Sunday, March 31, 2013

happy easter

well, it looks like we will be celebrating our easter indoors this year
due to some spring showers that have come our way
hope you enjoy this day, however you find fitting
we will be making brunch at my grandma's
having an easter egg hunt with some very grown children, and a baby
and we will soak up the last moments of spring break

Saturday, March 30, 2013

oakland temple

if you have been reading this blog long, 
you have probably figured out that, no, I'm not a mormon blogger 
no "we believe" link, and no, I have not converted
 even so, when your sister lives in Oakland
and growing up the majority of your friends were in fact LDS
 it clearly makes the Oakland Temple the perfect destination 
[at least it does for the Macri sisters]
 so we took a little trip  upthe hill to what can only be described as a beautiful location
 the grounds were pristine and seemed to have been given a few extra blooms 
for the Easter holiday
 the temple was extremely quiet
 no weddings were taking place 
[I was hoping to see a bridal party or two] 
and we walked around snapping an insane amount of pictures
I loved getting to finally see the place where many of my friends have been sealed [married] 
over the years, and hey, 
even though the husband really wasn't sure why we were there
he went along for the  ride
 love that.

 loved the day, didn't love the crazy clouds and sudden rays of sun
that made taking photos a true challenge
but I think we did ok
speaking of mormon bloggers - naomi is my favorite, fyi

Thursday, March 28, 2013

oh hey, I'm 20 weeks old

this week I've gotten to spend lots of time
with some of my favorite people
over the weekend I spent practically all day lounging on the grass in the shade
the weather was perfect
I also got to see my auntie in Oakland yesterday
where something big happened
I sat in a high chair at dinner for the very first time
it was a pretty big deal, at least mom thought so
mom also decided to take me down to the lake by auntie's house
to take some Easter-ish photos yesterday
in other updates, I'm still fitting into newborn and three month outfits
I tried my first bites of "real food" this week
but I think that deserves it's own post, so more on that later
I'm still rockin size one diapers, but now I can fit in both huggies & pampers
[huggies used to big way too big for my little legs]
Sophie and I are officially best friends
and I am now talking in so many different voices and pitches
my feet have also gotten centimeters from my mouth, I'm determined
and occasionally, my grown ups tell me I'm panting like a little puppy
not sure what that's all about, but hey, I'm having fun
-Everly Mae

Sunday, March 24, 2013

raising a daughter

I know when I began telling people we were expecting a little girl, it was amazing how many people responded by saying "good luck".  Many women seem to have fears of raising girls, and I guess I get it.  I always say that boys are probably hardest when little, and girls really give it to you when they are older.  For me, I was very lucky to have the best relationship with my mom, and I could not have been happier to have a daughter to share this type of bond with too.  Lately, I have been really noticing comments that women make about themselves, to their friends, and to young girls about appearance, weight, etcetera.  And here's where I stand - I am so thankful that growing up I was blessed with having a strong dose of self-confidence, and I really do thank my mom for this.  No matter my weight [it fluctuated ALOT while growing up] or how horribly broken out my face got, I never remember having low self-esteem.  Not saying I walked around necessarily loving these imperfections, but they were just that, imperfections, not the end all be all.  We were not a family that outside appearances were the main focus.  I'm glad that I was a tom boy, never wore makeup until my senior year of high school, and then I think we were talking strictly mascara, and I never wanted to wear clothing that showed off too much.  Sure, some of this was probably just me, but much of it came from the best kind of role model.

So even though she may be little, I will work to make sure I raise Everly just the same.  She will not hear me talk negatively about myself, especially when it comes to appearances.  And I am thankful to surround her with women who are also confident with themselves, and not make what's on the outside the main event.  So here's to raising a daughter, the best way I can.  Hopefully I will get some good daughter karma since I kept my "tough teen years" down to a minimum for my mom.  At least a girl can hope.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

oh hey, I'm 19 weeks old!

I'm going to have to say
that turning nineteen weeks could also be called
"oh hey, I found just about everything this week"
for so many weeks now things have just been hanging out around me
and I have only half noticed them
now, I am all over them with my hands
for example, there is this fun little dangly toy on the handle of my car seat
sure, I've seen it for weeks now
but this last week it was mine
while my big people are busy getting me in and out of the car
I can now just grab onto this little guy and really have fun
making him bounce up and down and make that jingle noise I love so much
other new discoveries this week include my feet
yes, I have two of them, not just one like I had thought previously
and whenever I'm laying down, they are in both hands
my thinking is it is only a matter of days before I figure out how to get them 
to my mouth
and one of my favorite discoveries this past week...
mom's face
yup, I really found it 
sure, I've been looking at it since the minute I was born
but now I like getting super close, and grabbing onto it with both hands
smooshing around her cheeks
and grabbing her nose
this is my new way that I hang out with her in the afternoons after she gets home
from teaching some really big kids
a couple times I was really getting into her face, and figured I would see
if she tasted like Sophie
well, she did not, but it was still fun to try
in other news, I get to hang out with dad a lot more these days
and he takes me to this really colorful place twice a day
that mom calls "work"
and all this coming and going has really made my days fly by
and finally, I am officially scooting backwards
like almost crawling, but backwards
put me on the ground and watch me travel almost the whole distance of a room
yup, it is pretty fun
one day I'll figure out how to go the other way
-Everly Mae

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

it's official, I'm a working mom

Yesterday was the day I may have dreaded since the day Everly was born.  My life has been dedicated to nothing but teaching since I was 21, and I continue to work towards my masters to help me become even better at my craft.  Even so, I really battled with the idea of being a working mom, because let's face it, since she was born, she has been my world.  I was lucky enough to have my mom at home with me growing up, and I knew that having a stay at home parent was a priority when I had my own family.  As I got into teaching I really did not think that I had the desire to stay at home.  I worried I would become stir crazy, be bored, and feel the need to be back in the classroom.  Well, I cannot say that this ended up being the situation.  Turns out, stay at home mama fit me pretty well.  And as I worked ever so hard to stay at home as long as possible, the date was finally set that I would return to my classroom exactly five months after leaving it.

Now first off, I am thankful that I was home with Everly for the first four and a half months of her life.  Many moms do not get more than six weeks off, and that would have put me back in the classroom before Christmas break!  Seriously, you must be kidding me!!!

So I have now been a working mom for two whole days.  And I can proudly say that I have gotten through each work day without crying, something I was pretty sure wasn't going to be possible.  However, I'm spoiled.  A few things have caused me to get to have my Everly come and visit me twice while I'm at work: once during my prep in the morning, and once during my lunch.  Thankfully we just moved about four minutes from where I work, which makes this crazy schedule possible, not to mention, Everly is already a very petite eater, and refuses the bottle.  If I did what the dr. suggested of "she will eat when she is starving", my daughter would just not eat.  She barely nurses as is, so take away the one source of food she loves, well, let's just say I think she would be below the 10th percentile at her next checkup!  Not to mention, I cherish these times when she comes to see me, and it has been an amazing way to get my Everly fix, while still teaching.

As an extra bonus, my kids were very ready for me to be back.  I have never left my students with another teacher for longer than a few days, so coming back after five months was a little scary.  Had this teacher won them over with all sorts of awesomeness?  I knew that I wasn't on my "A game" at the beginning of the year after having to move schools again, especially at 6 months pregnant, so how would they receive me?  Well, it continues to be true, start a class, and they are forever yours.  Come in mid-year, and be prepared to work your butt off and never really get anywhere.

I can now add one more thing to my badge of accomplishments, working mom.  Going back to work didn't mean that the world was ending [but if you talked to me last week you would have thought differently].  I still see Everly a lot, and she is really getting to bond with her daddy now that I am out of the picture for more than a few minutes at a time!  So now it is all about being creative with time.  For example, I may have finished my lesson plan for my 7th graders yesterday while typing in the bathroom, sitting on a folding chair, while Everly was in her Bumbo being entertained by the mirror.  I'm going to call that a working mom success.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

happy st. patrick's day

Everly and I have been dressed in head to toe green this entire weekend
to celebrate our first st. patty's day with our little lady
and since this was my last weekend before I go back to work
I am thankful that I stayed extra busy with family and friends
and all things green
wish me luck tomorrow
I'll let you know how it goes
and no, I don't want to talk about it right now
denial is key I think

Friday, March 15, 2013

oh hey, I'm 18 weeks old

my, I clearly have been busy in the last two weeks
because I'm 18 weeks old, actually closer to 19, and yeah, 
I missed week 17 altogether
but let's look back
at what I've been doing lately
first off, I have a new home
man oh man, I could really get lost in this place
if I could only figure out how to get moving without the help of others
which I am working on
but I'm noticing that whenever I try
I go backwards, whether I am on my tummy or walking with some assistance
[yes, they still have to help me do everything, but not for long]
other news includes my four month checkup
where I was told I now weigh 11 pounds 15 ounces
and just as mom predicted, I've dropped down into the 10th percentile
for weight, but the doctor doesn't seem too concerned yet
but I'm up to the 50th percentile for height, so there you go
[which also explains why my pants are almost all capris]
and then there's Sophie
 have I mentioned my love for her?
don't mind the fact that it looks like I'm trying to eat her leg off
we really are friends
[and yes, that may be drool causing my face to glisten in these photos]
lately I have been too busy sitting up
and grabbing my feet, that may or may not be making their way
 to my mouth very soon
to worry about rolling over, so I guess that will be my next thing
for now, I think I'll enjoy my new nursery
that thanks to grammie and auntie meg, is looking just about done
maybe I can even get that mom of mine to take a few pictures of it
to show off here real soon
but for now, it's time for bed
[I think all my exciting company has got me thrown all off, but that's ok]
 -Everly Mae

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

three months [part II]

thank you again to Sarah of Sarah Maren Photographers
for capturing our little family 
and making sure we have these images of our little Everly
at three months old
see the rest of her 3 month photos here
and newborn photos here
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