Truly Thankful

Richie and I just celebrated our first Thanksgiving with Tess. It was so much fun! She is walking and almost talking and enjoys being in the limelight. She makes us laugh. We feel truly thankful for all that we have in life but most of all for our beautiful precious baby girl. I don't think there has been a time in either of our lives that we have felt more grateful. As this holiday season gets into full swing I know that it won't be like any other holiday before. The true meaning of this special time has never seemed more important.

Time

"Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions." ~ John Randolph

I haven't written for a while. I have been waiting for the right moment or the right picture to post. In doing so, I have come to the realization that there is just not enough time. For the past month I have been feeling as though time is a scary ride that I can't stop and I can't get off of.

Tess will be a year old in just about two months (which also means Christmas is just around the corner)! I almost can't believe it. It is exciting and wonderful and thrilling. However, it also makes me feel a bit melancholy. I can't seem to catch up!
She is at daycare more than she is at home. Someone else is caring for her and soothing her and making her laugh more than either Richie or I are able to. She sees us two hours in the morning and maybe two hours in the evening.

Tess is at the top of my list, and she is the reason I do what I do, but unfortunately life calls and I feel like I am trying to squeeze my family into everything else that beckons my attention. It is very frustrating and somewhat overwhelming. There are days that when I drop Tess off, my eyes fill with tears for a moment. I just want time with her. It has all already gone by so quickly. I don't want to miss a moment with her.

However, I do know that all the work Richie and I do and the hours we put in is for her. And someday she will realize that too. We want her to have all that this world has to offer and that does not come easy or without sacrifice.

Look out world! Here she comes!

She's babbling, she's crawling, she's pulling herself up and she's even driving her very own pink Jeep Renegade! Ha ha!
In two weeks Tess will be 9 months and I am in disbelief as to how fast she has grown and all that she is able to do now! It is going by almost too fast. I want to capture every moment and put it in a jar. But, as much as I will miss her being a baby, I am so excited to hear her first word and to see her take her first step, all of which is just around the corner! We will keep you all updated as much as possible. It is so hard to keep up at this point. It seems as though she is changing and growing from week to week and sometimes even from day to day!

Can't Get Better Than This!

This past weekend we celebrated my 29th birthday at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. It was also our first "staycation". It was by far the best birthday weekend I have had in a long time. We went to the pool, we ate by the pool, we made messes that we didn't have to clean up and that I didn't nag Richie about (lol). But, best of all, we were able to just be together - all three of us. Some were sort of surprised that we spent a weekend at a posh resort with Tess. However, we would not have had it any other way! She only added to the fun and excitement! Like everything else in life since Tess, my birthday, was by far better than it was last year or the year before. Nonetheless, I have to admit - it hit me today, that I am headed down the last year of my 20s!

4th of July Parade

We kicked off the 4th of July holiday with our annual neighborhood parade. However, I must say, this is the first time we have participated. In the past we watched the parade walk by and maybe even waved. This year felt different, as most events do since the arrival of Tess. Richie and I found ourselves giggling and having a great time as we walked in a herd of red white and blue around the block with a fire truck as the grand finale! Tess enjoyed herself too. She smiled and laughed as she and Richie stood under the rain of water coming down. The firemen hooked up their hose to the hydrant and sprayed the entire parade of kids, parents and dogs.

We have already started to plan the outfit Tess might wear next year in the spirit of the holiday.

Father's Day; Every Day

Last Sunday we celebrated Richie's first Father's Day. Unfortunately, he spent a lot of it on the couch. As many of you know, he plays soccer at least once a week and last weekend while playing outdoor soccer he threw his back out and was unable to stand upright for a couple of days. I keep reminding him he is 31 not 25! LOL! Nonetheless he definitely deserved a day to nap and relax.

From the moment we found out I was pregnant until today, Richie has been an incredible father and husband (both of which I believe go hand in hand). He went to every ob/gyn appointment and made me feel beautiful even when the scale tipped at least 20 lbs. over his own weight! He would smile at me and say "That's good! You are doing what you should be as a pregnant lady!" When I didn't want to eat anything but cereal, he made his own dinner and when I craved something in particular he made sure I got it, even if it was something he did not want. He lifted things for me, switched out the laundry as it got harder and harder to lean over and he didn't roll his eyes when I "nagged" about cleaning or getting things done around the house. He finished Tess' nursery (just in time I might add) and I have to say - it is exactly what I had envisioned in my mind's eye!

Once Richie realized the time had come on that cold Christmas morning he was by my side the entire time. I never felt more in love with him than I did that day. Not only had he created with me the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen, but he proved himself to be my very best friend! When we got home, I was very sore and unable to move very well. He had to do a lot of the work and when I had a difficult time with breast feeding he stood up for me and did all he could to make me feel ok about my decisions. All of these things helped me be a better mother and I know I could not have done it without him.

Tess is 6 months old today! It is hard to believe! The three of us have so much fun together that the time has just flown by. Tess is a happy, sweet soul and I know that it is because she comes from love and laughter and happiness, but most of all because she has got Richie as her father!

Hats and Headbands

This is Tess wearing a headband. She looked adorable!



Tess in Dad's hat. We got a kick out of it and she did too!