The Christmas Tree Farm

After all the Christmas decorating I've done for the shop, I was having a hard time getting motivated to decorate at home. I know, what a terrible attitude, for the mother of a small child! Anyway, Sean put lights up on the house last week, and still, I couldn't get excited about pulling that same old artificial tree out of the attic. But there happens to be the cutest little Christmas Tree Farm on the outskirts of town. They actually provide you with a saw and a cart, and let you do all the rest. Sean had his doubts at first, but I insisted we give it a try (for the sake of building new family tradition) and it turned out to be a fun day for all! So far, none of us seem to be allergic, which was definitely a concern of mine. The new tree was a perfect fit and it even made our old, nostalgic ornaments seem new again. I'll take some photos of the finished tree and post them a little later. For now, enjoy these of Willa running wild though the forest, hiding (not quite behind the tree,) and posing with her daddy.

Feliz Aniversario!

For some reason, Sean and I don't ever do anything! I mean, we are so lame! Our own birthdays, eh...New Year's Eve, in bed before the ball drops...Friday and Saturday nights, no different than the rest...maybe it's because we always seem to have some other obligation, or more likely, we're just lazy. But this weekend, on September 11th, we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. The milestone, coupled with the realization that by no. 11 we'll hopefully have a new baby attached to our hearts and my bosom. A big vacation reminiscent of our honeymoon seemed like kind of a now or (practically) never opportunity.

So I spontaneously texted Sean from my office last month, suggesting that we take a trip to Mexico then come home and have another baby. He liked the idea - so I booked both the trip and my doctor's appointment that day.

We arrived into Cancun on Wednesday afternoon and were shuttled to our beautiful hotel in fabulous Playa del Carmen. We checked in, ordered ceviche and a cerveza and a margarita from the thatched-roof bar on the beach. After our snack, we walked up one block to 5th Avenue and strolled among the little shops, open-air restaurants, gelato bars, and quaint downtown hotels.

The next day, Sean delivered a Starbucks latte to my bedside and then we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast on the beach. After that, we claimed one of the cozy mattresses in the sand, and slept and read and people-watched for the entire day. Except for that hour I was getting a $35 full body massage. On. The. Beach.

The following 3 days went pretty much the same way. Tempura-battered fish tacos. Chips and fresh lime, pico de gallo, and curry-coconut milk-pineapple salsa. Pina Coladas. Guacamole. Sun. Sleep. Souvenir shopping. My completion of the first Sookie Stackhouse novel. And a chance meeting of Sean's old flame in the airport bathroom. ;-)

A decade later, and ten times the size, Playa del Carmen is still the perfect match for me. I'm pretty sure Sean thoroughly enjoyed himself, as well. We will be going back...and taking friends, family, and our kid(s)...and it won't be ten years this time. Mark those words.

Baby-less

I just have a few minutes to post while I sit in the airport terminal awaiting my flight to LA. Sean and Willa just dropped me off a little while ago, and I'll be meeting Melissa at LAX in a few hours. It is very early in the morning, and I had little sleep last night. But I can't let that slow me down - I have a nonstop weekend ahead, filled with market appointments, shopping and dining at my favorite spots, possibly a couple hours of spa pampering, and maybe even some celebrity sightings. We'll have to see what the limited time and budgeted funds will allow.

As much as I have dreaded this first trip away from Willa, I'm not all that emotional about it this morning. This past week has worn me out so much that I think I'm too tired to even process it. Billie Jean was out all week, and town was swarming with Spring Breakers. So I was basically on my own (with Willa) until my after school help came in each day. Business has been very good at the shop and the B&B has been booked solid. It hasn't been easy trying to hold everything down while preparing for this trip and spending extra quality time with my girl. It has been true exercise in multi-tasking and delegating.

Yesterday, I asked Caitlan, who happens to be on the Work Program at FHS, to take an Emergency Work Day and help me at the shop all day. I had a hair appointment first thing in the morning and finally got my embarrassing roots taken care of. (I'm just barely a blond nowadays, thanks to full-fledged adulthood and pregnancy hormones.) Then I ran an errand I've been trying to get to for the past three weeks, and stocked up on my face products. (Sean's bar of Dove soap was starting to take a toll on my skin.) When I got to the store, I put Willa down for her morning nap, threw on my imaginary maid uniform, and headed upstairs to scrub the tubs and toilets before the new B&B guests arrived. Thankfully, Billie Jean got back into town just in time to come to my rescue and entertain Willa for a while after her nap. I used that time to get some new merchandise out on the floor, finalize my market schedule, and prepare my budget. Sean came a little later and picked up Willa so I could stay late and make sure everything was in order in my office, the bills were paid, the deposits were made, the emails were answered, etc. Sean and Willa met me at my mom's for dinner (thanks, Mom!), then we went home, put Willa to bed, and I started packing. I had to run back up to the shop at 10 pm for some extra outfits because I realized at the last minute that I hate all of my clothes. It is crucial to feel good about your fashion choices when attending the LA Fashion Market. FYI.

Okay, my flight is boarding...Gotta run! I'll try to be in touch!

A Little Individual

Some of my friends have said Willa looks like a mixture of Sean and me, but I'm sure they're just being nice. I almost can't believe the resemblance in these first photos of Sean and Willa. Don't get me wrong, I think its fantastic that Willa looks so much like her dad. But I will continue to watch closely, wait patiently, and hope that someday I'll catch a glimpse of myself in her. Maybe she'll have my laugh, or my sense of style, or my mint aversion. I'll be happy with any obscure, insignificant similarity, just so that it gives a little reassurance that she is also a part of me. It still seems hard to believe that I am actually a mother, not just a babysitter to this precious child. That after all these years of effort and doubt, we have overcome infertility and we have Willa, a beautiful, wonderful, real person to love and to teach and to share our lives with. Somebody should really pinch me because it still seems like a dream!

I was reading on a parenting website that at this age, 10 months, you can start to predict your child's personality based on their temperament. I've been doing this all along. (Don't we all?) But having read an expert's take on it, my once-frivolous predictions seem to carry a bit more weight. So here is what I have observed so far: First of all, like her physical appearance, her personality has very little resemblance to mine. (Or Sean's, for that matter.) It is a strong one. She is extraordinarily decisive, determined, and confident. She knows what she wants, and she goes for it, without any reservations or fears. She is incredibly social and outgoing and revels in the steady flow of fresh faces that pass through the shop. Customers are often drawn to Willa, and they usually get back more than they have bargained for. After a quick introduction, Willa makes friends, and without any prompting, reaches out, and invites herself into their arms. Its cute, but also a little awkward. Mostly because I never know for sure when I'll get her back. She doesn't usually return to me nearly as freely as she leaves. Of course that's embarrassing and always makes me wonder what kind of unfit mother I must appear to be. I'm not, by the way. It is just evidence of another unexpected personality trait, her independence. Willa enjoys having her space and is very entertained by herself, playing, studying, and laughing at her own antics. She has recently developed this new smile that perfectly displays the lone tooth in her top gums. She crinkles her nose, squints her eyes, and holds the pose just long enough to get a hearty reaction from her audience. She is turning into a performer, a little clown, the life of the party.

I look forward to watching her personality take shape over the years to come. Sean and I expect to be endlessly entertained and challenged by this foreign, yet refreshing disposition. And if these first 10 months are any indication, I know we'll have so much fun!

Lazy Sunday

Sean and Willa looked so sweet this morning, I couldn't resist taking these. Here Sean was, trying to enjoy a slow start to his day, and Willa was not having it. It was a truly perfect moment that, to me, epitomizes life with children and the simple joy they bring. I've never been a morning person, but motherhood has changed that. My favorite part of the day is when I first greet Willa. No matter how little sleep I've gotten overnight, I can hardly wait to pick her up and kiss those fresh, rosy cheeks. This morning, she actually played for a while in her crib before calling for one of us to come and get her. Sean and I just laid in bed and eavesdropped on her conversation. Speaking of simple joys, we could have listened for hours to the cute sounds that were coming from her crib. There is a new word she keeps using, it's something like, "Deece, Deece." It is usually accompanied by a pointed index finger, as if she is saying "What's this?" Oh, and I am also pleased to say that Mama-ma, and Dada are officially part of her vocabulary. Since I'm on the subject of her development, she has been sleeping through the night (8 sharp to 7-ish) consistently for a couple of weeks now. Her sleep issues have been our hardest hurdle, so this is huge for us. She also has 3 teeth (2 on the bottom, 1 on top) and is working on 2 more. It's only a matter of time before she bites that cute protruding tongue and decides to start keeping it inside her mouth.

Ouch!

Willa had an accident today. She tumbled off the edge of the carport and planted her sweet face into the dirt driveway. I was at work and Sean was keeping her at home. The two of them were having fun outside, until Sean turned his back for two seconds and she took a wrong turn in her (hazardous, I know) walker. It had to have hurt and I'm sure it scared her. But I think Sean felt worse. He text messaged me right away to let me know that it had happened and that she was okay. He had managed to get the "tough little monkey" cleaned up and calmed down using some goldfish as a "peace offering." By the time I got home, Rebekah, Brooklyn, and Camden had come over with a pizza. Needless to say, Willa had long forgotten about her fall and was having a grand old time playing hostess to her friends. She had her first pizza roll and LOVED it. Then it was time for her bath. Camden felt left out, so we let her join in the fun, and it was GREAT! They were sharing toys and kisses. And it just took a bigger kid to show Willa how to really splash! Once she figured it out, she was cracking herself up and belly-laughing so hard she almost fell over. It was hilarious and SOOO cute.

Daddy's Fraulein

Last year, Sean went with Jeff Jeffers, Rudy Pesek, and Chris on a European vacation. During their time in Austria, Sean found an authentic German dirndl for his (yet-to-be-born) daughter. The plan was for her to wear it to her first Oktoberfest here at home. And the plan came to fruition last Saturday night. Sean, looking dapper in suede lederhosen and a felt hat, proudly paraded his little fraulein around Marktplatz. We ate sausage and sauerkraut (Sean, NOT me) for dinner, and I upheld tradition and treated my sweet tooth with a delicious deep-fried funnel cake. No Fredericksburg Fest would be complete without one. We kept Willa up well past her bedtime, but for good reason. There are too few opportunities for us to celebrate our awesome German heritage. So we soaked up as much as we could in the short time we were there. Then we took our sleepy girl back home, enjoying the oompahs over our 4 block walk. We had a great time. And Sean and Willa both looked so cute! I might even get a pretty dirndl for myself next year. But don't hold your breath.

So Good Together

How sweet it is to wake up every morning with a gentle kiss on the cheek and a "Goodbye " as he heads off to work. Although this morning it was a "Happy Anniversary." We celebrated 9 years today, which makes it a fitting time to reflect on the joys of our marriage. I've always felt fortunate that Sean and I were just friends before we were a couple, and I attribute the strength of our relationship to that fact. I cherish the way he knows me so well, sometimes better than I know myself. And even though we have different interests (domino, the game vs. domino, the magazine; cold Bud Light vs. mod pendant light; whitetail deer hunting vs. vintage ceramic deer hunting) we completely get each other. Sean recognizes my idiosyncrasies, and even when they drive him nuts, he fully appreciates that they make me who I am, the girl he fell for at the Plateau Cafe. I admire Sean for his generosity, values and open mind. And I enjoy his sense of humor and intellect. He believes in me, and respects me, and makes me want to be a better person. It's been 9 years and I still melt when he looks at me that certain way (smitten and slightly amused.) And when I watch him share a tender moment with Willa, my heart swells up with fulfillment. Happy Anniversary and thanks for the date!

My New Gadget

Sean and I will celebrate our 9th Wedding Anniversary on September 11th. We don't usually do gifts, but having Willa around has brought about the need for us to capture and document our colorful life. So Sean bought me a fancy new camera and we played around with it a bit yesterday evening. These are a few of my favorite shots.

Here Goes Nothing...

So I've been watching Jordan blog away for the past couple of weeks, and it looked like such fun, I just had to take a crack at it myself. I figure, why not? I have ample time on my hands, you know? Sean actually suggested it. He teases me regularly for my bedtime routine...designsponge - ohdeedoh - apartmenttherapy - nonchalantmom - babychic101...in that order...always. But what, you might ask, could I offer to the wonderful world of blogging? I'm not promising a whole lot. We'll see how it goes. We all may be pleasantly surprised.
So now what...
I think I'll hit the sack. This has kept me up much later than usual. I hope to get my pj's on and slip into bed before Willa wakes up, needing her lovie, paci, and some reassuring shushing.

Goodnight.