A's First Birthday Party {An Apple Orchard Themed 1st Birthday}

Daddy was right. (They love to hear that, don't they?)

Sweet Baby A deserved a birthday party fit for a queen (er, well, an awesome 1 year old baby girl!) Seeing as though we don't live near most of our family and friends, and knowing that several local friends would be out of town her birthday weekend, I suggested a quick Disney trip to celebrate Baby A turning the big ONE. Daddy stepped right in and stopped that right quick. If you remember E's first birthday party, we put a lot of thought into it and celebrated amongst everyone who loves her -- so Daddy was not about to let A miss out on the opportunity to celebrate big.



Enter A's apple orchard themed first birthday party planning in full swing. Since J had put in for her birthday weekend off in advance, we decided to head down south to be with family, friends, and all those who love A almost as much as we do! She's a lucky girl to have everyone who loves her surrounding her for all her birthday festivities! Everything turned out great.

And more importantly, A had a wonderful weekend! Just watching her with everyone made me So. Happy. that we listened to Daddy and did this for our girl. It's so hard to believe that only one year ago she entered into this world and filled our family with so much love and joy. The year simply flew. Every single day with her has been wonderful and I wish I could bottle up every single memory of her first year so I can carry them with me always.

Seriously, this was a whole year ago?!



Ohh, my baby! While she may not remember this party, Momma documented what she could, so here's to you Sweet A! The photographic evidence that shows just how wonderful your first birthday was and how many people love you so much before you can even speak! ;) It was a great day celebrating YOU!

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First up - the details.





























As you can see, apples and fun galore! From apple juice to apple beer, caramel apple bar to the adult beverage bar -- a little something for everyone ;)

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But what are the details without the moments?! The moments are what really make up the fun, after all. I think A was passed around the entire day - making her stinky face at most and smiles at a few! Ha, by the way, that stinky face only lasted a week. She's over it now. But it was cute while it lasted!

Back to the moments, here. Catching up, mingling, playing, bashing the crap out of a pinata with a stick, sack racing, and many, many laughs were had by all. Memories were made, that's for sure!

Say hello to the birthday girl!





































































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I hope I can speak for everyone when I say a fun time was had by all! I am so thankful for the times we get to spend with family and friends in South Florida. It always has that familiar feeling of home where we fit right in, pick right back up where we left off, and feel loved and supported wholeheartedly!

We are beyond lucky to have everyone down there excited to celebrate the first year of our little beauty's life. We were all there to celebrate HER. And celebrated she was!



A very special thank you to those of you who helped make this party come to life! My in-laws, of course for opening up their doors for all of this and doing the 1 million things they did for us ;) And to those who traveled into town just to celebrate Baby A (Mom, GG, Aunt Maggie!!! We <3 you and thank you!) And of course everyone else who helped me throw this together quick from afar - you know who you are and you know I appreciate every single one of you who came to celebrate!

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ONE sure is FUN!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, Sweet Girl! Mommy, Daddy, and Big Sis E (and little baby brother in Momma's belly!) love you with all we have and are so blessed for all you bring to our family!





{more of these to come!} xoxo

Our Mexican Fiesta

Cue the violins, trumpets, and guitars. Picture it -- a trio of mariachi men adorned in sombreros and embroidered suits, walking up to serenade you to the tune of La Cucaracha. Typically you'll have a drink in hand, maybe a margarita, Corona, Dos Equis, or even a chelada (unless you're preggo). And well, all of that, it puts me in my glory! Happy, happy times I tell ya.





Shortly before our wedding and Mexican honeymoon, "The Heartbreak Kid" played on repeat on TV. And we watched, and watched and watched. Every time it was on. I wouldn't even say it's a favorite movie of ours, but at that time we were loving it. Probably because it took place in Mexico on their honeymoon and probably because it featured a mariachi band. We loved that mariachi band! Ha, something about it really pumped us up for our honeymoon. For some reason, we seriously hoped to encounter a mariachi band in an effort to make our honeymoon complete. Boom, they walked right up on us during a meal on the beach in Playa Del Carmen. Honeymoon made complete!



Said honeymoon (at Secrets Maroma Beach) was absolutely amazing. We couldn't wait to head back to that resort in the very near future! Fast forward to a family full of tots and well, Secrets Maroma Beach (an adults-only resort) was out the window!

Enter the gorgeous, kid-friendly, yet still-beautifully-tranquil Azul Beach Resort.







It was time. Following months of J working 26+ hour shifts and feeling all sorts of chaos in life, we saw a quote similar to this and we were SOLD.



"Let's do it. Book it, baby!" Something like that, J texted while on a long and crazy shift.
And you don't have to tell me twice! I'm on it.

Traveling and making memories is definitely one of our favorite parts of life. We kinda live for this stuff! And being able to travel with our kiddies and keep those memories tucked in our souls makes it all worth it.





Some thought we were crazy to bring our little ones. But this particular trip definitely wouldn't have been the same without them! One big trip as a family of four before we become a family of five meant a lot. Azul Beach Resort was the perfect backdrop to our family vacation (and it didn't hurt how incredibly easy they made traveling with babies!)

There was truly not one downfall to this trip. I ended every evening with a smile on my face and without a doubt, a fully-expected "Charlene-type-sentimental-statement" expressing how everything about this trip is amazing and how I am so thankful and glad we came on this trip.

We left any and all negativity behind. We didn't discuss work or craziness or money. We disconnected. Our phones stayed tucked away in the safe.

Our goal was truly to have fun, relax and make memories for all of us. Done and done.













Seeing how happy our girls were was a freakin' dream come true! Their faces lit up with each event we'd do. Baby A became even more in love with her daddy thanks to having him around day and night. E would just look at me and smile and tell me she loves me. She expressed how much fun this was on multiple occasions. And the shows? The way she'd cuddle up to me with a huge smile on her face under a beautiful Mexican evening's sky while watching the nightly entertainment seriously made me feel so complete. I'd look over at J and just smile. There was that silent 'yup, this is freakin' amazing!' communication going on between us in those moments where we knew the girls were just happy.









The pool off our balcony is probably what made our trip the most relaxing. Of course traveling with babies isn't always the easiest most relaxing time, but this. This made traveling with babies easy! They'd nap and go to bed early, and we would swim right out back with a monitor provided by the resort. We'd order 24 hour room service directly to our pool out back and J would swim up to the bar to order us a few round a frozen concoctions (one virgin, of course.) Ah, yes, the life indeed!









Our babies stayed up past bedtimes some nights (to night-swim, of course), took naps in the pool and took less baths than they probably should have (pools count, right?) They ate an insane amount of gourmet food (and ice cream cones, of course, from Spongebob's ice cream bar), went through bottles of sunscreen while digging in the sand, and played in the Azulito's kid's club, complete with Nickelodeon characters and MyGym equipment. I'm not sure we could have asked for a better place to make memories with these girls.









I'm pretty sure the trip was just as magical for them as it was for me.





J and I even snuck a date day/night in, thanks to E practically begging to leave her in the kid's club with a babysitter and "go somewhere else..." Sure thing!!

So we relaxed on the beach, took a walk, and went to dinner just the two of us. An amazing, calm and peaceful sushi river dinner. Yes, please!










Daddy let E get a few braids in her hair and she was a girl in heaven, I tell ya!

Our magical days turned into even more magical evenings.







While feeling that evening breeze each night alongside a happy baby, a happy tot, and a happy husband, I didn't think the trip could be any more complete. But as the girls played on the swingset with toes in the sand under a pink evening sky on our last night, a full on 10-15 piece mariachi band began to play on the beach as if the heavens opened up, topping off my trip with sprinkles and a cherry and all that other goodness. Those La Cucaracha tunes made me melt with happiness. Amen, Mejico, Amen!


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A completely 'worth-every-dime-to-make-those-insanely-unforgettable-memories' trip has gone down in the books for sure.
'Twas a Mexican Fiesta to remember! 'Til next time...

the days are long...

They say it goes quickly - this childhood thing. They say to enjoy these days now because soon enough they will grow up. They tell me to cherish these baby and toddler moments before they're swiftly asking for money to go to the mall, and then I'm turning over the keys to their very first car, which will keep us up all night worrying. They say that soon enough, they will be off and away.



And I believe it all. I can feel it already how deeply proud, yet saddened I will be of every milestone they hit that brings them further and further away from their childhood.





"The days are long...but the years are short," they warn me. And it hits me so hard to hear it. Yes, our lives are chaotic and at times I feel like a single mom trucking through two 2 and under while pregnant and feeling ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE.



Yes, I sometimes complain about the day to day craziness that seems to consume my life. And yes, at least once a month or so I can't help but think of how I wish we lived nearby family so that these little ones I love so much could go spend a day with grandparents or aunts and uncles to give me/us a moment. I think about what I'd do with that moment. Maybe get my hair done, run into Publix without having to grab the racecar cart and load it with kids til I can't fit any groceries and then have to stop by the cookie counter before having our trusty ol' bagger boy schlep us out to the car with a second cartful. Or maybe I'd go to a coffee shop to edit some photos and get some work done so that I could get to bed before 2am, or even just sit home and clean up without having 546 toys being taken right back out in that very moment. And then I'd shower longer than 4.5 minutes and actually use my Birchbox products that I swear I'll have time to enjoy every month when it hits my doorstep. Yup, I think about all of that.



But then it hits me. And I slowly break down the quote in my head...The days are long. Yes, they are. But the years, they are damn short. A little too short. I've looked forward to these years and well, I absolutely love that this is where I am at right now. A 2.5 year old, a newly 10 month old and a baby on the way. Still years away from them driving and moving out and leaving our comfy ol' nest. Still able to do what "they" say - enjoying these moments while they're little and cherishing every adventure, giggle and incredible toddler story. We look at them together and just smile, and at times we even tear up over how incredibly happy they make our lives.

These long days are exactly the kind of days I want to last forever. So for now, I'm thanking every stranger, grandparent, cashier and Target aisle passer-by that warns me about just how quickly it goes. I see them admire my babies and the memories it brings back for them of when their kids were little. I'm taking each reminder and savoring it, learning from it, and remembering that while these days seem to last for-ev-er, it's a damn amazing feeling of for-ev-er that I wouldn't want any other way. One day I'll look back and think, "Man, I thought I had so much time left with them when they were little," and I am fully aware of that. So today, this super long day, I am just loving every moment with these babies!




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Here are just a few of the moments I've been enjoying over the last week or so...

--Breakfast as a family. Nope, it's not homemade, not healthy, nor are we sitting around a table..but just a casual sit-on-the-counter, talk, laugh, and eat together rare kinda breakfast.


--The words of a 2 year old.."Mommy, is this decaf coffee?" -"Um, yes baby, as a matter of fact it is!" -"Okay good, can I have some then?"
...Seriously? Why does she even know what decaf coffee is?!


--The way this little pumpkin eats everything I give her. Unlike someoneeee I know. [cough] Her big sis [cough]


--Summery days


--Fearless gymnastics days


--Watching Hocus Pocus (a little early in the year!) while eating ice cream cones with E on a summer evening as Daddy works and A sleeps.


--The fact that this extra long day full of baby love and packing and Daddy working til the middle of the night and Grizz being rowdy is all smooth sailing in my mind because vacation is just calling my name!!!
Any guesses where we are headed?


On a Mexican Fiesta, baby! Kids and sunglasses and Mexican-inspired fashions in tote. Woohoo!!


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Please excuse how all-over-the-place this post may be.

Tonight, I'll leave you with this..

The 20 week belly pic! Today marks halfway through my pregnancy -- halfway to meeting our little man!!
This also means we are exactly 20 weeks away from Christmas Day, ladies and gents!



Baby boy is the size of a mango! He is kicking up a storm and weighing in at approximately 10 oz., 6.5" long.

Big sis E tells everyone we meet that her baby brother will be here around Christmas and she asks to hold him everyday. Soon enough, baby girl, soon enough! A still has a few more months of being my itty bitty baby!

20 weeks and feeling great, so here's to the next 20 weeks before we meet our baby boy!

The days may be long..but the years are short! Happy Weekend, everyone :)

Summertime...

Feeling a sense of rejuvenation that we haven't had in quite some time has given our home life a touch of pizazz that we've been lacking lately.

I've missed my little space on the internet. My little escape where I get to gather my thoughts, reflect on life's most enjoyable little things (and sometimes the not-so-pretty side of things), and showcase the memories we make together as a family to look back on and cherish.


Residency life (at least in J’s specialty and at this particular program) surely hasn’t been glamorous, but I suppose it’s not meant to be. One thing’s for sure – he should come out of this as a damn well trained physician who knows how to save a life or two! But in the process of getting there – whew. Of course it takes a toll on him, and in turn, takes a toll on the rest of us at home. The past couple months have been 26+ hour shifts every 3rd and 4th day with 12-14’s in between. As we push those behind us and gladly kiss them goodbye, we are welcoming these 8’s (that inevitably turn into 10-12’s) with open arms and a whole new sense of life being brought back to us! It feels freakin’ fantastic to have a few more hours in the day together as a family. Our girlies sure have missed their Daddy being around (and those of you who are momma’s out there, know that I have surely missed having him around as well!)



The schedule may still be all over the place in terms of hours, but having him around for just a few extra hours each week, whether it be in the morning or at night, makes the world of a difference in terms of our minds, body & spirits! And so for us, it now begins – SUMMER! Our summer may just be starting in August, but heck, that just means Fall is that much closer, and I'm perfectly fine with that.





For the last week and a half of this new schedule, Daddy is jumping right back into the swing of things and enjoying whatever time he can with his girlies - all 3 of us. (Side Note: Come Christmas time with our new baby boy, our term "the girls" will be changing to "the kids!" - weird!)







He's played outside with them, picked out some greenery for Momma's flower arrangement, we've gone to the zoo, shopping together, family dinners, had friends over and just happily enjoyed the simple life with our girls.









And we've had time to relax together, just the two of us - to reflect on our day to day life, what we want for our future, and think about where in the world our next move/J's job will take us!



All while trying to remind ourselves to just live one day at a time, and especially try to live in the "now" vs. living in our thoughts of what our future might look like.



The latter is certainly easier said than done. We know we have about a year until the applying/interview process begins, so really trying to figure out where on the map we might want to be is quite difficult! We know we want to start our research to just educate ourselves on how these jobs work, great areas for young families, great school districts, neighborhoods, and weighing out the pros/cons of being somewhat closer to family to lean on while we have young children and J in a position where he can't exactly pick up and leave if we need him, or if we move further away for better pay to pay off these med school loans quicker, etc.

That stuff will drive ya crazy trying to figure out, so for now in between the talks of that, we're soaking up Summertime. Soaking up every last bit of summer as a family of 4 before we become a family of 5. Enjoying E's summer before she becomes a real preschooler in the fall, and enjoying A's last 2 months as a true baby before she hits the big ONE! (Noooo!!)









With all the craziness of intern year, time has slipped away before our eyes. It is just so nice to take a breath and enjoy life as it is. Because Lord knows, we have more than we even know to be thankful for! Counting our blessings is on our daily checklist in between the chaos, that I can assure you!









Ladies and gentlemen, INTERN YEAR IS OVER!!! I think all of us "Intern Wives" would love to shout that from the rooftops - after our husbands do so first, that is. Summertime is finally upon us, family time is being pieced back together, and I could not be more thankful for my husband, my wonderful little (can I still call it "little?") family, and of course this new burst of energy that is gracing our lives with joy! Hallelujah.