housewifery.

Years ago, when I'd picture my future self as a mother, I envisioned myself being one of those women who used nap time as an opportunity to cook, bake, clean, exercise and be crafty. You know, things that I never did nor would I be any good at.  However, being a stay at home mom was the exact opposite lifestyle of an international flight attendant, so if I could make that transition... anything was possible. Perhaps one day I'd be that domesticated super-mom that my younger self imagined.

Let's fast forward a few years, shall we? I'm mom to a 5 month old baby and a not quite 2 year old puppy.  I'm married to my best friend, and I'm essentially living the dream. It wasn't my dream... but dreams, like individuals, tend to change over the course of a lifetime.

So, how am I doing as a housewife? For starters, our house is a mess. It was a mess before we were parents and I'd be lying to myself if I'd honestly expected to suddenly become an organized clean freak after all of these years.  I apologize to company, but I'm not really sorry. This is our house, we live in it, and sometimes we'd rather watch a movie than clean up right after dinner.  Sometimes our dog drags every single toy out onto the floor and leaves paw prints all over the hardwood. Sometimes I leave baby outfits (and socks, oh the tiny socks) scattered throughout the house.  If you show up unannounced, you'll probably just have to deal with our mess.

I'm still no chef, but Ryan and Carley can vouch for the fact that I certainly try.  As the only adult home during the day, I feel obligated to figure out dinner each evening. This is a long shot from my former self, who lived on Subway sandwiches.   It helps that once each week we receive a box full of fresh produce, called "The Organic Box".  Could we go to the store and buy all of the same items for less money? Sure, we probably could. However, we are less inclined to eat out when we know that there are vegetables that must be eaten at home. Not only that, but I've been forced to experiment with new ingredients that I'd probably have never thought to buy otherwise... you know, like rutabagas and tomatillos. 

I don't bake, because baking leads to eating and when you are me, moderation is an unknown concept. I love cookies and cupcakes and cake, so much so that I try to avoid having them in my house. Baking can only end badly.  Of course, certain neighbours (yes, I'm talking about you Christine) occasionally send my husband home with half of a cake, which leads to evenings of overconsumption and regret. Mmm, regret.  

As far as being crafty goes, I'm still a "wannabe" crafty mama.  I have a Pinterest board full of ideas and projects that I'll never make.  However, the other night I was overcome with a rare burst of creativity. I'd finally got the baby to sleep, and I marched down the stairs, announcing to my husband that I was going to Michael's. I've never left home without my husband or baby, so this was a rather monumental occasion.  Carley joined me, and after browsing every aisle I left the store toting rolls of beautiful colourful tulle.

  As a mother to a little girl, I'm slightly obsessed with frilly, girly things such as tutus. I've spent a small fortune acquiring numerous items, justifying them by the fact that I take my own baby photos rather than paying an expensive photographer.  Of course, if I could make my own tutus, I'd be only more justified, right?  So that's exactly what I did.  The next day, I worked away while my baby napped, and by the end of the afternoon I had a glorious, pouffy tutu fit for a princess. 

We tested it out, and I feel as though I've started something bad. My original intent was to save money, but now I'm overcome with the need to make more tutus, in every colour of the rainbow.  My baby is only a baby for a short time, and I plan to take advantage of choosing what she wears while she is still too young to offer her input.  

Once upon a time, I was a world traveling, independent girl who desired nothing other than passport stamps and international cuisine. That girl is just somebody that I used to know.  Today, I'm a tutu-crafting, Strollercizing mama, who wouldn't change a thing... besides the messy house.  

love, sweet love.

Valentine's Day is just another day in our household.  I love my husband and he loves me, but we don't need flowers, chocolate, and jewelry and a specific day to prove that... although I wouldn't be opposed to chocolate. I'll buy it tomorrow when it's 50% off.

I spent this day with the girl that I love the most... I smothered her in kisses, much like any ordinary day. We went shopping with Carley and laughed at the swarms of people crowding the chocolate and jewelry stores in the mall. Carley and I treated ourselves to coffee and some new clothing, and it was a perfect Friday, Valentine's Day or not!  

Today might just be another day for us... but we've got the whole weekend to spend as a family, and that is better than any cheesy heart shaped gift. 

 Happy long weekend from my little love and I! 

february, already?

Once upon a time, I was a dedicated blogger with more than one post in a month. Those days seem to be in the past now that I'm living a more normal life.  I'm not a flight attendant. I'm not traveling. I'm a mom... and while I could write endless posts about my daughter I'm fairly certain that I just might bore my audience after years of rambling on about Paris and other wonderful places.  That's not to say that I won't post about my baby, because to be honest I don't really know what else to talk about these days. I'll just try to save you from reading about every tiny milestone in our daily lives. Key word being try. I think that my kid is pretty darn amazing (biased opinion or not) and sometimes it's hard to hold back.

She's also 5 months old today, which is absolutely insane because I was just pregnant and she was just a tiny newborn. I suspect that she'll be filling out her college applications any day now.

Anyways.... it's February! For the first time in forever, January flew by and here we are in February. I like February. It's short, it's sweet, and chocolate is 50% off on the 15th.  February is one month closer to summer and warmth... things that I only know of in distant memories. One day we shall meet again.

I'm so ridiculously boring these days that the old me wouldn't recognize myself. The current me, however, is quite content in my domesticated lifestyle. I wake up, feed the baby, feed the dog, and when I get a chance, I feed myself.  I pack up the baby and we head to the gym, where I participate in mommy boot camp classes as Aaralee takes her morning nap.  We head home and by the time that I've showered and figured out what to make for dinner, Ryan (and Carley, right now) are home from work. I knew that having a baby would keep me busy, but I'm honestly not sure where the time goes.  I suppose that a great deal of it is spent talking in ridiculous voices and dancing around in an attempt to make Aaralee laugh. I have no shame.  We also have our fair share of impromptu photo-shoots, because I can't resist taking photos of such cuteness. 

In recent weeks my stubborn daughter has opted out of napping, for fear of missing out on the action around her. This made for a fussy baby and a tired mom.  I've been fortunate enough to discover the magic that is babywearing. Once a skeptic, I'm now a believer.  With a bit of guidance and a lot of practice I can now go about my daily life with a baby wrapped on my back.  Stubborn as she may be, she can't resist the sleepy power of a cozy wrap and is usually asleep within 10 minutes.  Babywearing, you've saved my life... or at least my sanity.  

After promising to stop talking about my baby so much, it appears that I've written another blog post primarily about her. I can't help it. I'll leave you with an adorable picture of my human baby and fur baby. They are starting to become great friends, much to my delight. Niko doesn't even seem to mind when she grabs onto his fur with her death grip.  I think that he's putting in his time with the knowledge that it won't be long until she's tossing food to the ground. 

Ahh, I love them.  

2014 thus far!

3 weeks of this year have already come and gone, without a single blog post from little old me.  My miniature human has been keeping me quite busy as she grows increasingly active.  She's now 4 months old and growing in both size and personality.  She giggles. She grabs her feet.  She jumps like a maniac in her Jumparoo. She almost sits up on her own. You know... all sorts of little milestones that only moms really care about, but this is my blog so I can gush about my baby all that I want. 

 

For the first time in a long time, my life has some semblance of routine.  Aaralee and I (and sometimes Ryan) have started going to the gym and I'm slowly but surely getting back into shape.  I forgot how much I've missed the post-workout feeling, despite how much I hate every sweaty moment of actual exercise.  It feels great to do something for myself, and Aaralee enjoys her nap time in the stroller while we run around the gym.  We go to mom and baby classes taught by the same lovely instructor that helped whip Ryan and I into shape for our wedding. She tortures us, but I love her... 23 hours of the day.  

At home, it's difficult to get a lot accomplished with a busy, hungry, and adorably distracting baby. Fortunately, my friend Carley is back from Victoria and has temporarily taken up residence in our basement. I've used this to my advantage and frequently pass her the baby so that I can make dinner and occasionally use the washroom. 

As far as sleep goes, I vaguely recall the days when it was a privilege that I was lucky enough to have.  Lately Aaralee has decided that sleep is in fact overrated.  Call it teething or the 4 month sleep regression or any other excuse for a baby to suddenly boycott sleeping through the night... I don't care what it is, the simple fact is that I miss my sleep. I love my sleep.  However, my baby will not always be a baby so I'll take the middle of the night cuddles and the excuse for extra trips to Starbucks knowing that sooner or later this phase shall pass. I still wouldn't trade it for the world! 

later, 2013!

It's that time again... time to bid farewell to the current year and welcome a brand new one. 2013 has felt like the longest and the shortest year of my life at the same time. Perhaps that doesn't make sense, but I don't know how else to describe it. It's been the calmest year considering the amount of downtime in comparison to recent years... but at the same time the most eventful year in terms of major life events. 

I started the year out pregnant. In fact, I spent nearly 3/4 of 2013 growing a baby. 

I celebrated a year of marriage. I traveled to Japan, Seattle, Maui, Victoria, Vancouver and Ontario, along with all of the other destinations that I regularly visited as a flight attendant. I reunited with friends that I hadn't seen in a long time and celebrated with ones that I've known forever. 

I spent more time with my family than I've been privileged to enjoy in the past 5 years combined.

I spent a lot of time alone as well. Ryan worked out of town more often than he was home, at times reminiscent of our long distance relationship days.

It goes without saying that the biggest happening of 2013 was the birth of our daughter in September. Everything from that point on has been solely about her. For that reason, 2013 wins the coveted spot of "Best year ever".  

I enter 2014 with excitement. Am I sad to see the end of such a wonderful year? Not at all. If I've learnt anything this year, it's that things just keep keeping better and dwelling in the past can make you overlook just how incredible the present is. 

Happy New Year to each and every one of you!  Bring it on, 2014! 

a year to the day.

Exactly a year ago today, my life as I knew it changed forever.  On December 28, 2012, I found out that I was pregnant! 

I'd bought a test the day prior. It was my first time ever purchasing a pregnancy test and I was ridiculously nervous as I grabbed it from the shelf. Despite my normally frugal ways, I picked the most expensive one in hopes of the most accurate and clear results. As I left the store, the alarm went off. Why wouldn't it? There is nothing awkward about the Walmart greeter waving your pee stick around for the entire store to see. I crossed my fingers that nobody I knew was in the vicinity as they deactivated the inventory control tag.   

The next morning I snuck off to the downstairs bathroom with the test in hand and waited patiently for the results. Ryan knew that I'd bought it but I woke up early so that there was less pressure. I can not pee under pressure. Less than 30 seconds later those fateful words appeared. Pregnant. 2-3 weeks. 

It was a wonderful, terrifying, nauseating, exciting moment.  I was growing a baby! Our baby! 

I headed upstairs to break the news to Ryan. I cried, I laughed, and we struggled to keep our big secret as we headed to Red Deer to celebrate a late Christmas with Ryan's family.

The months to follow seemed never-ending, but looking back now I can't believe that it's already been a year. What a journey the last 12 months have been! Everyday I'm so blessed and thankful for that little stick and for the end result... our gorgeous, perfect daughter.  

I'll never forget today, our preggo-versary! 

christmas time!

Christmas is over. Just like that.  It's time to take down the decorations, clean up the mess of wrapping paper, and get back to the gym after 3 days of excessive turkey and chocolate consumption. 

I'm always sad to see the end of the festive season. At least I can say that of all of the Christmases I've experienced in the course of my adult life, this year was certainly the best one yet.  

For starters, I wasn't working. That is a nice change from recent years in which December 25 was business as usual.  I finally had the opportunity to partake in all of the chaos and madness that is the holidays with family. It was the first entire Christmas Day that Ryan and I have ever spent together. It was the first time cramming in multiple family events in the course of only a few days. Most importantly, it was our first Christmas as parents.  That alone makes the holidays substantially more exciting.  

On Christmas Eve we headed to Ryan's aunt and uncle's house for the annual turkey dinner.  It was a busy day filled with food, family, and children galore.  With Aaralee being born in September and her cousin Evan being born earlier this month, the number of grandchildren in the family has doubled this year, much to the delight of Ryan's parents... particularly his mom. 

Despite the 3 month age gap, Evan is almost as big as Aaralee already. She's got him beat in the cheeks department, but it won't be long before he's caught up to our petite little girl. 

 

After a long day it was time to head home to get some sleep before an even busier day to follow. Being that it was Christmas Eve, we read Christmas books to Aaralee and left out cookies and milk for Santa. He probably would have preferred chocolate chip (I know that I would have!) but all that we had in the house were Arrowroot. 

The next morning was Christmas! We lounged in bed for awhile because Aaralee had been so kind as to gift us with a little bit more sleep than she typically allows.  Once we finally descended to the main level we were thrilled to find that Santa had arrived and spoiled both Aaralee and our fur baby, Niko.

It wasn't long before the living room floor was littered with wrapping paper and noisy baby toys. Aaralee may have been oblivious to the entire process, but Ryan and I loved every minute of it.  

As far as presents go, I couldn't have asked for much more than what I already had.  That said, I was pretty excited to indulge in a breakfast of chocolate from my stocking.  

Once we were showered and ready, it was off to Ryan's sister's house, where we had a roast beef lunch and the kids exchanged gifts. Aaralee was spoiled, yet again.  Next on the agenda was to drive to Red Deer to celebrate with my side of the family.  I was thrilled for turkey dinner number two. Between both families it was a long and busy day, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Getting our overtired and overstimulated baby to bed that evening was a bit of a challenge. There had been far too much excitement for her to take in. She finally fell asleep for the night at 1:30 am, much to this tired mama's relief.  

As adults who have no need for any excess junk to occupy space in our house, Boxing Day was far less of a thrill than it had been in our younger years. We did, however, have yet another turkey dinner awaiting us with some more of Ryan's (large) family.  We ate, we visited, and Aaralee was passed around for cuddles.  When it was time to go home I was sad to see the Christmas festivities end, but relieved to be home where we could relax and catch up on sleep. 

Farewell Christmas, until we meet again next year!