Missing Milestones and Avoiding a Meltdown (for both mom and child)

Oops, I did it again.

Nope, not the Brittany song but the real life, mommy moments that I have. Just when I feel like a mom rock star, I do it again and feel that dreaded, pit in the stomach, "I am a mom fail" feeling all over again. 

I missed a moment. Not like a temper-tantrum moment or a "watch me mom" moment but a really, crucial, it only happens once kind of moment. 

If it sounds like I have done this more than once, you are right. And it doesn't feel good. The missed first lost tooth, the Christmas recital...and now, the second missed pre-school graduation ceremony. (Yes, I said second.) I know, I know, "it's just pre-school" says every non-mommy out there. But you all get me. And I missed it. 

Now the reasons why these things happen are not important, but what is important here is that there are ways to cope with the missed milestones, ways that will benefit both you and your
child. The bottom line is that, no matter how hard you try, unless you are Wonder Woman (and we all want to be her), you are going to miss moments. At some point in time, it is going to happen.

So, the bigger question is HOW can we cope when these moments are missed? What are some strategies to use when that time actually comes? 

I have three strategies that not only will sooth your soul, but also that of your child's.

Forgive Yourself

Memories in the Making: Celebrate by having a family adventure,
going to your favorite restaurant or making a favorite meal!

We all know that "mom guilt" is a tough one. I am sure most moms, at some point during the day feel a sense of that and it is at its strongest when we miss a special moment. You are an amazing mom. Your children are fed, clothed and loved. That is really what matters.

Talk to Your Child
Whether you know you are going to miss the special moment or realize it in hindsight, talk to your child about their accomplishment. Remind them how much you love them, how proud you are and that there is no other place that you would rather be then there with them. It is not as important to give them the reason why you were absent but rather the fact that you missed not being able to be there.

Celebrate in Your Own Way 
All things can be fixed with a proper celebration. Who needs to traditional award ceremony in the dark auditorium anyway? Decide how to celebrate and make the milestone special. Better yet, ask your child how they would like to celebrate their accomplishment. Make your little one feel special and recognize them in your own, unique, family way. These are the memories that will last.

It is not about the missed milestone but rather the make up moment. You can create the joy and celebration of what your child has accomplished on your own time and in your own way. Chin up mama, I know how important it is to be there for EVERYTHING but unless you are going to follow your kids around FOREVER (please, don't be that mom), there will be missed moments. But you and your magical mom touch can still ensure that the special moment is celebrated and captured forever. 

Spending Time: Quality or Quantity?

We spend plenty of time with our kids, I mean, practically all our time, right? But have you ever stopped to think about what KIND of time you are spending?

Think about it, is your time simply time spent (quantity) or is it truly focused and uninterrupted (quality) time?

Remember the "good old days" when dinner time was simply that, the whole family sitting down catching up on one another's day. Or bed time included stories, possibly bible readings and prayers?

Quality time is crucial for connecting with your family. It is when bonds form, values and ethics are taught and honest communication is encouraged. Further, what messages are we teaching our kids about relationships and bonding when we allow time to together be constantly interrupted by television, iPads and phones? That our time with them is important...until our notifications sound?

I know this is hard! We are moms and we will multi-task! It is in our nature to try to do a bunch of things all at once, but when it comes to our loves ones, we need to make time for quality.

Here are three tips:

1. Include Your Children
Sometimes it is inevitable to have to get things done when your kids are carving attention. Try including them in the tasks that you have to do when possible. Take them with you to the grocery store and allow them to pick up a fruit or vegetable to purchase. If you can't avoid working from home, perhaps there is something they can help you with - stacking papers up neatly, sorting, etc.

2. Turn Off Technology

Hiking is one of our family faves for spending quality time.

Ok, I know, I am ADDICTED to my phone. Like sheer panic, the world is caving in when I can't find it addicted. But when I stop and think about how much I allow checking my phone to sidetrack me when I am with my kiddos, it saddens me. So...it's time to turn it off. Whether this mean ringers on silent, putting the phone in another room, enabling "Do Not Disturb", shut it down, at least for chunks of time and show your kids that they have you full, undivided attention. Better, yet, go someplace that is just not phone friendly. Our family's new favorite is going hiking - can  you say limited cell phone reception?

3. Divide and Conquer
Sometimes your kiddos need time with you one on one. When this happens divide and conquer. If you have more than one child, this is the perfect opportunity to split the kids up among parents or family members and give each of them some one on one time. Remember those special moments you spent alone with one of your parents or family members? Your kiddos will too. :)

Do you have special things that you do for quality time? Please share them with us!

Don't forget to join our rock star community of moms over at Haute Mom!

USA Inspired Party Pleasers

As many people prepare for company this weekend, it is time to share my favorite USA inspired snacks that I have come across. Inspirations that will take us all the way through Labor Day.

We can all do the red, white and blue fruit kabobs, and while always a favorite, this haute mom goes for savvy, smart and creative. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are about as simple as boiling water.

A Sweet and Patriotic Treat

This idea is pure genius and sure to be enjoyed by everyone. Blog Room to Inspire hit the jackpot with some Red Vines and a bit of patriotic scrapbook paper.

• Cut the paper in strips
• Wrap the strips around a bundle of Red Vines
• Secure with double stick place. 

Easy even for a kitchen rookie like me!




Red and Blue With Flavor

This is at the top of my list because it involves, you guessed it, no cooking what so ever!

Note: This can also be mixed up with regular chips (hello blue potato and regular chips) as well as probably a hundred other yummy possibilities.

• Purchase patriotic paper cones or make some with scrapbook paper. 
• Toss in red and blue tortilla chips, colored potato chips or any other colorful combo of snack items!

The other thing that makes this straight from the smarty pants brain is that it cuts down on cooties. Nobody likes all those hands in the community chip bowl.

Patriotic Sugar Wafers

You had me at wafer. Everyone loves a little something sweet and is it just me or are cakes and cupcakes a little over done? Besides, none of us moms want our kids chowing down on that..I mean, hellooooo...can you say HYPER? I think these are the perfect size, simple to make (way more than baking) and who doesn't love a wafer?

You will need:

1. 1 package each of colored chocolate candy melts (found in the cake decorating aisle)

2. 1 package vanilla sugar wafers

3. Assorted sprinkles

• Melt half the colored candy melts according to instructions
• Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and dip each wafer into the chocolate
• Place the dipped wafers onto the paper and cover with sprinkles
• Allow to dry

Place in an airtight container so they don't go stale!

What a fun dessert thanks to Southern Made Simple! Perfect for kids to help with!

Here is to a great weekend of family, friends and love as many gather together in honor and thanks to those that have served and are serving our country.

My Kids Live on Goldfish - Barriers to Being a Healthy Chef

Every mother dreams of being able to prepare and deliver amazing, healthy meals to their families. Visions of plates full of fresh fruits and vegetables and roasted (skinless, of course) chicken dance through all of our heads. And we watch with pride as our children gobble it up and politely ask for seconds.

Ha! As if! 

Please tell me why nobody pulls us aside when our kids begin eating solid foods to tell us the reality of what feeding our littles is like. Even IF we had the time to prepare those yummy meals, would they even eat it? You all know the answer to that.

The truth is, for me, that my kids live on Goldfish crackers. Well, Goldfish crackers and chicken nuggets with some apple slices thrown in here or there. Do they eat ANYTHING healthy? Of course! With some serious crying, whining, threatening and bribing that may or may not take place.

If I am being honest here, being that role model chef, is not all that it's cut out to be, is it?

There are many barriers that us moms face when preparing meals for our families. And those barriers alone are enough for most of us to throw in the oven mitt and pull out the hot dogs.

Common barriers that all moms face:

Time - Who HAS the time? Most families have erratic schedules. Whether you work outside of the home or are a stay at home mom, it is nearly impossible to have set meal times. Between your and your spouse's work schedules, kids' homework, practices and lessons and meal preparation, who can get dinner on the table by a decent time?

Budget - Fresh fruits and vegetables and trendy "health" foods like quinoa and coconut oil are expensive! The most budget friendly foods we can find include those that are canned, frozen or come out of a box. While not the poster children for healthy foods, these types of food answer a lot of our prayers, cheap, kid-friendly and easy to prep.

Lack of Resources - Coupon clipping, recipes, the ins-and-outs of meal prep and all things every mom wants. But a lot of us don't have these tools! Yes, Pinterest is awesome, but who has the time? Yes, I would love to make steel cut oats for breakfast, but how do you make them? Meal prepping on Sundays would save so much time during the week but how is it done? Do we have to eat the same thing every night because ain't no child in my house is going for that unless it's fries and chicken fingers.

These barriers are the exact reason why we find ourselves buying the same four things as the grocery store or inventing family nights like "Pizza Tuesday" and "Mac 'n Cheese Monday". But it DOESN'T have to be this way. No it doesn't!! Stay tuned for the solutions to these common mom problems and let's get our family food habits back in track!

In the meantime, share YOUR biggest barrier!

Stay Haute During the Holidays

The holidays are a time of joy, laughter, and festivities. Festivities mean parties and parties mean food. The holiday times usually mean chaos for the family schedule and eating.

I really try to celebrate the holidays without allowing all the unhealthy food and sweets to throw my family off track. This is important to me since I run frequently and am always trying to eat smart for my next half marathon adventure. Being a health educator, I also know the importance of keeping my little ones from going off the junk food deep end.
These are some things I do to model healthy holidays around the house:

Substitute Low Fat/Low Calorie Ingredients
• I often use two egg whites in the place of one egg. I've learned this can reduce the cholesterol and produce the same result.
• Try to substitute applesauce for oil, margarine or butter in muffins, breads and sweets. I try substituting a small amount at first; the more I substitute, the more the texture of the finished product changes. My family never notices the difference!
• For dips, sauces, dressings and pie toppings, I use fat-free ingredients. Fat-free yogurt, sour cream and whipped topping have the same effect without the extra fat.
• Choose reduced-fat or low-fat cheeses for salads and casseroles. This is easier on the waist and the kids’ tummies.

Party Smart
• I try to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Low-fat yogurt with granola and berries, eggs with whole wheat toast and tomatoes, or toast with peanut butter and bananas. Eating a hearty breakfast makes the whole family less likely to indulge in holiday goodies throughout the day, wherever they may be.
• I choose carefully between foods you definitely will eat, those you will sample and those to skip. I talk to Stella, my 3-year-old, about what to avoid before the party, and we stick with that plan. For example, we will plan to eat dinner with some vegetables BEFORE we get dessert.
• I don’t rush to eat. Socialize and settle into the festivities before eating.
• Moving the socializing away from the buffet or appetizer tray is something that always keeps me out of trouble. It's my secret to minimizing unconscious nibbling.
• I fill the family’s plate with fruits, vegetables, and other healthy choices. This makes less room for those high calorie/fatty foods.

Stay On The Move
• I try to schedule outside time even if it means only heading out for 20-30 minutes before it gets dark. This keeps the family moving and off the couch.
• I encourage my family and guests to join me on walks or runs. If I have visitors, I ask them to come along. If they don’t run, I take them for a nice walk.
• I like to join in holiday and family-friendly events this time of year. There are so many fun walking/running events through the holiday season. Events such as the Holiday Half in Pomona have family fun expos all the way to half marathons that welcome costumes and strollers! That’s where we will be this weekend!

Thanksgiving Thanks

It's no secret that my family has been going through tough times. But we are not different than any family. Everyone experiences ups and downs.

Something that I am finding out is that these tough times are changing my ways, my thinking, my attitudes. Changing them forever.

I have become so much more thankful than I used to be. Things that I used to take for granted have become daily blessings. It is surprising actually that I had so much and never noticed. Now that so much is gone, I'm more grateful for the little things.

So to say my thanks and spread the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to share my new found blessings I give thanks for.

1. I am thankful that my alarm goes off at 5 a.m. in the morning so that I can head out for a dawn run. I see the sunrise and smell early morning a few times a week, and that's something many people miss.

2. I am thankful that I can only run three or four miles during the week because I have to rush back to get ready for work. My job used to be something that tied me down, but now it is everything that allows me to provide for my family.

3. I am thankful for my community. There are people who I barely know who have come forward, in amazing ways, to offer help, assistance and support. It humbles me, and it makes me want to be a better person.

4. I am thankful for the little voices and pitter-patter of feet that wake me up on the few days I have the luxury of sleeping in. They are my children, my reason behind any action, my heart.

5. I am thankful for my health. I can run, jump, play and swim with my family.

6. I am thankful for the roof over my head. With its old electrical system and its leaky roof, it keeps us warm at night and provides shelter, which unfortunately, some people do not have.

7. I am thankful for my family. While family can be such a source of headache and drama, my family has circled around us, supported us during our worse times.

8. I am thankful for my hubby. We don’t always get along, and we don’t always agree, but I am most thankful that in our toughest times we have one another to lean on. I have a person who will always be on my team through thick and thin.

Regardless of situation or circumstance, it is the start of the season of giving thanks and spreading joy. Joy, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, and I am so grateful that my vision is clear.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

It's All About Being a Mom

Being a mom is hard. I learned that long time ago, when I had my first child.  And just when I thought I had figured it all out, I got pregnant. And now I have two little ones. Stella is just shy of three years old and our new addition, Carter is seven months.

My reward for sucking it up.

To make things a little more complicated, I just went back to work. Back to work as in my full time job and my part-time evening job. I love both jobs so it wasn’t difficult to go back except for the fact that now all the other things that have to get done have to wait until after 5 pm.

Some people say since the hubby is home (he lost his job at the beginning of 2013,) he can do those things that need to get done around the house.  For those of you who have hubbies, you can laugh with me. Ha.

Every now and then, I feel like a superhero. And it’s a good feeling.  Yesterday, I got to work at 7 a.m. I ran home at lunch to nurse Carter. I had to be at my second job by 4:00 and got back home around 6:00. I threw dinner on the stove, put the running shoes on and hit the pavement for a four mile run. I got back in time to have dinner with my family. Granted I was sweaty but beggars can’t be choosers.

There was a day when I might have thrown myself a pity party.  I would have been bummed because I had too many things to do to go out for a run.  Or I would have felt guilty for choosing to run (which keeps me sane) and then ordering take out, or not having dinner with my kids.

But this time I grabbed the bull by the horns and took charge. It felt good.  I have learned that sometimes, you just have to suck it up. Because maybe, every now and then, you can be a good mom. And that is what it's all about.

A Year and a Half Milestone!

I cannot believe that a year-and-a-half has gone by already.  It seems like just yesterday when I started blogging about how much my life had changed.  There are so many things that have are different and strangely, many things that are not.  The important things in your life as a person no longer hold true as a parent.  Each day I wake up with one thing in mind, my daughter. How has time gone by so quickly?

Here are some of the things Stella has taught me in the past year and a half:

• You don't know love until you have a child.
• Each day is a new day of discovering and learning. 
• You can never start getting ready to head out too early.
• Sick days are no longer reserved for when you get sick.
• A clean house is no longer the same as a tidy house.
• There is no end to laundry...or dishes...or taking the trash out.
• It doesn't matter how haute you look; sticky fingers can change that in a heart beat.
• No job can ever prepare you for being a mommy.

Being a mother has opened up my world in so many ways. I only have Stella to thank for all of the ways I have grown in the past year and a half!  Happy 18 months Stella!

On the Road Again

As I sit in the backseat of our car and watch the dog sprawl out in the front, I can't help but think about my left leg that is cramping. That and, more importantly, the fact that we had such an amazing week in Northern California with my family.

Stella enjoys her grandparents so much. It is so apparent when she runs to them to give them hugs almost everytime they walk into the room. There were even a number of times she refused to leave her grandfather to come to me! We spent some time with my brother before he left for Prague and Hung out with my sister who won Stella's heart after she shared her make-up brushes. The weather was beautiful and we got out to enjoy some pool time and baseball games. Stella even had her first train ride into San Francisco for the ball game!

The biggest treat was being able to getaway for my 35th birthday (to Napa) and for a romantic night out for our anniversary yesterday. Not having to worry about who is watching your baby (and not having to pay) makes a world of difference! My hubby even surprised me with an iPad2!

Although we have been there for a week, it never seems long enough. I am sure my poor mom would disagree. I love having family close by and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm heading home with something missing.

Stella enjoying the pool

Our anniversary dinner

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Haute Mom Dilemma #48 ~ We Are Family

Family is always that double edge sword; you love them so much but they sure can drive you nuts. No matter how we feel about our family growing up, the importance of family really does come out when you have your own child. Most of my family lives 400 miles away with the exception of my brother. It never gets old watching Stella interact with her grandparents, aunt, and uncle.

It has been weighing heavily on me knowing that Stella is about to lose regular time with her Uncle Jordan. He is moving to the Czech Republic next week to play in a European hockey league. This has been his dream for many years and as big sister, I am so happy and excited for him. There is a huge part of me that feels as though a part of me is going away and I ache that Stella will no longer have her uncle around on a regular basis.

As a first time mom with no immediate family nearby, I work to get over the fact that Stella does not have my family close. She does get to see my parents once a month and we all try to Skype on a regular basis. The thing I've come to learn is that family is all around and blood relation doesn't have to be the most important factor. Stella has "relatives" all around her and thanks to our fantastic friends, we have that same support as those with family close by. We sure will miss Uncle Jordan though (me especially). I guess a European vacation is in our future.

Stella and Uncle Jordan

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Lazy Sunday - Family Time

Lazy Sundays, a day where I do as little as possible in preparation for the work week ahead, are slowly shaping into Family Sundays.  With this day being the only day my husband and I have off together, we are now finding things to do together, and with Stella now that she is older.

I remember back in my non-mommy days, Sundays were called "Sunday Fundays".  Long days filled with champagne brunch, mismosas, beers, and BBQs have turned into days just as fun, but so different.  My hubby even tried to talk me into getting a pedicure today (that must be a clue as to the shape of my toes) and I turned him down, asking instead to spend the morning as a family at Disneyland.  No, I was not under the influence of any foregin substance.  Honestly, that is all I wanted to do.

I love spending time as a family, enjoying Stella, even if it means I go without a pedicure or the laundry doesn't get done.  Well, I lie, I did the laundry yesterday, but the point is that family time has taken over as first place in my list of things to do.  A year has gone by and boy has my life changed.  Mimosas and too much sun has changed into sunscreen and a $5.00 bottle of water at Disneyland.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Happy Sunday haute moms!

Stella's First Birthday - A Haute Mom Never Does It Alone

I know all us haute moms dream about the grand 1st birthday party that we are all going to throw our little ones.  It is natural for us since, as haute moms, we thrive on party planning.  And not just any old party planning, but THEMED party planning!  Secretly, I started months ago when I bought a hot pink zebra birthday banner for Stella from Bannerparty.  I couldn't draw myself away from the sassy hot pink and zebra print in the banner - I felt it was a definite match for Stella's personality.

After the theme was decided, I just couldn't help myself.  My hubby thought I was "getting a little nuts" with the zebra print and hot pink but I shrugged him off as we haute moms do and continued on my merry planning.  We decided to have the party at our tiny little house even though we were expeting about 40 people to come.  My hubby was in charge of cleaning and I took care of the rest.  We invited friends and family and were shocked at the turn out! 

Etsy was a HUGE help in finding matching decorations and items.  Kenzy Bug supplied hot pink zebra gift bags, matching tutus, and even a matching tank top and bows for me and the family.  Her stuff was DARLING and reasonable!  I bought matching cupcake toppers from Get The Party Started that were seriously one of the greatest things I have spent money on in a long time.  The toppers had different messages on them and, of course, fit right in with the theme.  She had so many cute things to buy for themed birthdays but I had to restrain myself.  They came super fast too!  Last but not least, I have to mention the cupcakes.  I got them from Delightful by the Dozen, a local cupcake maker who has the most delicious cupcake AND they deliver! She had a fantastic choice of flavors and she even dyed some of the frosting hot pink to go with the colors!

All in the all, the party was fabulous and we were surrounded by our closest friends and family.  Stella even got to meet her great-grandfather for the first time which, to me, was the best present yet.  Take a look at some of the pictures, and pay close attention to Get The Party Started who has generously agreed to give all Haute Mom followers 15% off a purchase if you enter the code "HAUTE" at checkout!  Kenzy Bug will give all followers a 20% discount if you mention Haute Mom at checkout or send a conversation prior to ordering mentioning this blog. How haute is that?  Party planning anyone?

The birthday girl

Stella and her great-grandpa greeting the birthday zebra.

Gift bags from Kenzy Bug

Cupcakes and those FABULOUS toppers from Get The Party Started

 A closer look

The start of it all - the zebra print banner by Bannerparty

"Going nuts" according to hubby

Stella - The First Year : homemade banner (can't you tell?)

This wasn't me "going nuts" - this was from grandma (I guess that's where I get it)

Stella was a little...uh...overwhelmed when we sang "Happy Birthday"

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Thank You Easter Bunny!

Although we were not particularly religious growing up, Easter was alwasy one of my favorite holidays.  I have fond memories of the smell of vinegar floating through the air as I drew on my eggs with the clear wax crayon before dunking them in dye.  The Easter Bunny never failed to bring us a basket of goodies, balanced well with both fun items and candy, as only a mother could do.  A box always arrived in the mail just in time for the weekend with Peeps and other digustingly good sweets from my grandmother.  Of course, after the grand egg hunt in and around the house, the day always ended with a wonderful Easter dinner.

 Now that Stella is 3 weeks away from turning 1, we have completed our first round of all the holidays, gingerly trying to start our own traditions.  Those traditions happen to mostly follow what hubby and I experienced growing up.  For Easter, Stella got a number of baskets from both grandparents and from my sister, Auntie Amy.  She enjoyed the baskets and wrapping more than anything inside the baskets just like a baby should.  My parents came down for the weekend and got to share the holiday with Stella.  It was nice to have a family brunch and enjoy the day. After all, that's what holidays are all about in the long run.

I hope all of you enjoyed fun Easter festivities with your loved ones!

Stella with her Easter chick from Auntie Amy

Stella tearing through her Easter basket

And what am I supposed to do with a purple egg mom?

Easter brunch

Enjoying the weather

Sending Thoughts and Prayers

Waking up early this morning to the devastating footage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan was sobering (not that I was drunk). My family has friends and distant relatives in Japan and the urgency sets in to start making phone calls overseas even though there is a part of you that knows a busy signal may be at the other end for quite some time.

In addition, the coastal areas of California, as well as most of the entire west coast have been put on tsunami warning as the domino effect makes its way around the world. Things like this bring a heartbreaking situation even closer to home with us living less than a mile from the coast in southern California and my parents watching for the San Francisco tsunami advisory.

I headed off to work this morning after hugging Stella a little bit longer and tighter not because there is tsunami warning for our area but because my heart goes out to all the people who are searching for their parents, children, brothers, and sisters. Let us keep them in our hearts through the many days and trying weeks ahead. I hope this post finds all of you safe with your little ones close at hand.

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Haute Mom Dilemma #31 ~ Bringing Baby

Now that Stella is just about nine months old we have gotten to the point where we are taking her with us to most places. The usual shopping and restaurant experiences can be done without a hitch and hubby and I are venturing on to more daring outings. This weekend we are going skiing for the first time in two years and I can’t wait to get into my ski outfits. Yup, I said outfits.

The most recent grand outing was to the Farmers Insurance Open, which is a golf tournament that is held in San Diego. This is one of those tournaments that’s worth going to even though golf can be a total snoozefest to watch if you are not a fan. The ladies are dressed in the most non-golf course friendly outfits and all the big dogs play, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods (dirtbag), you name it. I had questioned my sanity in bringing Stella considering golf is one of the QUIETEST sports on earth and we had to park 15 miles away and shuttle in. There was to be no quick getaway car in case of emergency.

We got down to the tournament, which was a little over an hour away and things went without a hitch. The stroller, diaper bag, Stella’s mood, and the weather were all aligned perfectly. It was an amazing family day.

This got me thinking…what places are truly “kid friendly”? I thought it may be inappropriate to bring a baby to a professional golf tournament. After looking up details, I learned that they actually do a lot to accommodate kids. What about things like wine tasting? I know people that bring their kids to wineries and then I have others say how inappropriate it is. Concerts? Plays? Movie theaters? I am not saying I would bring Stella to any of these but I would be lying if I said I had never thought about it. When does bringing baby cross the line?

 

Thirsty girl

View of the fairway

Tuckered out

Enjoying the fun

Lazy Sunday ~ Giving Thanks Week 1

I have decided for the month of November and in the spirit of Thanksgiving I was going to spend my lazy Sundays reflecting on all the things I can be thankful for. It is sad that I actually have to set time aside and force myself to be thankful but I guess that's life sometimes. I do know I get bogged down with things that are wrong and that I want to fix so I think it is important for me to remember that there are plenty of things in my life that are RIGHT. Who knows, maybe it will become a new way of thinking for me!

As I sit here on this perfect lazy Sunday, I feel very thankful for many things. We had our first professional pictures done today as a family and spent a beautiful morning in a park, smiling, laughing and enjoying our surroundings. Now, I sit here and blog as Stella sleeps soundly on my chest and my husband cleans the house. No, that is not a typo.

This week, I am going to be thankful for my family. I know that is fairly general, but it almost has to be. I am thankful for my husband who has the biggest heart, and lives his life everyday doing the best he can for me and Stella. We have our ups and downs, as most couples do. but he is always by my side, supportive in anything I want to do, and let's face it, he is cleaning the house right now. He has willingly picked up many "wife" duties since we had the baby and does them with pride! I am also thankful for my parents. They live about 400 miles away, on the outskirts of San Francisco, and are on their way here to take care of Stella for two days. My dad, who was not a hands on father, is so in love with his granddaughter it brings tears to my eyes. He offers to take her when he visits so I can eat, shower, rest, etc. I am so sad that, in a couple of days, I will be leaving Stella for two days and one night but am comforted knowing that my parents will be the ones watching over her. I also have two siblings that I am thankful for. My brother and my sister have both been parts of my life and even bigger parts of my daughter's life. I know that I can count on either of them to do anything and to be there for me no matter what. Lastly, I am thankful for Stella. I never could have imagined how one little human being could change our lives so. I feel like I put little arms and legs on my heart and named it Stella. She is so precious and beautiful and becoming a mom is the greatest role I have ever experienced. I am thankful every day for her health, her safety, and her being.

There are so many other things I can be thankful for and each week I am going to focus on one. I think this Thanksgiving will not only be a special one now that Stella is here but also because for the first time in a long time, I am going to spend it the way it was meant to - truly giving thanks.