Category Archives: Uncategorized

6/52

“a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014″

(And thanks to the ever lovely Jodi for inspiring us all…)

It’s been one of those weeks that makes me long for pre-parenthood days…when Ryan and I could decide to sleep in until ten and then leisurely lounge in our pajamas while we both read a good book. Until…of course…I see her sweet face and she rubs her mouth against my cheek in an attempt to mimic my kisses. That desire quickly floats away.

Parenthood is both exhausting and exhilarating. If anyone tells you its going to be easy, they’re lying, but if they don’t also tell you it’s going to be glorious, they’re holding back truth.

I’m not sure if she’s going through a growth spurt or fighting off the virus her cousins came down with over the weekend. Whatever the cause, she’s been a handful, and I could use a full-body massage (along with a full nights sleep). But she’s also been showing me how she loves me:

She nuzzles her head into my shoulder when a stranger comes close.

She flaps her legs and waves her arms as soon as I come into the room.

She wants to nurse, not to eat, but to just rest against my body.

She giggles profusely when I kiss her on the mouth.

And so it’s been a hard week, but a good week, and I know that next week is going to be just as challenging and wonderful.

Neutrogena

I spend plenty of time baking around here. And I spend plenty of time taking care of my sweet baby. So you can imagine my delight when NEUTROGENA asked me to talk about their products! I’ve been using NEUTROGENA^® for over ten years now. In fact, I can still remember when my mom bought me a bar of NEUTROGENA^® soap. I must have been eleven or twelve, just on the brink of puberty, and my mom knew the importance of taking care of your skin.

As I grew older, NEUTROGENA^® expanded their line into makeup. The same quality that went into their face soaps could also be found in their mascaras, lip sticks, and creams. I started using NEUTROGENA^® mascara during college, and I’ve been using it ever since.

Ryan and I are staying close to home this Valentine’s Day. With Lucy here, we plan on keeping things sweet and simple. But I will still take the time to do my hair and makeup. Even if it’s just the three of us eating a simple dinner at home…I still love dressing up.

The kind folks at NEUTROGENA^® let me sample two products, which I already love. If you’re in the market for new makeup, I’d recommend these products fully!

For beautiful, conditioned and volumized lashes pick up NEUTROGENA^® Healthy Volume^® Mascara – the Visible Volume Brush coats and builds even the smallest lashes with rich, volume-building color. No clumps, smudging or flaking.

And of course, lips. I’ve loved wearing lip stick since I was a little girl. NEUTROGENA^® MoistureSmooth Color Sticks instantly moisturize lips while continuously conditioning them, so they are softer and smoother in just three days. Made with fruit extracts along with mango and shea butter, the balm-like formula glides on easily, providing a sheer wash of moisturizing color that lasts for hours.

Get a printable coupon for $1 off any NEUTROGENA^®Cosmetics product at HealthyEssentials.com.

The HEALTHY ESSENTIALS program is offering even more printable coupons, tips, and tools for the products you and your family love. You can get significant savings by visiting the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS website in February and signing up for extra-sweet coupons and offers!

This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS^®2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

5/52

“a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014″

(And thanks to the ever lovely Jodi for inspiring us all…)

I get home late on Wednesday night. My last class concludes at 8:15, and then I drive home from North Colorado Springs. On nights like tonight, my car takes at least a good ten minutes to warm up, leaving me shivering as I barrel down the interstate.

Ryan has been doing an amazing job at getting Lu to bed on the nights I teach. I come home and the house is eerily quiet. I find my husband at work on a new pendent or tinkering at a lamp. Lucy sleeps soundly in her room. But without fail, she wakes up within an hour or so of my arrival. It’s as if she senses that mama is near. And so I go into her bedroom, scoop her into my arms, and I gently rock or nurse her back to sleep. I don’t mind the interruption one bit.

3/52

“a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014″

(And thanks to the ever lovely Jodi for inspiring us all…)

My daughter bites. She bites her crib. She bites her foot. She bites my shoulder. Yes, she even bites my nipple. Lucy has somewhere around 8 teeth (an impressive number for an almost 7-month old).

She is SO CLOSE to crawling. It could be any day now, which makes me both proud and sad. It’s true what they say, “It goes by so fast.”

I taught my first round of college classes this week, and so far so good. I know that balancing home with work will be a challenge, but I feel like we’re off to a good start. Both my students and my daughter seem happy and engaged (of course, this is only the first week).

Over the next few days, I’ll be writing and working in the kitchen. I’m not sure exactly what I’ll end up baking, but I promise I’ll be back on Monday with a new recipe. I hope everyone has a beautiful and warm weekend! It’s been too darn cold.

2/52

1/52

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

2/52

“a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014″

(And thanks to the ever lovely Jodi for inspiring us all…)

Suicide sucks. We lost Ryan’s father four years ago. We lost my brother-in-law two years ago. Both in January, which makes an already cold month feel even colder. This is our first January with our daughter, and while she hasn’t healed our wounds (we would never want to give her that burden) she has granted us the opportunity to look at January anew.

And we’re seeing laughter.

She delights me with her toothy smile each morning. When Ryan brings her into the bedroom, we often end up laughing. Her clear delight in the nearing possibility of breastmilk makes me forget I’ve had yet another wakeful night.

She smiles at strangers and wins the hearts of those she meets. Our daughter is a charmer, and I can’t wait to see the people she softens in the years to come.

And does she eat? Well, not really. She likes to stick stalks of broccoli into her mouth but still isn’t keen on swallowing. And yes, that’s still perfectly fine with me.

Much love to you guys this weekend. I’ll be back on Monday with one of my favorite recipes: overnight refrigerator rolls.