you give me (cabin) fever

By this time every year I am itching for warmer days.  It's just too grey and too cold.  I feel trapped in my little house.  The walls feel like they are closing in on me.  I try to power through but you just can't enjoy a long stroll when your teeth are chattering and your knees are knocking together.  Those sounds are just not calming in the least.  It feels like winter is a never ending season of heavy wet snow turned to snirt (snow/dirt) followed by slush and then mud.  I long for the mud though.  Mud means that spring is in the horizon.  Oh hurry spring.  Please hurry.  I can barely find the motivation to walk from my car to the grocery store doors these days.  How am I supposed to keep my motivation going to work out?  If I can't even stand the cold long enough to fill my gas tank how on earth am I expected to put on running shoes and lycra?  I can't get a solid stride in with snow pants on.  Speaking of gas station fill ups, why do some not allow you to lock the handle so that you can quickly retreat back to your warm SUV whilst the tank guzzles away.  Note to gas station owners:  it takes about $80 to fill my tank and that takes a long time, so if I have to wait it out with my freezing cold digits wrapped around a handle, I will give up and just say eff it at a half tank.  

I don't know you guys.  I'm just not feeling the love for winter.  Tanning just is not a sufficient substitute anymore either.  My soul is craving the real deal.  Real warmth and uv rays, vitamin D in it's truest of forms.  Where is that global warming I've heard so much about?

I can handle the laziest of days here and there, but this mini man of mine is not into just lazing about anymore.  He wants to move and bounce and dance and "fly".  There is only so much entertainment in one little house.  Let's do this summer.  I'm ready.  I'm easy to please though.  I'll even take spring.  Come onnnn!   

waiting on the iphone 16

I think it's safe to say that Henry's frustration with the iphone this evening is a mutual feeling among iphone owners.

 I have likened it to an abusive relationship.  I find myself justifying the fact that ALL iphone owners have to go to the apple store to get their iphone repaired and not to their service provider for, well, really anything.  Therefor everyone has to make an appointment or wait about 3 hours in a store just swarming with people and gadgets.  But this is okay because it's the iphone.  Or the fact that no matter  when you buy your iphone, that version will be obsolete before your contract expires, requiring you to finagle a way into getting the new one, waiting with your dinosaur version until your contract is up and you get to upgrade at a lesser cost orrrr paying full price, which will absolutely be stupid expensive.  BUT, I'm obsessed with my phone.  Love it.  Can't be away from it.  So is it really that crazy to need the newest version even at the risk of spending an arm and a leg?  Luckily I'm up for my upgrade, so after seeing my friend Brian's iphone 5 in person, I WILL be sticking it out in the relationship, because things will get better I'm sure of it.  Pierre (my phone has a name) was just having a bad day.  It won't happen again, he won't stop producing sound again, I know he won't.

post aquarius birthday joy

February brings lots of love all month.  Between Valentines day and so many of my favorite people having birthdays through out the month it's a short month with an abundance of reason to celebrate.  Monday was my sexy hubby's birthday and Friday was my Aunt Sandy and bestie Meg's birthday.  We celebrated DJ's birthday quietly at home.  One of DJs best friends, Darin, came over to visit and afterwards Henry actually fell asleep before the festivities began so he missed singing "Happy Birthday" and seeing the candles blown out, but I'm sure he dreamed sweet dreams about it.  DJ wanted food from our favorite chinese restaurant, Chopstick House and I surprised him with a special birthday pie, clothes, tickets to The xx and tickets to Of Monsters and Men (those were kinda my half birthday present too) and a stupid amount of new hockey stuff.  The man has nicer hockey equipment, that he uses to play in a beer league, pond hockey and drop-in, than some professionals I swear.  I can't complain too much though.  He's never told me that I couldn't buy a new pair of shoes so I keep my lips sealed.

I mean.  Could my husband be any more awesome?  The answer is no.

Saturday was a bit more raucous for my BFFs birthday.  I recall shots being involved.  Her and her boyfriend had a shared par-tay. 

After fighting with myself to not eat any cupcakes, I caved and ended the night at the greasiest of burger joints in the area with DJ.  It was all so worth it though.  It was so cold out and my choice of short shorts made the walk from party to food to car a treacherous one.  My insides were screaming to be warmed up with bad food.
All in all a very good month so far.  Much better than that stupid cold January.  Although I did run a few miles this morning in the bitter cold at 6am (12 degrees...burr) and thought I was going to puke.  I considered for a moment that I was just out of shape, but then I felt like the weather being ridiculous felt like a more logical excuse.  28 days until spring sprangs suckas.

happy birthday husband

Thirty two years ago today my immortal beloved was born and for that I am forever grateful.  David James you are the love of my life, the greatest husband any girl could possibly dream of and the best daddy to our perfect son.  I am still falling further in love with you everyday.  You make me laugh, take care of me, put up with me, you still shower me with love and attention every single day, you can read my mind and to this day you give me butterflies with every kiss.  I never could have imagined this life you have given me, but it's exactly everything I have ever wanted.  I love you David James.  Happy 32nd Birthday you old man ;)

weekend inventory

Snow.  Ew.  It's really ruined nearly everything I've planned in the last two weeks.  It's almost like mother nature knows I have fun things to do and she abrasively mocks me while letting her snow flakes fly.  Whata' real biotch.  Agreed?  Thought so.

Needless to say I spent another weekend doing not a whole lot.  I signed up for some 5k runs coming up soon (Color Run and Corktown St. Patty's run anyone?), went to see a movie, cleaned the house, laundry, made lots of good foods and Sunday we went to a winter farmers market.

 Not a whole lot of produce at the market, but they had lots of good jerky, tea, jam and granola.  The bread though.  Oh my, the bread was where it was at.  Zingermans was there with their pretzel bread and it was such a good salty treat for a Sunday cheat day.

It's Valentines week loves!  I coincidentally have Thursday off and I am so excited to see what DJ bought me has planned ;)

true beauty

I hope that you are as touched by this woman's story about her battle with breast cancer as I have been.  I don't know Jill personally but Nikki is our mutual friend.  However even if we didn't have a friend in common I know that Jill's story would have just as much of an effect on me as it does now.  Jill is courageous and strong.  I can only imagine what she has been through but I sure appreciate her sharing her story with the world.

Happy Friday to you all and happy weekending. 

this day last year

Last year, February 5th was Superbowl Sunday...oh and also the day I found out I was pregnant. 

Today February 5th, 2013 is a Tuesday.  Hank is 17 weeks old and only 4 days away from being the big 4 months old.  Such a big boy, he is. 

My little stud muffin is doing so many new things.  I am amazed at how quickly he learns.  So let me just tell you some of his newly acquired smarts & such:

His laugh.  I can't possibly explain to you how much his laugh makes my heart swell with love.

He rolls and rolls.  It's funny how one day he struggled through the roll and the next it was like he'd always been doing it all his life.

Hank is finally starting to grab at things other than what's hanging in front of his face on his little exercise mat.  He grabs at my hair and toys in the bath tub or when he's sitting in his bumbo.

We officially beat cradle cap.  It was remarkably easy too and I wish the pediatrician had shared the solution months ago.  I swear within 3 baths, cradle cap was eliminated.  (Message me all you mommies, fighting the good fight with cradle cap, if you need the solution.)

Hank wants to "stand", sit up or be held high in the sky, super baby style.  He is not as content to just lay or recline anymore.

He's so vocal.  He likes to hear himself and try to mimic whatever noises you are making.  His favorite is "Ooooohhh."  It's like he knows that he's got that one perfected so he wants to really show it off.

Bath time is getting exciting.  No longer are the days of just hanging in the tub.  No sir, Henry wants to splish splash and be squirted with his bath toys.

The drool is on another level.  It's a slow leak but a steady one and if you pick my little lover boy up and hold him to your shoulder you better be prepared to be left with a soaking wet.  There is no hesitation.  Lift, hold, mouth opens wide and settles on the nearest shoulder immediately upon placement.

I've started to feel him cuddle, almost hug me sometimes and not just because he can't control that wobbly  neck of his.  No, this is an actual nestle.  He lays his sweet & soft baby cheeks on me and I'm at a loss for words to describe how perfect it feels. 

He's my whole world.  Henry is the love of my life and he has made the past 17 weeks the happiest 17 weeks of my entire life.

weekend inventory & a little video

This weekend was particularly boring.  Husband worked and played hockey the entire weekend which left Hank and I home alone.  An entire weekend alone with my little Henry bear means that my house has never been cleaner and we have enough pictures of ourselves to last an entire week of blogging.
I drank particularly large amounts of coffee and Henry devoured homemade baby applesauce.  That's right I said homemade.

That right there is a pile of Mr. Henry's clothes that he is too big for.  I may or may not have shed tears realizing that my son has grown so much.  There were clothes that he got at Christmas that I had packed away because I thought it would be soooo long before he would be wearing them.  Um no.  That little boy blew my mind this weekend.  He is so smart and aware.  It's incredible to see.  He rolls tummy to back, back to tummy with the greatest of ease.  As if he's been doing it forever, no big deal mom.   

Cute hate alert.  My friend Angie got this made for my boo boo and I want him to wear it morning, noon and night.  Once Henry passed out after our long day or organizing on Saturday I got real snuggly with my other son, the one with more hair, poured the biggest glass of red wine possible and watched a million documentaries about how awful fast food and processed food is.  I haven't eaten fast food in two months and DJ hadn't up until last week.  He ate taco hell bell and was sick for days.  It was a good reminder about how gross that crap is.  I don't even miss it.

Bella's favorite position.  Patiently waiting for a drop of food, even baby food to land in her vicinity. 

Puppy Bowl Sunday I planned on doing lots of girly things for myself.  Hank however decided he would rather take 2 ten minute naps instead of his regular 2 three hour naps.  He wanted to hang with his cool mama apparently.  He woke up mid-face mask and was super confused to see mom's blue face.

My nail painting party for one, was put on hold until Hank went to sleep and that was okay.  DJ came home later and I caught him up to speed on who won the puppy bowl and then showed him the results of the other game going on before and after the Beyonce concert. 

Can we talk about my revived love for Mrs. Jay Z?  Could she be any hotter?  I super love her music.  My next workout playlist that is currently in the making is aptly titled "Beyonce All Day All The Time".