Easter 2016

I wanted to share a few snapshots of pre-Easter festivities. We have a fun filled day planned today in preparation for tomorrow's high holy day which I'm sure I'll share in due time. But for now check out these cuties...

Sunday's Best

Anyone else having trouble selecting their children's outfits for Easter Sunday? No, just me? When I was growing up Easter also know as Resurrection Sunday was an event. Yes an event. Children would get brand new Easter outfits, complete with new accessories, and new shoes. Our church held a special Easter sunrise service in which we had to get up way too early for. In Sunday school, all the children would gather together for the best dressed group photo you've ever laid your eyes on. The church's sanctuary was decorated in the most gorgeous Easter lilies. If you were one of the lucky ones- you got to take one home. After church the children had an Easter egg hunt. It was intense. There were a few (plastic) eggs that has money in them. The older kids usually got those. I was never one of the older kids (they older ones were always older than me). As disappointed as I was- I was happy to get my candy filled egg too.

The babymoon

Finally, I'm able to share pictures from our babymoon! I just needed time to sit down and edit. And while I still have no time, I wanted to be able to share this on my little space on the web. At this point, I'm not really sure how to organize the recap of this trip. It truly was amazing. We slept, we ate, we relaxed, we had fun. Once my little girl gets a little older I'm going to do my very best for hubby and I to take an annual couples trip to getaway and reconnect. It did wonders for my spirit!

I guess I share share the highlights of our trip.

The Room

There's nothing like a good relaxing hotel room. I didn't plan to spend too much time in there but a comfy bed is a must. Hubby and I have a thing with out hotel room numbers. I'm not sure why but it started with our first overnight trip together and we kept it going. We can tell you the room numbers from every hotel (of major trips) we've stayed in. I also have the room keys for those rooms.

Soleful Sunday

These are adorable! She wore these with a denim dress to church. I should've taken a whole outfit picture.

Where to Buy

This week's obsession

DockATot

Remember back when I was pregnant with my son- I used to post about baby products that I was crushing on. in all honesty I planned to also do that this go 'round but never had the opportunity. However, as I continue in my sleep deprived stupor I can't help but think of ways to entice my little girl to stay in dreamland for more than  four hour stretch.  I came across this from an Instagram follower and was intrigued!

Product Info

Doesn't it look comfy cozy and sleep enticing?! DockATot's are basically little baby sleep stations made from breathable fabric. It's makers cite it's many uses such as tummy time, cuddling, changing, resting, the list goes on! And I could think of a million reasons why I need to get one too.

Soleful Sunday

I've been a shoe lover for quite sometime. I'd say it started sometime in high school when my appreciation for a cute shoe started to surface. My parents always made me wear age appropriate shoes and I couldn't wait to get grown so I could wear 4 inch stilettos. Well life happened and it turns out shoes don't love me as much as I love them. I have a wide foot so shoemakers don't give us any love whatsoever. And with a foot that keeps getting bigger with every pregnancy (insert expletive) It doesn't look like I'm going to be proudly displaying my love for shoes. Or so I thought....

My baby girl is down for the cause and mommy is sooo happy. So now I get to pass my love affair for shoes on until she tells me I can't anymore. If you follow me on the 'gram you've already seen some of the shoes in her arsenal. I'm going to love sharing what's in her shoe closet!

2015 Survey

This is the third installment of this yearly survey. As always, I love reflecting on the year and envision what I'd like for the year ahead. I know I'm all late but that's what happens when you unintentionally take some time off from blogging.

2013 Survey
2012 Survey
2014 Survey

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?

Visit the beautiful island of Bermuda
Ran a 5K at 7 months pregnant
Become a mommy of two
Become a girl mommy :-)

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't make any so I didn't have any to keep. I am contemplating making some for 2016.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Me, me, me, me meeeeeee!!!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

There were a few deaths in my circle- most of which were due to old age.

5. Did you visit anywhere exciting?

Bermuda!! Our baby moon was amazing. And can I share a secret with you? We get to take our children soon. I am so freaking excited about that!!

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?

Honestly, I'm so overjoyed with the blessing of having a little girl, I'm not sure I could want anything more.

7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

My little girls birthday. It's been months but I need to write down the rest of her birth story. Although I feel like I could never forget that day- the little details sometimes slip your mind as it tends to do when you have to remember all the other things in life.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Giving birth without pain meds. Chiiiile, I never thought that could be me, but lo' and behold. I wear that badge with pride.

9. What was your biggest mistake?

Putting down my camera. I miss being attached to it. Good thing I can still rectify that!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Just the kind from giving birth. Cause you know...

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I pride myself of find good deals. However I can't think of one right now.

Also, I'm a hoarder. And I knew that eventually my husband and I would have another child. So I saved every baby item my son has which left me to only purchase diapers. Score!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My son has settled into his role as big brother nicely. He helps, he's patient, he's the best big brother she could ever have!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I'm going to leave this to the imagination.

14. Where did most of your money go in 2015?

Child rearing. It always goes to child rearing.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Becoming a girl mom. Dresses, bows, shoes, and all things girl. I suspect I'm going to end up with a tomboy though.

16. What song will always remind you of 2015?

Lean On by Major Lazer and DJ snake. My son names songs after the people it reminds him of. This song was called "Uncle!" It's also the song  that I tried to teach him to snap too. We''re still working on that. I listen to the instrumental version more often than the original.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

Working on Grace. I recently saw a TV segment about a $12 bracelet that "all the celebrities" are wearing. It's called My Intent. You identify your "word", it's but on a bracelet and serves as a reminder.

I honestly find it hard to come up with "A word". I've seen many people declare a 'word of the year' before but that's never been me. It seems so definitive and not all encompassing. But when I forced myself to think about it- for now I'd like to work on extending a little grace to others.

We could all use it. We're all humans.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Praying, Blogging, Exercising, Saving. Sleeping.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Time wasting, sitting at work (but only if I still get paid), figuring out how to fix the craziness.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve was spent with my husband's family. Christmas morning was spent with my family and Christmas evening was spent with my extended family. We had way too much fun. Since I'll likely never recap our Christmas on here I'm going to use this as an opportunity to share my favorite photo of the day. I hope my family doesn't mind.

21. Did you fall in love in 2015?

Yes. She stole my heart before I even met her.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

During maternity leave I was able to catch a few shows. I don't want to say what my new guilty pleasure was for fear of backlash but I also enjoyed Bring It! (Lifetime) and Tia Mowry at Home (cooking Channel). I've always liked the show Flip or Flop (HGTV) but being pregnant at the same time as Christina was kind of cool. Our babies are exactly two weeks apart (her son is younger).

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

My answer to this has always been "No. I consciously remove "the negative" from my life. In the most gracious way possible." See #17.

24. What was the best book you read?

Without a doubt- Goodnight Football.
I'm sure that wasn't the answer you were expecting but the extent of my reading (beyond Facebook and come on, that's not real reading) is bedtime stories. And I love this one. Although I had to end up hiding it because it was all we read.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Nothing really. But didn't Adele release her 3rd studio album? I like her music but don't really follow her like that so when all the hoopla came out surrounding it I wasn't all strung out like everyone else. But I did learn that her albums titles are her age in which she wrote it.  I like when artist put thought into stuff like that. Everyone always has at least one self titles album and one album named after a song on that album and this is neither. Which I love!

26. What did you want and get?

As if I haven't mentioned her enough in this post yet... And here's another gratuitous photo.

27. What did you want and not get?

I desperately need a new computer. For real. I don't get anything done unless it's at work or on my phone or tablet. And there are just somethings I despise doing on my phone like blogging. I've been procrastinating on getting one mainly because I can't make a decision about what to get.

Leave some suggestions in the comments.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I actually had to go through my photos to answer this. I spent it with my family. it was great! My mom even made me a peach cobble and whoamahgawd! Heaven in a bowl! I was still on maternity leave so hubby took a day off of work so we could stay at my family's a little longer.

29. What’s one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

A longer maternity leave. Scratch that paid maternity leave. I seriously missed that benefit of my old job. As a result I definitely wrote to my senators about paid maternity leave. Yes, I know all about the sanctimommies who were able to save all their coins before having a baby and why it's not anyone's else responsibility to pay me for having a baby, and small business owners wouldn't be able to sustain such a cost but seriously- there has to be an answer. I know because I lived it!

And if you are so inclined to support paid parental leave I urge you to read about little Karl (grab some tissues) and his mommy's cause. Just to clarify Karl's story isn't linked but the cause is.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?

Awful. Moving on.

31. What kept you sane?
Hubby. He always does. Love him!

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmmm.... I've been writing this post over the course of three months and still not quite sure of the answer.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

Black Lives Matter, And just in case you didn't know Black Lives matter is not anti police- it's anti police brutality (yes, there are some who have gone overboard), and BLM also doesn't mean that other lives don't- it means black lives matter as well.

34. Who do you miss the most?
I miss my grandpa's. I think I've said this before in a previous year but there nothing like a Grandpa to make everything all better.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

If Iv'e met you in 2015 and we have a great relationship blame my mind- not my heart, but I'm going to say no one.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015?

Mommy strength is real. Maybe one day I'll get to post my birth story but I unexpectedly and proudly gave birth to my daughter without any pain meds. Whoa!

37. What are your new years resolutions for 2016?

Seeing how we are bout  a quarter of the way through the year I'm going to go with nothing. Never mind what I said in #2. Maybe next year.

Happy March!

I'm back. Two days in a row. This was planned. So, don't hold it against me if you don't see me again for a while.

Remember last May when I resurfaced after a 3 month unintentional hiatus? Same thing again. I have the smallest bit of downtime so I'm busting out a few posts and hoping for the best. This is what you can look forward to:

My new's years survey. Yes, I know we're almost a quarter way through. But I do it every year. And better late than never, right?.

Our babymoon recap. never mind that when the post goes live we will be right back in that same place!

A small new mini series that is so adorable and hopefully I can squeeze in a few more.

See you tomorrow!