March 30, 2011

What He Wore On Wednesday

Today Cruz was feeling a bit under the weather, so we went for comfort over style.
But first, some nightwear hilarity.
Um yeah. I'm not too sure about these sleeping gowns. Not terribly manly.
And speaking of...
Nothing says manly like a green bum. I swear to you that Cruz almost crawled today. He is trying so so hard to get moving. Life. Will. Change.
Is this a sweatshirt or a snack?

That is all.

March 29, 2011

While You Are Napping

Today while you are napping, I am sitting in my office, in the dark, way past closing time. You have not napped very well today, and I hate to wake you up. I will give you fifteen more minutes, and then we're hittin' the road, sir.

I am in my office, where I have spent most Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday, Fridays and the very occasional Saturday. I have a bulletin board full of pictures and notes from students ("Your berry cool!"). I have a really fabulous Pottery Barn desk (it has tiny compartments built into the drawers. Organizational swoon). I have baby in a basket, napping on my bookshelf. There are piles of files on top of my desk and a coffee cup next to the phone, which I meant to wash last week.

There are boxes on the floor that are starting to fill up.

Yup, that's right, we're packing.

Starting on Monday morning, I will have a new boss.

This boss likes to communicate "big picture" rather than details. The "what" if not always the "how" or "why."

My new boss has a demanding schedule. I will be on call much more often than 8-5.

This new guy likes to have his hands in everything we do.

He is happiest when we are growing and changing. He is not satisfied with staying the course or keeping to the status quo.

He is convinced that this company is ready to stand on it's own two feet.
And, shhh, for the love, don't tell my husband... but I think he's pretty cute. 

March 28, 2011

Awkward and Awesome... and a Winner!

Sydney at The Daybook invented Awkward and Awesome. I think I would like to be her friend. Isn't she cute?
She writes Awkward and Awesome on Thursdays. I know it's Monday, but what the heck, people, life is short.

Awkward:
Realizing that your boy now asks for a meal by pulling down your shirt.
Realizing this at the office.
Nursing under a cover and having one lone chunky hand reach up and grab your lips while you're talking.
Standing in front of the church as a bridesmaid and hearing your baby cry in the middle of the sermon. And then again during the mealtime prayer. 
Trying to explain why I love the show Sister Wives.
Getting to a restaurant waaaaay before the rest of your party. The waitress tried valiantly to make small talk with me. But let me tell you, small talk is not my spiritual gift, ma'am.

Awesome:
Being a  bridesmaid in a breathtakingly beautiful wedding. 
Listening to two people make lifelong marriage vows and thrilling as I remember and cherish my own.
Kicking someone's butt in our March Madness bracket. 
The new season of Sister Wives.
I was at my wit's end trying to get everything done (in the pouring rain!) when a good friend called and offered to help me out by going to the store for me. Yes, yes a thousand times yes.
Spending the weekend with some besties from college.
Cloth diapers, y'all. Can't believe I was ever a hater. 

And we have a winner!!
{KIMBERLY} is the lucky new owner for her very own Wallflowers Inc accessory.
Send me an email:
reliasen{at}gmail{dot}come 
and we can talk details.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated. :D

March 23, 2011

What {We} Wore on Wednesday

Guess who I saw this morning?
A Chunk.
Where did all this delightful chub come from? He must be eating crackers in his crib.
This was our first all cloth diaper day... so fun! 
When you are five-and-a-half months old, the world is {such} an interesting place. Cruz loves to look out the windows!
Bride and Baby

Oh wait... did you ask what {we} were wearing today?

It's my fab new headband from WallflowersInc! And you can have one too. You can win the accessory of your choice by doing one or more of the following (each items gets you an entry into the drawing):
1. Leave a comment letting me know which accessory you'd like to win!
2. Become a follower of While You Were Napping
3. Like this post on Facebook

Seriously, you should enter. I got like a bajillion compliments on my headband today. And when this is your other accessory, that says a lot. 


March 21, 2011

Head Woes and a Give-away!

If you are a girl who has ever experienced any type of time crunch, you have probably grabbed a headband at some point.
To perk up a ponytail. 
To hide the fact that you have gone three many days without washing your hair. 
And because they are super, super cute.
If, like moi, you are simply a slave to fashion, you may have found yourself angrily ripping your headband off at the end of the day and asking yourself, "For the love... could someone please invent a headband that doesn't crush my brain??!!"

Because it was raining cats and dogs this morning, I for sure didn't do my hair, ergo, a headband was needed. I was telling Cruz about my headbandy angst on the way home from work. He nodded approvingly and stuck his fingers in his mouth (as is his wont these days). 
I tell you all this for a reason.
When I walked in the door, this beauty was waiting for me!

And this one too!

And that brings us to our Very. First. While You Were Napping Giveaway!!

These headbands come from WallflowersInc, which just happens to be owned by one of the most fashiony people I know... my best friend Andrea.
The winner of our giveaway will receive the accessory of his or her choice from Wallflowers!!! Doesn't that just make you happy inside?

Here's how to enter:
1. Go to WallflowersInc and look at all the cute products she has to offer. Then come back to this blog and leave a comment letting me know which accessory you would like if you win. Something like, "Hi Becca! I would lurve to wear the cute triple bud hair clip!"
2. Gain an extra entry by becoming a follower of this blog or by "liking" this post on Facebook
3. I will pick the winner randomly on Friday morning, so be sure to get your entries in by then


Good luck and get ready to look awesome!

March 19, 2011

For The March Bride

The invitations are sent.
Your dress is ready to be picked up.
Your mom is coming. Your bridesmaids are packing their bags.

After years of dreaming, after months of planning, you will walk down the aisle and say two words that will change your life. 

I do... promise to put your needs before mine.
I do... promise to put God before both of us.
I do... promise to trust that you'll do the same. 


I will stand up there for you, a witness to the miracle that occurs when you and he make a marriage covenant with God. 
Truly, it is a miracle.
Treat your marriage like a new baby... guard it, protect it, look at in wonder.
Tell strangers about your marriage and nearly burst with pride.
Google its milestones incessantly.
{nope, wait, that's me}


And because every brides needs something old and borrowed...
Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.



{with love}

March 16, 2011

What He Wore On Wednesday

Wednesday! Wednesday!


Ok, dressing a boy is way more fun that I ever thought it would be. How cute is that sweatshirt??

This boy is always in motion. Once he starts crawling, I'll only be able to take video; no still pictures for this kid.


It's too hot for jammies! Goodnight, everyone!

March 15, 2011

... how vast beyond all measure...

We were taking a nap the other day, Cruz and I. 
He woke up before I was really done with my nap, so I pulled him into bed for a snuggle. I snoozed while he babbled and pulled my hair. 
After a few minutes of batting away his drool-soaked paws, I opened my eyes to find him staring into mine. 
Like a bolt of lightening.


Bone of my bone. Flesh of my flesh.


There was a deep look, soul to soul. Here he is, my personal miracle, mine miney all mine. 
 But here I am, in the middle of Lent, so aware of my sin, of my downfall.
I could never deserve this love. In that moment I felt so small and weak. 
No matter how I stack up, I fall short.
I lose patience.
I feel smug.
I slack off. 
And yet...
Again and again, I am in awe of the grace we've been given in Christ. That I, so small, so weak, have been given such a perfect gift


... how vast beyond all measure...

March 13, 2011

Hey, It's Me! Five Month Old Cruz

Hey All! Cruz here. I am five months old and super busy!
I go to work with Mama, play with my babysitters, have Man Time with Daddy, and go to MOPS! This month I spent a lot of time with GramB and Grandpa E, and Grandma N. My cousin Andersen and Auntie Em came to visit as well. I am a baby on the go!
I roll {a lot} and I am starting to sit up. 
And guess what I found?
My toes!!!
They come with me everywhere and are oh so much fun. 
If something passes near me, I try to eat it. 
My Mama checks to see if I have any teeth about once an hour.
Woman, I will let you know. 
New York's hottest night club is Chew...
All in all, I think I'm a pretty easy going baby. I babble. I giggle. I love to splash in the bath.
I sit in my high chair during dinner time and I add a {lot} to the conversation. 
I've developed a high pitched shriek. It's a super fun noise to make. 
Life just keeps getting more fun!

Love and drool,
Cruz

March 12, 2011

While You Are Napping

While you are napping, I should be napping. 
This four-month-old sleep regression business is kicking my butt. I have gone from having a sleeping {champ} to having a sleeping rascal. 
I ask you, what am I supposed to do when this happy face greets me at 4am?
He is not hungry. He is not sad. 
He is just ready to play.
Hey Cruz! Here's a life lesson for ya: nothing good is happening at 4am. 
There are not even any good infomercials on. 
Some days, for good measure, just to keep me half happy that he's awake, he'll throw some new consonant sounds into his babbles.
Okay, you're right, that does make my heart feel good.

On the whole, I had been feeling pretty smug  thankful to have a Sleeping Through The Night Cruz. So I tell myself that I have it much, much harder than the average parent going from sleep to less sleep. 
Like any Modern Mama, I have been scouring the internet for help.
Maybe he's not eating enough during the day.
{True. A Five Month Old Cruz is also an Easily Distracted Cruz.}
Maybe he's teething.
{Drool. Check. Everything in mouth. Check.}
Maybe he's sleeping too much during the day.
{I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. When else would I online shop blog?}
I finally stumbled across a Christian natural/attachment parenting website. 
It was like finding a Prius with a Sarah Palin bumper sticker.
In other words, there aren't too many out there. 
The website actually turned out to be a little judgy, so I'm won't reveal my source to you, but I did like what it said about the four month sleep regression.
Because here's the deal. 
God has made me Cruz's Mama for "a time such as this." There is nothing more important I can be doing than being his mom. My sleep, my work, my peace of mind, my undereye circles... all of that is second to giving Cruz what he needs. And if what he needs is to wake up in the middle of the night for a little snack, then it is my job to give him what he needs.
You know, with a grateful heart.
And yes, giving him what he needs could mean a lot of things.
Like helping him relearn how to sleep through the night, etc.
But I think the point is that I need to stop stressing about my interrupted sleep. 
So I look forward to the day when I can relax during those midnight feedings, knowing that I am right where we're supposed to be. 

March 9, 2011

What He Wore on Wednesday

It's Wednesday, y'all.
Around here, the mornings are kind of intense!
This onesie is from New Orleans {thanks, Audrey!!}. Cruz still thinks that it's Mardi Gras, I guess.
Love love love DwellStudio prints. 
Ok, there were at least two other outfits today. It was that kind of day. But I don't have pictures of them. You know, that kind of day.
Much love.

March 8, 2011

Randomize

We are a little bit under the weather these days. So Cruz and I have been using tea tree oil to cure all that ails us. 

Some of us are losing hair like cray-zee and some of us are finally growing some.

At Macy's today we met an 85 year old woman named Pearl. Cruz thinks that Pearl is Where It's At. And he's right. 

I gave this guy a bath. 

Hey Cruz... didn't you know that sick days are for staying in your jammies, snuggling and watching movies all day? You have a lot to learn about life.

Cruz's high chair came in the mail today. This kid is getting ridiculously old. Like, he'll be five months old on Friday. Get out of town!

Remember when I told you that our family is starting some new adventures? Well, here's one piece of that... in April, we are switching to cloth diapers.

Do you ever think that some things are myths until they happen to you? Like morning sickness, senioritis and the four month sleep regression?

Speaking of... maybe I should give up sleeping through the night for Lent. Ha ha! A holier-than-thou attitude might freshen up our 3am wakefests.

Cruz and I had a good snuggle while catching up on The Bachelor. So who do you think he'll pick next week? Emily? Chantal? A personality?

Happy Tues, everyone. 

March 6, 2011

Excuse me...

... but which way to the Cape?


March 4, 2011

I rest my hand on his chest to make sure he's breathing in the middle of the night

Certainly I'm not the first mama to have big ideas about parenting before realizing the reality of the situation.
As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I bought Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven and had a lot of ideals about eating great while I was pregnant.
Organic. Spinach. Nothing processed.
Then I started throwing up seven times a day and ate McDonald's vanilla milkshakes, potato chips and bacon. 
Oh lord, the BACON. 

Attachment parenting is something else that I had scoffed at pre-baby. To me, attachment parenting conjured up images of eight year olds who cling to their parents and parents who have never said no. 
Not pretty. 
I had a lot of ideas in this arena. 
My child was going to be on a schedule.
My child would sleep in his own room by three months.
And etc.

But here we are, almost five months into this journey, and guess what, Pre-Baby Judgmental Me? We have accidently done attachment parenting!
Feeding on cue? Yup. 
Breastfeeding? Not only are we breastfeeding, I love it and hope we'll do it for at least a year.
Babywearing...
Sleeping close to each other...
Compromising on a nap schedule...
Oy! 
And guess what, I love it. Baby and I are bonded far beyond what I could have imagined. He is happy, adjusted, social and darn cute. {Ahem... this does not mean I think this is the only you shoulda coulda woulda bond with your baby. No no no. Me With A Baby is simply giving a gentle correction to Me With No Baby}

But tonight we are taking a giant leap forward.
Right now, as we speak, Cruz is sleeping in his own room.
I have to tell you this because I am freaking out!
He's just a little guy and the world is so big. 
I am not ready to send him out into it yet.
{um... you are thinking. He's sleeping in his crib, woman. This is not exactly sleep-away camp or a semester abroad}
I hear you, but still.
So little!

So Lord, please watch over my little guy tonight. If you have any extra Jammie Angels who'd like to hang out in Cruz's nursery, they'll be welcome tonight. 


{Morning After Update}


So I may not have slept too well, but this guy sure looks happy!


March 2, 2011

What He Wore on Wednesday

Bringing the baby to work means that one minute I might be singing "Wheels on the Bus" while changing a diaper and then next minute I will be reading something like this: 
Lakoff and Johnson rejected the rationalistic notions of Kantean schemata, Chomskyan autonomous syntax and other strong versions of mental modules, as well as poststructuralist views of the arbitrariness of signs and the relativism of signification. They extend their philosophy beyond epistemology to morality and metaphysics.
 [Pavio, et al]
Hey! Would you look at the time? Let's see some baby pictures.

 I guess I wasn't too worried about wiping his mouth before snapping a picture this morning.
I mean, really. Should I drop this kid off at Baby Gap headquarters and just wait for the checks to start showing up?
Tovi and Cruz had a "Man Date" today. They assured me that they would get dirty and probably shoot bows and arrows. Really good manly stuff. I should not be surprised that Cruz ended up in a soccer outfit.
Night night, y'all!
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