Umm, so it’s almost August. Charlotte will officially be two and a half this month, which is the age I’ve been telling people for the past month when they ask how old she is. Whoops. But seriously, how is it already August, and how has my baby grown up so quickly? I can never keep up.
Today, I have a few fun things and then one sad thing to discuss, so I’ll start with the happy in true currently form.
ONE.
Loving…
Charlotte lately. I love her all the time, but lately, she has been so animated and bursting with personality. I think I could probably write an entire post about the whole subject, but I’ll wait just a little longer. About these pictures… I posted the last one on Instagram with what our day entailed, but I’ll share here too. The other day we went to have lunch with MJM. After lunch, I had to return an item to J.Crew. His office is close to J.Crew and tons of other shops (I know. I’m jealous too.), so we quickly went in to do our thing. This is an outdoor shopping center we went to, so I was really trying to make it as painless as possible in 100 degree weather.When we were getting out of the car, sister girl wanted to bring her giraffe, a giraffe she refused to leave the house without. I let her drag it around, literally. When we were in the store, she found a lost bow. She picked it up and cried out, “Baby?! Where are you?” She quickly decided that the bow needed to go on her beloved baby giraffe. She plopped on the couch, hugged it, and then she decided she needed to take a “pretend” nap. It was the cutest thing ever.
We left the store, and she lugged that big giraffe around some more. It definitely wore her out, making her work up a sweat. I had to fix her hair into a top knot after all of that. Once I did, she decided that she needed to ride her giraffe like a horse. Because that would definitely work in real life.
She also insisted on wearing her sunglasses. This girl. She has my heart forever.
TWO.
Preparing for..
Mother’s Day Out. I can’t believe Charlotte will be starting Mother’s Day Out in September. Makes my heart ache just a little. At the beginning of the week I received my first official email about her program and almost cried. I know she’ll love it, at least I’m trying to convince myself that she will.
In preparation for her class, I needed to get her a few school necessities that her school requires, and I was not mad about it at all. School supplies are my jam. Let me just tell you that I have always loved school supplies. Always. I would get so excited to pick out a new backpack and lunch kit every year, and then when I became a teacher, I would geek out over all the back-to-school supplies hooplah. Of course I did not take picking out Charlotte’s necessities lightly.
THREE.
Reading…
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan. I mentioned this fun read before my vacation, and now I can’t put this book down. It’s been distracting me for the past two weeks. It’s definitely kept me up later than usual, but I can’t wait to finish it! It’s about a royal couple, one American girl and a royal prince of England. It definitely has the Kate and William vibe, which is probably why I love it so much. I highly recommend this book if chick lit is your genre. Love it.
Speaking of books, last weekend, my latest article, “Top 20 Books for Pregnancy & Beyond,” was published on Houston Moms Blog. I had asked and polled several of my mama friends what books they loved during pregnancy and what parenting books they loved as well. This is what they came up.
I’ve read majority of them, but I’m definitely interested in reading a few of the ones I haven’t. In the meantime, here are where you can find the titles.
Pregnancy
The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy / What to Expect When You’re Expecting / The Pregnancy Journal / Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth / Mommy IQ: The Complete Guide to Pregnancy / Expecting 411: The Insider’s Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth
Parenting
Parenting with Love & Logic / Happiest Baby on the Block / The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two / Grace Based Parenting / Baby 411 / What to Expect the First Year / Cherish the First Six Weeks: A Plan that Creates Calm, Confident Parents and a Happy, Secure Baby / The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases into Magical Leaps Forward
Baby Sleep
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child / The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5 (also see this article here) / On Becoming Baby Wise
For the Mama
Sparkly Green Earrings / 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity / Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I had to Learn as a New Mom
FOUR.
Thankful for…
Spontaneous midweek date nights. Wednesday, MJM and I were lucky enough to go golfing together for the first time ever. I don’t golf, clearly, but it was fun to ride around in the cart and watch him golf. We had a great time enjoying the heat and each other’s company. I don’t take our time together for granted.
FIVE.
Praying for…
Leslie Sisti, blogger of A Blonde Ambition, and her sweet family. I can’t even believe I’m typing these words, but I’m so sad to say that this sweet mama and wife has gone to be with Jesus. If you followed Leslie’s blog, you know that she was so full of life and drew you in with her wit and charm. You could easily tell she was one of those people who never met a stranger, making everyone feel like a friend. I started following her blog when I first started mine in the beginning of 2014. She was already an old pro, and I loved everything she wrote. She had a link-up on Fridays called Confessional Friday, and it’s where I got the idea of what I have going on with my Currently Confessing posts. I connected with her on social media and through her blog, and I’m grateful for knowing her through this beautiful blogging community.
This past winter, she let her blog readers know that she was suffering from a heart condition. She spent several months in the hospital, but last month she was back home, and I was thrilled to hear that she was on the road to getting better. But then last week, she informed us again in what would be her last blog post that she was headed back to the hospital due to a setback. Monday, news was spread that sweet Leslie had passed away.
She leaves behind a husband and two beautiful baby girls. A GoFund Me account has been set up for her girls. I know Leslie would be so humbled by the outpouring of love for her and her family. Her signature line was “Be Blessed Lovelies.” Indeed, Leslie. Be blessed. You’ll be greatly missed, my dear.
