Wednesday, July 31, 2013

being tourists in san francisco

A few weeks back we took my aunt and uncle who were visiting from Ohio to San Francisco.  I must admit that growing up in northern California, I don't always enjoy my visits to the city.  I'm not a real big city gal, and because I've been so many times, I forget how beautiful this city by the bay really is. We decided to go "full tourist" mode for this day trip, and took a bay cruise that took us around both bridges, and we even saw the back side of Alcatraz [which was almost as exciting as the back side of water on the Jungle Cruise, excuse the Disneyland reference]. My biggest issue with visiting the city is you can never over plan, because let's face it, lunch and one outing is typically what you are going to accomplish when you still have over an hour drive to and from.  So, with that in mind, we tried not to be too crazy when planning this trip, and it was pretty perfect because of that.  Lunch at Barney's in the Marina and then our cruise with the Red & White Fleet made for the perfect day trip.
^three generations of macri women - model pose with grammie, unacceptably cute^

^first boat ride, she loved watching the water^

^selfies with a baby, the only way for me^

^it is amazing the difference in temperature between the two bridges^

^loved the new perspective^

^someone had the best ergo nap on the boat, after acting like a crazy baby for a bit^

 ^love this girl^

The day was really lovely, besides a few fleeting moments.  It was almost like San Francisco knew I wasn't their biggest fan, because within the first five minutes of me stepping out of the car I was bombed by a bird, like all over my diaper bag bad, and down into crevices, you get the picture. Thankfully, my bag is stocked full of everything you need to clean poop, but really?!?  Not the way I wanted to spend the first ten minutes at lunch! Our only other bump in the road came with parking by the pier in order to catch our boat.  We found free parking [what?!?] thanks to Meg's stealthy eyes [thank god she wears her glasses now] and then we had to haul it.  Many, many, many blocks.  Now the distance would not have been an issue, if I had more than a few minutes to make the trek, while holding Everly, and a diaper bag, and a baby carrier, because of course there wasn't even time for me to throw E into the ergo, oh, and I wasn't exactly wearing tennis shoes.  So besides being a tad sore and very winded, we made the boat trip, and were officially the last to board the boat. Oops, we really were acting like tourists.  We should have known that parking was going to be a pain.  Oh well, we made it, we saw, we took lots of pictures, memories made.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

oh hey, I'm 38 weeks old

I'm officially 38 weeks old
and for me that means I've popped up the fourth tooth on top
and six in total
and I think all of these teeth are really making food a tad more enjoyable
and when I smile it is hard not to see all of my pearly whites
in other news
I started clapping today
sometimes just for fun
and other times when I'm super happy with something
or pleased with myself
I like crawling about just to stop
try to stand up, raise my hands in the air
and then clap
it seems to make everyone around me pretty happy
so I'll keep it up

this was me this past weekend at my mom's graduation party
the day was perfect
great weather
family and friends had traveled from all over to be there
and there some pretty yummy food too
and yes, for the record, this is the fanciest I've ever been
thank you to our friend colin for getting me this very pretty dress
it took some time, but it finally fits!
and that beautiful headband was also a gift from my baby shower
so I was pretty in pink for the day
maybe I'll try the whole girlie thing more often
-Everly Mae

Monday, July 29, 2013

the afternoon still

the light is gleaming through heavily angled blinds
the temperature in the house is comfortably cool in this unseasonable
july weather
and the house is still
no air conditioner needed
no humming fans distracting the moment
luna and daddy are napping
daddy after three very early shifts in a row
and luna, well, she's a cat, it comes with the territory
especially when being chased by a crazed baby most of the day
there is no t.v. in the background
no outside noises
the house is still
and after some very busy days lately
I am soaking up these few moments of silence
 everly and I are enjoying an afternoon snack together
we started with some watermelon chunks leftover from
yesterday's party
and a few chilled pasta noodles


then I decided to try a puree fruit and veggie pouch
the ones I've tried many times on the go
only to find my daughter not eating much
and wearing all of it
but today is different
we grab a rubber coated spoon
and give it all another whirl
everly just smiled
and opened that adorable little mouth of hers
and ate
bite after bite we giggled and smiled
the moment was perfect
and sweet
and no one was there to see it
and I think that made it even better
because it was just ours
and it really wasn't anything but the sweetest little moment
and I loved it

Saturday, July 27, 2013

oh hey, I'm 37 weeks old

well, I'm closer to 38 weeks
but who's counting
[oh mom is, that's right]
lately I've been acting like quite the quirkster
I love making so many crazy faces
and I've been doing a little blinking "I'm so cute" face
I also like crawling all around the house
and then I turn around to see if anyone has noticed that I've left the room
and yes, they always find me
but it is a pretty fun game to play, so I'll keep it up for a bit
I love waving and talking to all the neighborhood doggies
[I think we are the only cat people around here]
this week I've also been eating my weight in blueberries and pasta
and mom is trying to teach me some signs
right now I just flail my arms when she does the sign for "more"
but, I think mom gets that this is my "yes"
and I get more blueberries
so everyone is happy

oh, and how could I forget?!?
I now wear size 2 diapers
yes folks, just shy of nine months old
and I'm finally moving on up in the world
they are huge still, and you cannot even see the design on the front
because they are so overlapped around my waist
but the size 1's were just not cutting it anymore
so yay, there's a mini milestone
as for clothes, mom thought I was growing out of size 6 months
because the new dress she bought me was seeming snug
but no, I'm not growing out of that size
because that silly mom of mine had accidentally picked up the 3 month size
oops, thankfully target has an amazing exchange policy
looks like I'll be hanging out in the 6 month range till fall
-Everly Mae

Friday, July 26, 2013

making childhood memories

Looking back on my childhood, my best memories came from the traveling we were able to do. Whether it was visiting family in Tennessee, sitting on the beaches of Kauai, or camping on the northern coast of California, these are the moments I cherish the most of growing up.  The Mr. and I have always made traveling a fairly big priority to us, even though the funds aren't always bountiful, we find ways to get out and about, without spending a fortune.  Now that we have Everly, these trips seem even more important, because I know that we are starting to build those "extra special" memories of her childhood.

Earlier this week we had the most beautiful day trip to Bodega Bay, California. It was sunny, not a breeze to be felt, and the beach was empty because we were there fairly early. Growing up we went camping here every year [and when I mean camping, I mean we backed in the biggest rented motor home we could into the beach front spot, we were those people].  But in our defense, Wright's Beach can be pretty brutal on tent campers, we saw our fair share of people chasing their tents around the campground in the middle of the night, so, there you go.  Everly was very serious at the beach.  She had what we refer to as her "ride face" on for most of the trip.  A super straight-faced stare where her enjoyment seems to be masked by her intense observing skills.  We enjoyed a walk the length of the beach, a very low tide, some tricky sand to walk barefoot in, and as the morning went on, the sun really came out, the sweaters came off, and a few doggies were there for Everly to talk to.  All in all, it was a great little side adventure while visiting the Santa Rosa area.  

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

we're back!

Yes, with the lack of posting regularity that occurs around here now that I'm a mama, you probably didn't notice I had "unplugged" myself for a few days, but I did, tricky, tricky me!  The husband and I enjoyed a little getaway with our Everly to celebrate our five year anniversary.  We found a great deal on a hotel in the Santa Rosa area, and between this being the home of my best friend, only about an hour and a half drive from our home, and close to the coast, we decided it was the perfect place for our trip.  Over the next few days I'll share more of our trip, which was really just what we needed, but for now, I'm exporting a ton of photos to an external hard drive [back up your pictures people, my sister works at apple and begs you, they can't work miracles every time], and my baby and mr. are waiting for me to watch a movie.

When traveling with a baby I now realize that things go a certain way on the last day to make you happy to be home.  For us, let's just say our daughter wore four outfits today in total, and I was very ok to be home.  But before all that, the days really couldn't have been better.  Check out that picture of us at the beach, not even a breeze in the air to ruin this family photo.  Typically, it looks like I'm hanging on for dear life on a roller coaster when at the coast of northern California, but not this trip.  Ah, dreamy.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

why does talking about kids & negativity go hand in hand?

Since becoming a mom, there is one thing that I CANNOT stand.  Negative comments.  Yes, I would consider myself to be a fairly glass half full kind of girl, but I'm talking about the things people say about their kids that blows me away, and should for everyone, even if you aren't the most positive person. With that being said, being a parent is hard.  And everyone needs to vent about how hard it can be sometimes.  And I'm not saying that things are always sunshine and daisies around here.  And there are those times when I tell Mike - hold her, now, I need a minute. What I'm talking about are the ridiculous comments that make people appear to really hate their children, or parenting, or both.  Or the comments that make you feel like you need to be in some type of "I can't stand my kids, so neither should you" club.

For some reason, when many people talk about their kids with other people, the phrase, "well, you just wait," seems to come up more than I would like to believe. Whether they had their kids a few years ago, or a few decades ago, it seems to be the same.  When Everly was first born, it was, "well you just wait until you never sleep, can't take a shower, and forget what makeup is,".  That just wasn't my experience, and when we had a baby that slept, and slept well [thank you co-sleeping], it was, "well, you just wait until she starts moving around.  Your life will be hell,".  She started crawling, and early at that, and guess what?  We survived.  Yes, we are one our toes much more, and she taught us how to baby proof the house, but come on people, I've got one baby, and she's fast, but it is SO manageable. Now we get, "well, you just wait until she starts walking, then you are really going to be in trouble,". Ok folks, do you get where I'm going with this?  It seems like people like harping on the challenges with parenting, and not the good parts.  If you really hated parenting that much, maybe you shouldn't have had so many kids.  If you resent your offspring, you don't need to bring me down, just because I don't.  Or there is always the old saying, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Kids are not for everyone.  I get it.  If every person on the planet was meant to have ten, we would have a problem.  I was meant for one.  And one is what I have.  The Mr. and I are the first to have kids in our close group of friends, and I hope I would never say some of the things to my friends that people have said to us.  I hope when it comes time for them to have kids, I have awesome parenting tricks and tips to share, not a list of how their life is forever going to suck.

So, my point to this rant would be, why are so many parent conversations filled with negativity?  Why do we have to one up each other on the challenges, or tell people their life is going to suck once they get to where they are currently in the parenting cycle?  I never feel the need to say back, "well, you just wait until I'm busting your kid in the sixth grade for getting high at lunch," because, really, what good does that do?  I hope that in my small circle of friends we can change how we view our role as parents.  It is about being honest with our lives with kids, and sure, there will be some comments here and there, but for people on the outside, let's not be so snarky.  I love getting to compare mommy stories with my friends, and even when we talk about the unforeseen challenges, we talk in a way of support, and not negativity.  Kids should not ruin your life.  And if you are afraid in the slightest that they are going to, don't have them.  And with that being said, here's some of my favorite new photos of Everly, who for the record has not ruined my life!  I have learned now that she's mobile, we need a distracting prop to keep her still, and half way photogenic.  So, from now on, expect her to be holding something in all photos!
 

 Everly may or may not have eaten a flower petal at the end of this mini-shoot.
oops, mom fail

Thursday, July 18, 2013

five years

Today, we've been married five years.  Five just has a nice sound to it.  The number of years when I no longer feel like a newlywed, and maybe could have enough years to give marriage advice if asked. In the big picture, five is just the beginning, but for us, it is the first big marriage milestone.  Looking forward to today as a family, and we will be taking a mini trip next week to celebrate again.  I am so lucky to have found someone to spend my days with, and someone who has given me the best part of our family of three, our Everly.  It is amazing how fast five years goes when you are having fun...

year five brought us...
-everly mae-
-our last year downtown-
-moved to the burbs-
-bought a bunch of grown up things, like lawn mowers and stuff-
-sold a car-
-finished a masters degree-
-went to disneyland, a lot-
-took some photos along the way-

[all photos by Sarah Maren Photographers]
see more of our wedding here

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

pretty great days, according to my phone

we've been soaking up every moment of the summer
and loving every minute of it
the park, lots of eating, baby wearing, and so many lap naps
no complaints here

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

oh hey, I'm 36 weeks old [and it is my auntie's birthday]

so yesterday I turned thirty-six weeks old
and today we are celebrating my aunties 24th birthday
so I'll keep things short this week 
so I can go get my party on, all day
but I have to share a few things
my fifth tooth is now popping in
so the official teeth count is two on bottom
and three up top
and all of these teeth means something else
I'm eating!
like actual amounts of food are being ingested
mango and pasta are my favorite
and last night I even ate spoonfuls 
of blueberry yogurt
couldn't get enough of it really
no more ugly faces
no more gagging and choking at the thought of food
just eating like the big girl I am

so, happy birthday to my auntie meg
happy thirty-six weeks to me
and have a good week
-Everly Mae
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