Baby Harper's Baptism

It started here...

(Karolyn's School of Dance 1992)












Made a stop here...

(Bank of Birmingham 2006)







Had some fun times...

And Picked up these guys along the way...

(both Rob O.'s, I might add)





And now here we are, both couples raising our little girls and doing life together.

Without the O'Lynngers, I don't know where we'd be. They're friends that have always been there for us through thick and thin and we love them to death. This weekend, we celebrated a special occassion for their gorgeous girl.  Harper's Baptism at Holy Name.

It wasn't long ago that they were here with us celebrating this day with Lily and we felt so flattered to get to share this day with them.

How time flies when you're having fun! (Almost 2 years ago!!) From this...

To this...

Lily and Harper have had lots of adventures together already and Lily has progressed from calling her "non" (her old word for baby) to greeting her with, "Hi Baby Harper, It's me, Yiyee!" I'm sure they'll be better and better friends throughout the years, but these pictures were priceless.

  

Lily also met another friend at the baptism, "a good catholic boy," as Aunt Lindsay said. ;)

We all had such a great time at the baptism and were so excited to be there for this special day.
Happy Baptism, Baby Harper!

Ice Cream

The first time I ever heard Lily ask for ice cream. And she asked for it over...
And over...
And over!
So we took a trip out at 8pm for ice-cream. After all, her pregnant Mama understands a thing or two about cravings.

Sleepytime

Lunch. Check.
Bath. Check.
Milk. Check.
Pacifier. Check.
Story. Check.
But where is my sleepy girl?

Lily's bed was too hard...

Mommy's bed was too soft...

...but "Wriggy's" bed was just right!

Goodnight.

The cutest

I swear, every day gets cuter. Every day, Lily's personality develops more and more. From the stubborn little streaks to the bubbly conversations, our life is constant adorable-ness.

Today's new "I never thought I'd say this moment" involved boogies. Lily proudly tried to show me something and I put her off a few times-- then I saw it. "Lily, we do not put boogies on the wall." Got it. Life lesson #252 I forgot to mention. :)

I went full force into nesting mode tonite and had to sort through everything to make sure that we had some summer clothes for my first born. (Nevermind that it's 32 degrees outside...) In the process, I found some hand me down shoes. Lil had a great time sorting them and lining them up perfectly to her liking. My girl loves her some shoes.








Finally, Daddy silliness is always tons of fun in our house. "Come and get me, Daddy!" was tonite's phrase. Love it!

Magic Muffins

Some of my best childhood memories revolve around these delicious pieces of baked perfection. Simple in design but amazing at creating memories stirred only by their sweet aroma.
Visits with Grandma Marrinan always included Bran Muffins and Grandma eggs. When we got out of the car driving in for a late night visit, Grandma would just be getting home from working at the hospital and catching up over a late night muffin was always a must.
Waking up to the sweet smell of Bran Muffins will always feel like home. Curling up in the chair at the kitchen table picking at a piping hot, just out of the oven, muffin. Chatting with Mom while she finished her batch and sipped her coffee. The perfect way to start any day.
The number one requested snack by any after-school guest.
Now, it's time to pass these magic muffin memories onto my girl. As we wound down a rather blah day, muffin making seemed like just the ticket to put smiles on both of our faces. They were a hit! I'm sure the first of many muffin making and eating moments to be shared between my bunny and I.

25 Weeks Pregnant

Stay.

"Stay!"
"Mommy, Big Hug!"
"Hugs, Mommy. Stay."

To many Moms, these phrases sound familiar. Maybe when they're about to leave their little one with a babysitter or maybe when tucking their princess in for the night. But for me, it has become a morning ritual and an afternoon revival. A plea for one more cuddle. One more snuggle. One more hug before starting (or restarting) our day. The best gift anyone could have given me. My girl's a snuggler.

From the moment she entered the world, she wanted to be held close with her little cheek nestled against mine. Her favorite way to sleep was nose to nose and I swear she'd sleep that way today if I let her. In fact, on the nights she weasels herself into our bed, I inevitably feel a little hand tugging at my face and turning it so it touches hers.



I write about this because it's been one of my greatest joys in being a mother. These daily snuggles. And I know they won't last forever...and I don't want to forget. But they're here today. And today that's what matters.