the days are long, but the years are short.

It’s hard to believe the first photo was taken two years ago, just a short 24 hours before I would see my sweet little baby’s face for the first time. Fast forward two years — her hair fits in piggies and that sweet little baby has become a little girl. In true vizsla fashion, Lucy is close by, making sure to live up to the trademark vizsla nickname — Velcro Dog™.

Remember, “the days are long, but the years are short.”… I still can’t believe I have a two year old daughter and that Lucy will turn nine this summer… My girls… ❤

second birthday eve

colorful sprinkles, vizsla kisses, & a little girl’s wishes — finley is turning two!

fridays with finley

That face.

It was a typical evening after work, Lucy was living up to the classic vizlsa nickname, “Velcro Dog”, following me around like she was Velcroed to my hip. Toddlers tend to be the same way so Finley wasn’t far behind. I noticed that Lucy was “smiling”, acting weird, and taking deeps breaths through her nose, the sure tell sign a dog is about to puke. So, I did what is the best solution for this to ensure I don’t have to clean puke off the floor, and guided her into the shower (she goes in like she knows is the place to puke). As she was in there, I must have been staring intently at her and while I was staring at her, Finley must have been staring at me, observing my every move. And, I must have been making a funny face of concern because next thing I knew, Finley was looking at me with this funny lip face saying (also in a funny, low/scruffy/worried voice), “Lucy sick”.

Seriously, this child kills me!

Now, when I make that face at her, she giggles and does it back and immediately says “Ohhh, Lucy sick”, in that same funny voice.

In “Cheers-ing” news, she most recently ran to her playroom, grabbed her wooden camera, and came running over to me, while I was shooting some products for work, to cheers cameras! There also has been cheersing of eyes, toothbrushes, and tummies. What will she cheers next!?

Happy Friday, friends!

fridays with finley

There are lots and lots of wonderful things about Finley, but one of them is that she plays really well by herself. She has such an imagination already and quietly goes from one thing to another, spending short amounts of time on each thing, like a typical toddler. The other night, while she played for awhile before bedtime, I glanced over at her to see what she was up to. She was placing her baby (My Baby Shivers from when I was little; I remember getting her like it was yesterday.. oh, the excitement!) on top of a Rubbermaid container, then proceeded to tell her “time out!” and walked away, leaving Baby Shivers behind. I about died. She gave her baby a time out!

Sometimes, I think it’s easy to forget just how smart out little toddlers are. They are watching and observing everything we do as adults. (So, yesterday when I hopped in the car to go to work, realizing I was on empty, maybe “shit!” wasn’t my best choice of words?)

As if I couldn’t love her more than I already do, last night as I talked to her at the end of one of her own time outs, she poked me in the cheek and exclaimed “cheek!” and then poked her own cheek and said it again, then said “Cheers!” as she pushed her cheek against mine. Cheers-ing isn’t only for cocktail glasses, in her little mind. I think I like this girl’s imagination…

Cheers!

on being a grown-up

“There are no grown-ups. We suspect this when we are younger, but can confirm it only once we are the ones writing books and attending parent-teacher conferences. Everyone is winging it, some just do it more confidently.”

Occasionally I am taken aback when I think deeply about the fact that I have a child. I have a real-live-human-child-baby who is mine, who depends on me, who I keep alive. I don’t feel old enough to have that responsibility, yet I have it and I do a pretty darn good job if it, I think. I read this blog post a woman wrote about what you “learn in your 40s” and although I have a number of years before I live through my 40s, that quote resonated with me.

All these “adult” responsibilities I have, I do, but half the time I have no idea how. I’m just winging it day in and day out. I think we all are, aren’t we? Who really knows what the hell they are doing when they have their first baby (or their second or their third!)? When I was pregnant with Finley, I would have mini panic attacks wondering how I would know how much to feed her when she was a newborn but then she came and I did it, and she grew like tiny babies do. When she was six months old, I didn’t know if I should give her baby food or how much or even what kind, but the time came and I did it again. And shoes. Does a baby under 12 months really need shoes!? My head always told me I “should” put shoes on her, but the mommy in me said “eff that, she doesn’t need shoes!” So, despite the grief from others, I never put shoes on her (rarely socks, even!). And guess what, she can run with those tiny little feet just like all the other kids her age! Small uncertainties happen at every stage of their lives, of our lives, and each time, as parents, we figure it out — albeit, winging it.

I suspect that when she’s in kindergarten, a sophomore in high school, or a mommy bringing home her newborn baby, I will still have those moments when I am taken aback by the fact that I am a grown-up… but I will hold my head high and confidently do what I need to do as a mom, all the while, feeling like I have no idea what I’m doing at all.

adventures of finley & lucy | days 1-15

Fifteen days ago I started a 30-day photo series on instagram, featuring my two favorite babies – finley & lucy. It has been so much fun! So much, in fact, that I am considering continuing it… and I’ve had a lot of requests to do so. 🙂 Since I am half way through the original 30-day series, I thought I’d do a quick blog post recap of the first 15 days! To see the next 15 days as I post them, follow me on instagram! Enjoy…

“party in da crib”

“follow the leader”

“skinnydipping”

 

“nice puppy”

“graham cracker snack break under the table”

“bubble bath buddies”

 

“peek-a-boo”

 

“come on, luce!”

 

“nice to meet you” #tbt

 

“america”

 

“popsicle break”

 

“finley & lucy”

 

“dressing up lucy in girly headbands”

“ponies”

 

“front porch conversations”

adventures of finley & lucy | starting soon!

Hello, friends! I’ve got a little something in the works that I’m excited about… a 30-day photo series that will feature two very important things in my life — my baby and my first baby. As Finley gets bigger, their friendship gets stronger. She loves to give Lucy kisses and pet her while saying “Niiiiiice, puppy!”. And every time I ask her to say “Grandma” or “Grandpa”, among other words, she reponds, “Puppy!?”. #meltmyheart

So stayed tuned and be sure to follow me on instagram where I will be featuring glimpses of their friendship one photo at a time..

xo.
ami

20 minutes in the life of a (busy) 15 month old

Those of you who have children understand how busy they are. Their attention span is short and they move from one thing to another within seconds. (Sounds sorta like myself… haha) I followed Finley around with my camera for awhile after we got home from work+daycare the other day. Despite her business, she was such a well-behaved, sweet little girl as she played nicely by herself all evening. As I watched her, I reminded myself how lucky and fortunate I am to be blessed with a daughter like her…

Her “zebra” blanky and nuk are her go-to items.

If the baby gate isn’t up, she beelines for the steps. And then Lucy runs ahead of her and thinks it’s playtime!

Once she gets to the landing, she giggles and crawls super fast to the next flight. (still has the blanky in hand…)

Silly faces as always. And a sure tell sign of a 15 month old at the end of the day—dirty clothes!

Peeking around the corner.. I think she thought daddy was home!

Once she’s to the top, she peeks around to make sure I’m still following her..

Digging for toys.. (blanky in hand)

And then straight to our bedroom to see if the bathroom door is open so she can explore in there! WHY do babies always want to go to the grossest areas of a house?!

Got distracted when she saw the laundry room door was open so went in there instead. And then in true baby fashion, had to close the door! (*don’t mind the disaster of clothes everywhere!) And, still has the blanky..

Peeking out.. 🙂

Then I put her up on our bed for a few photos..

And she got kisses from Lucy!

Stripped down to her diaper to get ready for dinner and in the meantime, got her hands on a water bottle…

So much more fun than REAL toys!

Keeping the water bottle close by..

A silly face that looks like a face of frustration..

Forgot about the water bottle and moved on to a plastic easter egg. (please pay no attention to the dog-nose-and-baby-hand-smeared, nasty-looking window!)

And then realized the Bose stereo was on the window sill.

Finally made her way to her toy corner to play with real toys!

Scooting into the smallest space she can find. 🙂

And coming out with her glowworm baby!

Trying to make it light up and play music..

Finally, time for a cruise on her princess car next to her sidekick..

life as a mommy | selfless love

photo by Stacy Kron Photography

That’s what I always tell Finley. And it’s so true, isn’t it!? No matter how much I knew my mom loved me all of my 31 years (and counting), the love she [must] have for me all came into perspective when I had Finley. In light of Mother’s Day this Sunday, here’s just a glimpse of the kind of love that comes with a daughter..

To Finley…

When I insisted we keep our lights on dim the first night we brought you home so that I would be able to see you the minute I opened my eyes. How you slept by my side of the bed for the first eight months of your life and even when you slept through the night, I didn’t. How I held it together the entire time I got ready for my first day back at work, the day after my first Mother’s Day, but lost it the minute I pulled out of the driveway with you in the back seat to bring you to daycare. And listening to “A Comet Appears” by The Shins and “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab for Cutie with tears rolling down my cheeks the entire drive there. “Still to come, the worst part and you know it.” Yep, dropping you off at daycare was the worst part to come that morning. And “I need you so much closer…” I knew sitting at my desk at work while you were at daycare wouldn’t be close enough. How it was all I could do to not text Heidi every hour to see how you were doing for the first six months you were there.

The absolute joy and happiness I felt inside the first time you giggled. (The same exact feeling the first time you rolled over and said “puppy” and walked by yourself!) How my heart sank to my toes the day Lucy jumped over top of you when you were laying on the couch. Or the time the vacuum tipped over on top of you. And the first time you got shots and you had the mouth-wide-open-silence before the big cry. The compassion I felt for you the night I found you awake in your crib covered in puke; and the days that followed when you threw up multiple times looking so confused and innocent. That I felt worse for you being sick than I did for myself having to clean up someone else’s vomit at 3:00am.

How heartbroken I felt that week when you would cry when I picked you up at daycare. But how happy it would make me inside if you’d cry when I left you. Or when you’d repeat “mamamamamama” while you cried when we transitioned you to your crib. And even though hearing you call out to me made me smile, I’d tear up hearing your cries of sadness. All the countless times I would wake up in the middle of the night to lay you back down, give you your pacifier, and kiss your forehead. Or the nights you need to be held and rocked back to sleep. Knowing that no matter how exhausted or frustrated I am, I would be there in a heartbeat.

The look on your face and your joyful giggles when I push you in the swing or when you splash water in the bathtub and Lucy tries to catch it. How I’m totally ok with sitting in the back seat to keep you company during a long road trip. And my ritual of kissing you on the forehead when you are settled into your carseat, before I get into the driver’s seat. How I always am certain I can hear you crying when I’m in the middle of a shower or when we are miles apart.

How proud & giddy I feel with each of your milestones, big or small.

The excitement I feel when I think about the future with you, watching you learn and grow. But how much pressure I put on myself to do a good job of raising you to be a smart+kind little girl.

Now I get emotional during any commercials, TV shows, or movies that have sentimental interactions between a mom and child. And now, a perfect Friday night consists of regular weeknight routines with you, a glass of Apothic Red, Dateline & Shark Tank, and staying up just a little later than normal. Instead of sleeping in on Saturday, waking up with you to make you breakfast, listen & dance to music, and clean the house all before 10:00am. Eating dinner after you go to bed so that you can eat dinner, have a bath, and play first.

The days I feel defeated and have to be ok with not getting a thing done, but then remember that I certainly am being productive, because I am a mommy.

That making you laugh is a daily priority no matter how ridiculous I must look and sound.

Learning that no matter what I want to accomplish each day or how I might feel, being a mommy to you comes first. Like the day I was sick and had to put you down mid-bottle to run to the bathroom [to throw up], and then finish feeding you, wishing more than anything that I had my mom here to take care of me too. And knowing that she would be in a heartbeat if she could…

Because,

that’s just the kind of selfless+unconditional love you have for your child…

“You’ll never know how much I truly love you until you have your own baby someday.”

photo by Stacy Kron Photography

Happy Mother’s Day, fellow mommies!

// Amazing photography courtesy of the fabulous Stacy Kron!

 

In celebration of Mother’s Day, I invite all mommies to share a story about the love you have for your little ones, or why your mom is so special, or how she has made you feel so special! As part of the MOMery campaign Dropcam is doing, they will be sharing some of their favorite stories! For more information, contact Tiffany at — tpham(@)dropcam(.)com

first year favorites

As part of my infographic giveaway, I asked you to comment on the blog post with your favorite item used during the first year with your baby. I had so much fun reading each and every comment and even got a few ideas of new things to try the second time around! So, thank you to everyone who commented! Now it’s my turn to share my favorite things during the first year with Finley…

(click on each to be directed to actual product!)

1. HUMIDIFIER We run a humidifier in Finley’s room every night. Plus it plays different sounds (crickets, lullaby, heartbeat, white noise) to help baby sleep better.

2. FISHER-PRICE ROCK ‘N PLAY SLEEPER Finley slept in this for eight months (I had full intentions of getting her in her crib at six months but it didn’t happen)! I had it right next to my side of the bed. It was so nice to be able to just reach over and rock her if need be. Even better, in the newest “model”, there is a sound player to soothe baby.

3. SIPPY CUP WITH STRAW This is by far Finley’s favorite sippy cup! The straw is soft and has a ball at the end, so baby can get the liquid out from almost any angle.

4. ADEN & ANAIS BURP CLOTH/BIBS The. Best. Burp. Cloths. Ever. They are super soft and wash up so nicely. And because of the shape, they fit perfectly on your shoulder, plus has a snap so when baby is a little bigger, they work as awesome bibs that even cover baby’s shoulders! I always laugh because it looks like Finley is getting her haircut when she has the bib around her.

5. AVENT BOTTLES We lucked out and never had problems with bottles. Finley was able to use whatever we gave her, but we especially like the Avent ones. It only has one extra piece that you have to wash (a ring that seals the top to the bottle). Easy peasy.

6. PACIFIER CLIP I only had two different clips and put one on Finley every day (up until about 10 months when she’d pull it off), especially when she went to daycare. They are so nice, not only in the house, but when baby is in the carseat, because it’s THE WORST when he/she cries and you can’t find the pacifier (because if you have a baby, you know how pacifiers magically disappear into a black hole)! With the clip, you can just feel for that and know that the pacifier will be at the end of it.

7. JELLYCAT BLANKY I’m so excited that this has become Finley’s favorite blanky. (Cory will tell you that I forced it on her… sorta did…) She has it with her all the time and just loves it. So much nicer than her getting attached to and lugging around a giant, full-sized blanket. Plus, this one is super soft, super cute, and washes really nicely.

8. J.CREW BOOTIES Finley never wore shoes pretty much her entire first year. But these were nice to keep her little feet warm, plus they are adorable and come in lots of color combos.

9. BEANIE HATS Hats. Hats. Hats! I love me some hats. Especially when baby is teeny tiny. It’s nice to keep their little heads warm with a beanie hat. Check out the adorable hats I have for sale in my etsy shop! If you are a dog lover, you’ll love these. (and some awesome new, non-dog fabric is coming soon as well!)

10. BABY TOWEL Because babies are so darn cute in their little hooded towels!

11. SOPHIE THE GIRAFFE What baby doesn’t have one of these? Finley loves hers! In fact, we have three of them. One is still in the drawer that we’ll use brand new for baby #2 whenever that happens..

12. SOPHIE TEETHING RING Finley also loved the little Sophie teething ring when she first started grasping/holding things.

13. PUJ BABY BATH This thing was amazing. I struggled giving Finley a bath all the time, especially if I was alone with her. It’s so hard to hold them (slippery!). This fits perfectly into any regular bathroom sink and it’s shape and softness makes it really comfy for teeny babies. Finley never cried when she had a bath in this.

14. BOON GRASS DRIER Super functional and equally as attractive to have sitting out on your kitchen counter. Love this. (hint: works great for drying wine glasses too!)

15. HALO SLEEP SACK I’m one of those mommies who doesn’t pile blankets or anything in the crib with Finley. She’s always slept in a sleep sack. So nice to have the peace of mind while you know they are staying cozy too.

16. ADEN & ANIAS DREAM BLANKET I accidentally got this blanket on a whim. I thought I was getting the light weight swaddle blankets, but was so glad when it ended up being a bigger, heavier weight swaddle blanket. It’s the same material as the burp cloths and it’s my favorite blanket ever!

17. OXO HIGH CHAIR This is a little bit on the pricier side, but so worth it. I wanted something that actually was appealing to look at since it would be sitting out in our kitchen for a couple years. Plus, the “padding” is super easy to wipe down and you can remove the seat one to clean it easier and better. It also converts to a “stool” (comes with another pad for the seat) once your baby is big enough to use it that way.

18. HUGGIES WIPES Love the Huggies wipes. They are thicker and pull apart easier with one hand. I just found them to be nicer and easier to work with than other brands.

19. PAMPERS DIAPERS Diapers on the other hand, Pampers all the way! They are so soft and smell lovely. We’ve never had issues with leakage either.