy and love a list, that you find something you can work with.

   

1.  you all know my obsession with castile soap - it's green, organic, fair trade, and smells amaaazing.  i picked up the lavender version a few months ago when i was having trouble getting to sleep and haven't looked back since. 

2.  to add to my sleep issues, i've had some RLS over the course of this pregnancy.  let me tell you: there is nothing worse than being ready for bed and feeling like you need to get up and run around the room.  i found that the stretching taught in my prenatal yoga video really helped, as well as to relax me in general, which is a nice perk.  this video especially was really great - all experience levels welcome, and the teacher is super preggo in the video, so she totally gets what is and isn't possible for you.

3.   anthropologie reversible seamless tank.  i have 4 of these.  they stretch so well over your belly and somehow don't ride up.  also, they don't lose their shape.  i am sold.  i will give these as gifts to my future mama friends...they are that good!

4.  cocoa butter.  i received this from a friend who bought it and didn't care for it, actually before i was pregnant.  to tell you the truth, i don't love the smell {to me, it smells like pudding}, but i do have to say it's a great moisturizer.  i don't use it every night {the pudding thing is too much sometimes}, but i try to use it at least a few times a week and thus far, no stretch marks.  maybe i'm just lucky, or maybe those folks at palmers really know what's up.  you decide. 

like i said, this isn't a huge list, but these are things that i absolutely do use and appreciate.

oh, and we're at 36 weeks today!   baby, we are so close to meeting you, i can hardly stand it.   life is good.

35 weeks!

hello friends!

not much happening over here these days aside from growing this little baby.  {little being the operative word: as seen below, we seem to have had a growth spurt!}

also, there was halloween - a quiet but fun night for us...fewer trick-or-treaters means more leftover candy for your resident preggo!  win-win.

i can't carve faces very well, so i improvised (:

hope you're enjoying your week!

i didn't run away, i promise!

you guys...i have no idea where my time has gone these days.

as a quick catch-up, we are at 34 weeks (!) can you believe it!

oh, and i also had a little birthday...welcome to the last year of my twenties - here's to making it great!

last weekend for part of my birthday celebration i wanted to go to a pumpkin patch.  {really getting wild, eh?}  there is a great farmer's market close to home and they have so many beautiful pumpkins.  i wanted one that was unique looking but that i could also bake with after a few weeks.  enter the fairy tale pumpkin.  i had no idea about this pumpkin, but evidently it's super sweet and a little spicy, aka great for pies. 

this weekend we spent our mornings at a childbirth prep class, and we're both glad we signed up - i'm sure a lot of parenting is instinctual, and most of it is learn-on-the-fly, but there is a lot about what actually goes down to get this little person here that honestly i was glad to have explained to me, point by point.  {and of course there were some points which i'd be just fine not having heard, thank you very much...}  jordan's take-away message from the weekend was profound gratitude that men cannot give birth.  no, honey, but they can buy jewelry for those who can (:

tonight we're a little pooped - jordan is reading the paper and i'm making applesauce.  then later, we're watching scandal - have you seen that show?  i'm obsessed.  we've already plowed through the first season in maybe a week.  netflix, you are both a blessing and a curse.

not the fairy tale pumpkin, but another fave

i hope you have a great start to the week!

welcome, weekend!

i feel that this weekend is just full of potential.

we have been thoroughly enjoying ourselves this week, and i feel so well-rested that i am now ready to tackle some projects and get my creative side working.

i have a lot planned, which i love...there is something truly inspiring about keeping busy in my mind.   there is a wall which will get some color, floors which will be washed {am i the only one who puts off this chore until it literally cannot be avoided?}, crafts to begin, and a few recipes to try.

here are a few delicious things i am going to try to whip up this weekend:

{image and recipe via: abeautifulmess}

we have been stopping into a cute bagel bakery close by home for a few weekends now on our way to our weekly grocery shopping, and i love the tradition.  i have always been curious however, about making bagels myself: and truth be told, i am always a little disappointed in the cinnamon to raisin ratio in my CR bagels...so i will be attempting this recipe tomorrow morning, modifying the flavors, and of course loading them up with cinnamon (:

next up: granola!   {another recipe} i loooove granola.  i love the possibilities of adding new flavors, and i don't think it can be messed up too easily.  one tip i will share right off the bat: if you add coconut flakes, wait until there are only about 5-6 minutes of baking left because those little guys like to burn. 

i'll be back soon with updates, but right now i have some serious progress to make.  enjoy your weekend! 

holiday week.

a little while ago, we decided to cash in some time off from work and kick it at home for a few days...and this is just what we've been up to.  and it's been amazing.

we don't usually take time off and not take a 'real' vacation, since we're all about getting out and seeing people, new places, etc...but this time we just felt the need to relax and decompress. 

also, it completely worked out in that randomly - all in the same week - one of my dearest friends + her husband, my middle sister, also plus husband, and jordan's brother and crew are all visiting the area this week.  what luck, right?   so far we've been to 2 beach parties, eaten some fresh {as in off-the-boat-that-morning-fresh} crabs...none for the preggo sadly...hung out at my parents' house for a night with the sister, enjoyed lazy mornings with big mugs of coffee, had a fun girls night gabbing and eating {em: next time there will be wine!}, cooked some good meals {pics soon} and it's only thursday!

it's these times, these little moments, the 'nothing fancy' parts of life that we really try our best to soak up.  it's not always easy, but i believe in my heart of hearts that this is what this crazy life is all about.

i hope you're having a great week as well.

also, i hope you like ribs and margaritas because i have recipes for both on deck.

enjoy your thursday (:

paris, 2011

fall wishing

{via}

i loooove the fall: favorite season, hands down.

to me, there are few things better than apple cider, pumpkins, warm sweaters, boots, soups, crock-pot meals, a birthday, pulling out the chimenea and roasting marshmallows, i could go on.

instead, i will share a few things i've noticed around the net that i think are just perfect for this upcoming season.

{you will notice some of the below are clearly the result of wishful thinking, unless these things come in "larger than a house" sizes...but a girl can dream} 

i love these cutaway shoes...i wonder if they're comfy?

{via}

{via}

i've never been a huge dot fan,

but this sweater somehow isn't 

too cutesy.  i could do this.

finally!  i have been dying to find some cute

maternity pants.  just ordered these.

also FYI asos is having a 20% off sale for all 

full-priced items through Monday...code: Summer4Ever

{via}

i take a 7 in case anyone is feeling  

particularly generous (:

what are some of your favorite things about fall?

cheese.

i love cheese.  so much so, that last christmas, one of my gifts from my husband was a slice of my favorite {humbolt fog} fresh from our newly-opened whole foods.  

i am making a cheese board for a little shin-dig at our place this weekend, so i thought i'd give my two cents on what makes a good selection.

1. the stinkier the better!  ok not always, but don't turn down a bite that doesn't smell like ye olde cheddar.  there are so many interesting flavors out there- go for it!

2. make sure there is a variety- not just of flavors, but of origins...namely: cow, goat and sheep.  personally, goat cheese is my fave: i love the slight grassiness, and they are usually very creamy and rich.  everything i want in my queso.

3. add some extras.  there is always the requisite bread/ crackers, but i also like adding fruit, honey, jam, nuts, meat, etc to the mix.  i really don't think you can go wrong.

4. you don't have to spend a fortune: with the exception of the humbolt fog {which is on the pricey side, i will admit}, all of the cheeses below came from trader joe's...and you know joe loves a bargain.

here is a peek of a board i made a little bit ago...sorry i can't remember the orange one, but it was great! 

 

as always, happy eating!

it's summertime!

i love summer, don't you?  so far we've spent some fun afternoons at the beach, hanging out with friends, keeping our garden alive, and cooking some good meals.


here are a few snaps of our life these days.

 ^^tell me about it^^

when life gives you lemons...you bake them.

have you tried coconut oil from TJ's?  if you do, spread it on some cut peaches, grill said peaches, top with ice cream and thank me later.

just so you don't think all we eat are sweets, here is the dinner which preceded the peach dessert.

chicken recipe from saveur, found here.  served with brown rice and black beans, recipe on its way (:

i hope you're all enjoying the warm weather and sunny days!

spring!

this is probably the first year that i haven't kvetched about having to set my clocks ahead an hour.  if it means spring will be here that much faster, bring it on.  i don't know why i'm so anxious for warm weather this year, but i definitely plan to make the most of it!  today it is supposed to top out at 59 on the shores of VA, which means we will be bundling up and heading out on a long bike ride.  {the need for this bike ride is also a direct result of the obscene amount of girl scout cookies we've been eating this week...}

how are you celebrating the oncoming sunshine?

these crazy flowers bloom all summer on our fence...cannot wait to see them soon!