home is where the heart is.

my heart still resides 100% in nashville, sad as it is. but, i got to go back home this past weekend- so my heart is now full with all the love, warmth and amazing people there.

heather, chris and summer welcomed lillian and i into there home oh so graciously while planning and prepping for their daughters first birthday. yeah, they are amazing. 

and if that wasn't enough, look how they welcomed us...

so sweet. i had my own coffee maker and everything. its the small things that matter, and coffee is actually a big thing when your daughter wakes up at 330 am due to time zone + daylight savings change. i swear the world did that to make our lives as mommas quite difficult. but thats just a side note.

summers first birthday was amazing, check out heathers blog here to read more. 

i found myself getting emotional on how big our little girls are heather! wow, times flies and we are so glad we were there to celebrate with y'all!

we also enjoyed the fall leaves (the drive through chattanooga was stunning) and the bestest of friends.

i savored a yoga class with daphne at sanctuary, as they opened their new and beautiful space while lillian hung with her aunts and uncles :) mindy, michael, caroline and adam- i love you all so much, tears come to my eyes when i think about how special you are to me and to lillian. thank you for letting me lay in savasana fully relaxed knowing lillian was having the time of her life. y'all are truly the best.

and if that wasn't enough love, we hung with robin and maisie on sunday morning, soaking up with swings + sun. pure joy.

the cutest, no?

now, with a bit of a heavy heart we are back in atlanta. leaving nashville is always so hard, but it has my heart and we will be back.

super powers.

i wouldn’t call myself a feminist, but women kind of kick ass. correction, they basically have super powers.

woman have the capability to make humans.

yeah, pause for a second and digest that one.

h u m a n beings.

real ones.

crazy right? it is mind blowing.

oh, and then after we create said human being we then proceed to learn to do everything with one hand. yes, we almost over night lose function of one side of our bodies at any given point because it is most likely holding:

a. a baby

b. baby related item 

c.all of the above

impressive. and if that isn’t enough, most of the time it isn’t even our dominant hand that we get to keep, see these babies always seem to like to be on our dominant side leaving us to fend with the un-dominant hand.

and theres more.

in come the boobs.

yup, we also lose full control of them too.

they leak, somewhat uncontrollably at first, they get taken advantage of and are in higher demand than on your honeymoon.

the real cherry on top? woman somehow can hold said baby, breastfeed and simultaneously cook, clean, brush teeth and or save the world. one-armed, with no boobs and half asleep.

so, this officially is my ode to woman. you are a m a z i n g. whether you have a child or not, you are the worlds most amazing multitasker, your beautiful and stronger than any superhero i know. (ok, i don’t know a lot of superheros but i am pretty sure they wouldn’t want to mess with most women i do know).

grace & thank you.

grace has never really been my strong suit. growing up i was always the kid tripping on the play ground, with my pb & j still all over my face. oh, and don't even get me started on the hair. yikes.

side note: thank you mom for the MASSIVE bows in my hair. only drawing attention to that fact that it was an absolute mess :)

also not my strong suit? saying yes, please, i could use some help and thank you. i have always thought i was the best person suited for each task in front of me making it thus impossible for me to allow anyone else to meddle in my business. or, in other words, help me.

stubborn am i? oh yes. brutally so at times (insert: my husband shaking his head violently yes) which has both pushed me to the top at times and hindered me at others.

so, skip forward to today:

me, lillian and all the shit  necessary stuff that comes with us every where we go (stroller, diaper bag, snacks, sippy cup, extra snacks incase other snack suddenly becomes the most disgusting thing in the world {daily occurrence}, blanket, giraffe...etc.) head out to shop.

mission: find some presents for upcoming events.

destination: westside urban market 

we had heard lots of fun things about this warehouse turned outdoor shopping center and i decided today was the day to take our adventure.

i also decided since i was headed into the "posh" side of atlanta i should get my act together, ie. wear clothing that doesn't consist of 90% spandex on the bottom + 100% slouchy cotton on the top, because lets be honest that just = sloppy mom. {which i am proudly most days of the week}

i digress.

i get myself showered (huge, i know!) and dressed, lillian wakes up and i get her dressed (naturally she looks way cuter than i do) and we hit the road with all of the above.

we get there i and i am doing great, feeling good, get her in the stroller and all cozy, with snack in hand. we find this adorable kids boutique and begin to browse.

before i have left the store i have thanked 3 people for picking up either

a. a goldfish 

b. giraffe

c. her blanket

or

d. all of the above at once

as we continue to shop i thank people for opening doors for me, picking up more of the things she sends flying from the stroller & moving out the of the way of said stroller.

as we dine (yes, we are SO posh, we don't eat, we dine) i realize i have ordered our food, gotten lillian all set in her high chair to realize i forgot my drink (and hers since we share) on the other side of the cafe. i can't get it since i can't leave her, i know absolutely no one to ask to watch my baby (because asking a stranger is just a bit out there for me)... so, we ate without a drink for a bit until my falafel was stuck in my throat and lillian was looking at me like, are we in the desert woman? where is some water?

so, i asked. i asked a woman if she would mind retrieving my water for me.

and you know what, she was more than happy to help. she even brought me a little cup with a straw for lillian. 

side note: i live in the south :)

driving home today i realized both that i am still not the most graceful mom, i drop things constantly, am always leaving something behind and pretty much always look like a mess no matter how hard to try not to. and the hair, um, still yikes. 

but, what i have learned to embrace is the power of saying, can you help please? and thank you. 

honestly, wow, things are much easier when i don't always do them myself :)

thanks motherhood, you sure are rockin' my world.

still thinking...in the meantime, happy halloween!

thanks for those of you who have offered your feedback, much appreciated :) keep it coming!

if you don't know what i am talking about, click here.

in the meantime,

happy halloween from our little tooth fairy.

and her adoring parents.

a little help, please?

it goes without saying there have been a lot of changes around these parts and well, i have been doing some thinking.

does this blog make sense anymore?

i have loved every post, sharing my pregnancy and almost the whole first year of lillian's life, but i am feeling a bit like this whole blog thing has turned into a public photo album. which, frankly, is kind of starting to freak me out.

so, take the pictures off?

well, then what am i left with?

every once and awhile i have something to say, something worth value, i believe in that. but, not sure this is the media format in which i really wish to express it and remember it.

so, feedback? thoughts?

anyone?

much appreciated. always.

so much, so fast.

meeting aunt lauren for the first time, snuggling with grandma & learning football in the park.

swinging with lauren, georgia & annie in the park.

 testing out the bean bag chair at our new pediatrician, riding a horse at the park, swinging (notice a theme?) & enjoying the view on a hike.

happy hikers & our beautiful discoveries.

 happiness all around.

 learning how to stand, all on my own! walking, here i come!

bike rides = bliss. 

and doesn't this picture just make your day?

it does mine :)

hope everyone is having a great week like we are! nothing like family and friends to remind you of the love in the world and what really does matter.

aquarium adventure.

not sure who had more fun, me, caroline or lillian. thanks for the visit caroline! 

we love and adore you :)

good thing to know i have whale sharks to bribe you with :)