Throwback Thursday #15 - OG & GG Helen:Two Peas in a Pod

When OG was born, GG Helen & GG Gil were some of our first visitors in the hospital. In true oblivious grandparent fashion, GG Gil just came bursting through the door without as much as a knock - so they got to see the miracle of a hospital-grade breast pump first-hand!

The moment GG Helen laid eyes on my sweet new ladybaby, she exclaimed "She is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen! (Turns to me in a quieter voice) You know, most have been all flattened out and smooshed for hours in delivery...but she's beautiful!"

Once OG was more mobile, we'd go to their house and visit.  Grandma's face always lights up immediately - she loves that baby! During one of those early visits I was SO GLAD I was able to catch OG's first real belly laugh on video (as you'll see below), but even more glad that it happened while she was playing with her GG Helen.  Those two are just two peas in a pod!

Last July, OG decided to visit her GGs and got all fancy in:
-Brown floral print dress (hand-me-down from Ms. Sydney, I think?)
-A slobber-catching bib

GG Helen was wearing:
-An incredible floral top (and khakis).  I seriously love that print...

I laugh every time I watch these videos! They just enable each other. :)

OG and her GG Helen, having a grand old time!

A close-up of the cute dress OG was wearing.

My Grandma Helen and I have always had a special bond.  I remember sensing it, even when I was little.  I loved to play at her house and stay the night.  She would style my hair and we'd play with old Barbies and eat popcorn sprinkled with Molly McButter while watching Golden Girls, Empty Nest and Murder, She Wrote. Random, the things we remember, right?

She always saw the best in me. I always felt like she really saw me, if that makes any sense.

I remember one time in my late teenage years, when I wore nothing but punk band tees, men's polyester pants, combat boots and dog collars, I overheard her say to her friend "She's my angel. Look at her face! She has an angel's face." No one had ever said anything like that about me before. I will never forget that moment.

I am beyond glad that OG is able to spend time with both of her living GGs. These memories are priceless...for all of us.  And I love watching their bond grow every time they are together.

Baby Stole My Look

Does anyone else feel like the weeks are just flying by?  I don't know if it's because it's summer, because of all the craziness in the news/world/election, or if it's just me, but dang...it's now almost August?! Eesh.

So, speaking of time flying, OG, dada and I finally (cue the fireworks and celebratory music) made the long 10 minute trek (heh) to meet BabyCousinCampbell! In our defense, she was a preemie, so we wanted to make sure she was out of the "quarantine" stage before we bombarded her with our love.

Well, bombard we did!  I hadn't given much thought to how OG would react to seeing BabyCousinCampbell because 1) she has a sudden love for babies (living and plastic) that started a couple of months ago and 2) she's just a laid back lady.  Not much bothers her, unless she's tired.

I should have given more thought to her reaction. Also, it was nap time. Oops. Also also, she may have been having a "'Baby' Stole My Look" moment because - THEY HAD MATCHING OUTFITS! hehe.

Yep! Rewind to Tara's baby shower, when I noticed that Campbell received the same outfit I had just purchased for OG but in a tiny newborn size. So, the pact was made: once everyone could fit into their respective outfit, a photo would be taken!

The best laid plans...

OG and BabyCousinCampbell were wearing:
-Yellow elephant rompers with hot pink bows - so cute!
- Distress. May-day. SOS. Ayudame!

Alright, let me explain...yes, OG was tired, that was bad planning on my part. But then I accidentally underestimated OG's love for her momma and tried to hold the beautiful, tiny Campbell. OG was NOT having it. Momma IS NOT to be shared!
A line was crossed.
Needless to say, a chain reaction then developed.  Sorry OG took you down to Sad Town, BabyCousinCampbell. :(

But seriously, am I a terrible mother for still loving these pictures? Hopefully there wasn't any permanent psychological damage and we can all laugh about this some day.  Although, I am already laughing...look at their faces! Awwww xoxox

Woman down.  This is not a drill.
Meanwhile, Campbell is like: "Dang, aren't you being a bit...dramatic? I don't bite (yet)!"

Eventually, everyone calmed down and things got a bit better.  These two cuties were able to share the same airspace without shedding a tear. A truce was made!

I'm so excited for OG to have a little buddy to chase around. :)

And finally, as we were getting ready to go home for a much-needed napnap, something wonderful happened...

Friendship in the making!

A bond! (And a very cute shot of their matching outfits, but more importantly...) A bonding moment!

Thanks for having us over to visit, T & C! It was great to see you! We promise to be well-rested and not wear our jealous pants next time.

Wednesday Adventures with Mimi & Jojo

Every Wednesday, we pack up our snugglebiscuit and drive our longest commute of the week to drop her off with her "Aunt Mimi" (aka: Ms. J). Without fail, we walk in the door and Ms. J is waiting with open arms (and a loud, happy greeting) to hug on our little OG. Most of the time OG is in the mood for the welcoming party, sometimes not...but it always feels good to know that every person we drop her off with looks forward to their time with our daughter.

The love is always apparent.  It's especially palpable with Ms. J, (if you know her, you know why - she's not shy! Or quiet!).  Ms. J is also the only caregiver who is not blood related to OG, but you'd never know it.  Her entire family has adopted her into their own,

So, yes...every Wednesday we walk into "HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII PRIIIIIIIINCESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and "AUNT MIMI MIISSSSSSSSSSSSED YOU!!!!!!!!!" And there is ALWAYS something on the docket for the day! Shopping, errands, the park, the library, something.  Last Wedensday, OG had her first dentist visit!  Not her first appointment, mind you - but her first visit. OG is a big fan of brushing her teeth (no, really...it's one of her favorite things) so I laughed when I got this Snapchat from Ms. J:

You know what they say about people with big teeth....they use a big toothbrush.

There was another one of her trying to brush her own teeth with the huge toothbrush, but I couldn't take a screenshot fast enough. #oldladyreflexes #35goingon95

Then, this past Wednesday, Ms. J took Jojo and OG to a "trampoline park".  The videos Ms. J sent were MUCH better, but again - Snapchat - so all I did was try to take screenshots of the action.

Also, they gave little miss bouncy OG some wicked cool orange "hospital socks" (with the non-slip pads on the bottom)...so there's the fashion piece of this blog!

I promise she was bouncing at one point...

Trying to escape? Impressing her new friend?

Thanks for the fun times, Mimi (and Jojo)!

Throwback Thursday #14 - Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...goin' to the Zoo Zoo Zooooo

Happy Thursday! OG is having quite the week!  After all of the fun she had with Ms. J and Jojo yesterday (I will be covering that in my next post...suspense!), now, as I type, OG and dada are at the zoo playing with the hippos.

Annnnnnnnnddddd...momma is at work.  I got the bum end of this deal, huh?

Anyhow, given the events of today, I would like to throw it back to the first time OG visited the zoo last summer.  We had a BLAST and got to hang out with our friends Kelly & Isaac!

Happy lady!  I love this picture. <3 (photo credit to Kelly)

What is this weird thing, dada?
p.s. CHUNKY ARMS!!! EEEE!!!

Ms. Kelly & Mr. Isaac!

This doesn't feel like a dog...

Cuties, goats and cleavage...lol

I'll be sharing pictures of today's outing soon, I'm sure.  It's crazy to look back on pictures from less than a year ago and see how tiiiiiny Ms. OG was, compared to now.
And chunky. hehe

Hopefully we can get an annual zoo visit going with Ms. Kelly & Mr. Isaac (and soon-to-be Ms. Alayna!) and compare the pictures every year.  Poor goats...I apologize in advance! Just wait until they are big enough to think they can ride them...

Grand Theft Auto/Funk Railroad**

**Ok, so it wasn't specifically Grand Funk Railroad, but...you'll see.

This weekend, like many others, began at Cars & Coffee on Saturday morning. Normally Dada is looking at cars (and holding my coffee) while OG and I are running around looking at dogs and other kids.  And motorcycles.  And classic cars.  I have noticed she's a fan of the classics (like her momma), not the new fanciness (sorry dada)!

However, this weekend...only one car had her heart. AND the owner allowed her to test drive it! Real talk: OG almost didn't return it.

Sorry, Juniper...I'm glad you finally got your car back...

Ms. Grand Theft Auto was wearing:
-Robot riding dinosaur shirt
-Vintage diamond print shorts
-Sticky fingers

She looks innocent enough...

Once we were able to return the stolen automobile to its rightful owner, we grabbed some brunch with Uncle Will & Aunt Tracey, then headed down to the  flea market/craft show downtown.

The funk (and reggae) was strong with this one...she was a dancing machine in the 90 degree humidity:

We were all a bunch of tired, sweaty blobs by the end of the day.  Needless to say, we slept very well.

On Sunday, we had a low-key morning but then traveled to Auntie C's house to  put some fun color EG and Awee's hair.

Mermaid hair!

While all of that hair color craziness was happening, OG and dada were in the back yard hanging out by the pool.  OG decided to strike a pose, so dada snapped a couple of pictures:

Looking fly in her skull tank-top and yellow polka-dot shorts

I think this might be the moment she realized her photo was being taken...

Before we headed home for night-night, OG was sitting pretty in her PJ's and a big girl pony-tail (enter sobs from the momma - she's getting so big!)

GAH! This little lady completes me. xoxoxo

FDF - Fun Dress Friday (#2)

Hello reader(s)!  I have made an executive decision.

It's summertime, OG has a lot of fun dresses. And, on Fridays, her cousins usually play 'fashion show' and change her outfits 3-15 times anyhow, so it doesn't really matter what I put her in!

So, I hereby declare these summery days at the end of the week as:
Fun/Fancy/Funky Dress Friday!

This past Friday, OG wore a new addition to her fun dress collection!

POPSICLE DRESS!
(Target clearance, yet again...)

Photographing my toddler is becoming more and more difficult...

I think the mint shoes really made the outfit.  And the random foot in the background.

I have had my eye on this dress for a while, but it finally went on sale! AND was in her size! That's not always the case at Target since things seem to go like hotcakes.

Target...if you ever need a baby model, call me...we will work for clothes.  And food.  Diapers, too. And if there's a Starbucks drink in the mix, I won't be mad...

I might as well start calling this Flashback Friday...(Throwback Thursday #14)

I missed Throwback Thursday yet again.  What can I say...life of a working momma!

Therefore, here is your Flashback Friday of the week:
**D@mn It Feels Good to be a Gansta

When looking at pictures from around this time last year, I noticed a bit of a theme...
OG is a bad @$$.**

**OG, please know that this is not acceptable language until you're older. Even for a bad@$$ such as yourself. ;)

First up on the docket: OG goes swimming last summer. Zero "effs" are given.
-Swim shirt & bottoms (from Target - thanks to Aunt Tracey)
-Sunhat (also Target)

Auntie C = having a blast!  OG = whatever. smiles aren't gangsta.

Now, please examine exhibit #2 in the case of "OG's most gangsta summer":
-TMNT onesie (gift from the baby shower)
-Cute as Eff bib (from Team Dunn)

Look at her eyes -  she's saying "Yep - what about it?"
AND  LOOK AT THOSE LEG ROLLS!
Oops, momma is damaging her street cred again...
OG: please refer again to above message re: bad language

And finally, here is my 3rd and final submission for the ruling in this case:

Those expressions were not even prompted - that's just how she rolled.
Thanks for the GTA III hat, dada!

FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS OF BEING THE CUTEST BAD@$$ EVER.
Court is adjourned.

Halt(er) In The Name Of Love

FRIDAY!  It's Friday, dear reader(s)!

I thought,since it's Friday and all, I should prooooobably catch up on some outfit cuteness from this week. The pictures aren't the best (blurry, sun infused), but you'll get the gist.

My favorite person ever, Ms. OG, looked simply edible on Monday in her little halter dress! Even  the morning sunshine was trying to compete in the photos, but luckily she shines brighter than the sun.

No competition.

Also, I would totally wear this.

Here's my wonderful little lady wearing:
-Navy halter dress (once loved by Ms. Charlie)
-Navy hair bow
-OG's favorite sandals (she picked them out)

My angelic little nugget

"Look over he...ok, ok, or look over there"

I love this dress!!! More so, I love this snugglebiscuit!!!

It is bad that I am a 35 year old woman who is envious of her 1.5 year old's upper back/arms?! I mean, she's got the Michelle Obama going on! Guns for DAYS!

Motorcycle Momma

Hello, dearests reader(s)! I hope you had a lovely weekend.

OG, Dada and I had a very fun weekend! We drove upstate to go to a large Vintage Motorcycle Show/Swap Meet.  Large is actually an understatement. It was MASSIVE. My calf muscles will tell you, as it's now Monday and I'm still shuffling around like an old lady.  There was A LOT of cool stuff though. And we even saw a few Ruckus' - and a BIG Ruckus! I wish I had taken more photos, but my phone battery was low so I just left it in the diaper bag.

I thought it fitting that OG wear a vintage-inspired number to the "old vroom-vroom show". And the OutfitEnvy I had for this dress is even larger than the amount of ground we covered at the show!

SO. MUCH. WANT.

My little motorcycle momma wore:
-Strawberry print cotton dress (Target, of course)
-Red hairband (that didn't last long on the drive)
-Mint Converse shoes

Prepare yourselves...the amount of adorable in these pictures exceeds the legal level.

I would apologize for the back-lighting, but the photo still had to be taken, amirite? :)

I mean, seriously.  I want this dress so badly! I am 100% sure I couldn't pull it off as well as this little angelfish, but I'd be willing to try!

This is one of my favorite pictures.

 She's like a tiny Audrey Hepburn! GAH! I could seriously eat her face. nomnomnom

Once we arrived, we walked through part of the swap meet before heading into the different races/show areas. OG's eye's couldn't take in enough - every rev of a motor or squeal of a tire and she'd turn her head, point and say "oooh!" She was in love!  And, at one point, she saw a tiiiiiny OG-sized motorcycle and ran up to it in awe. The owner looked over and said "she can get on it...if her parents are ok with that..."

Um, YEAH THEY ARE!

She was a natural, as you will see below:

OG = pleased as punch

VROOM VROOM!

We let her sit there for a minute, but then told her we had to keep walking.  As I put OG back on the ground, she sadly said "nooooo...." and started hugging the bike. I am a bit surprised I didn't see dada forking over cash at that point, but we stayed strong (and logical) and let OG say goodbye to her new friend before walking away.

Maybe one day, when she's a dirt bike pro, she will hold that against us...but hopefully then thank us for getting her interested at such a young age.  :)

Side note for Ms. OG: working for NASA and being a paleontologist are also acceptable career paths. :)
Love you!

Throwback Thursday #13 - Last 4th (& It's Actually Friday)

Apparently I did just as well at taking pictures last 4th of July as I did this year (i.e.: not well), but I wanted to share the few I did take since last year was OG's FIRST 4th of July celebration!

She was such a tiny nugget!

The weather was better last year as well.

Just saying. :)

Last 4th of July, tinynugget OG was wearing:
-Festive 4th of July bib (from the "1st Year Firsts" pack at BuyBuy Baby)
-Baby's First Fourth tank top & striped shorts (hand-me-down from Team Mandel)
*Not pictured (see, I didn't do well): vintage style American Flag swim suit with "First 4th" cover-up

Striking a very aloof pose.  I want to eat her cheeks.

I remember those days - I thought OG had TONS of hair (because, compared to me at that age and older, she did)

WHAT A LITTLE SMUSHFACE!!!! GAH!!!
xoxoxox

Star-Spangled and Such

This has been quite a week, dear reader(s). Without going into specifics, I just think we all need a break from the "real world" for a moment, so I will (hopefully) be posting a few pictures of my sweetface OG (from over the last week - I've been a slacker) throughout the day.

Our 4th of July weekend was mostly rainy, but that didn't stop us from having fun!  OG only has one "patriotic" outfit, and her hair accessory colors didn't match exactly, but it was the thought that counts. Plus, she loved her hair bow from Aunt Patty California that she wouldn't let me take it off, so I don't think she minded.

Ms. Star-Spangled Headband wore:
-Star-spangled headband (from her Cali Family)
-"Rustic" Americana-themed dress (aka: t-shirt dress from a few posts ago)

And, as I mentioned, the weather wasn't all that magnificent...

We spent most of the day inside while EG played with my hair and Awee played with Snapchat filters on my phone.

Example:

Now we know that she will be an adorable old lady as well!

And...here are a few videos of our fun rainy-day activities!

BEWARE: This filter is creeeeeeeeeeppppyyyy:

And, so you aren't left with that mental image all day, here we are as rainbow barfing unicorns:

Good times. xoxox

Fancy Dress Friday

Happy Friday, dedicated reader(s)! The 4th of July weekend is before us, and I don't know about you, but I am soooooooo looking forward to the long weekend.

Our furkids Lucy and Franklin....not as much. They aren't fond of the non-stop fireworks.

Then there is Ms. OG who has never seen a firework before in her >2 year old life.  I know that she would love them, but she's usually in bed before the show begins. Maybe this year we will let her stay up late and party with us?!  Stay tuned!

Anyhoo...today, OG decided to wear a fancy yet comfy dress.  It's the Friday before a long weekend, after all!

OG is wearing:
-Colorful patterned A-line shift dress (Target Clearance!)
-Grey hair bow
-Flip Flops (eventually)

She was on the go, so I didn't manage to get any photos of how amazing this dress is in real life.

Blurry, but loved the classic "model pose" she was giving in this one! I WANT TO EAT HER FEET!

None of the pictures I took capture the beauty of the colors and print in this dress, but this is the closest:

Have a happy, fun and safe holiday weekend, everyone!
xoxo

Be Still My Beating Heart: A Wonderful Sunday Morning

This past Sunday, OG and I took dada to breakfast at a quaint little place he'd mentioned the week prior. We loaded into the car, handed OG her new favorite book, Corduroy (which happens to have 2 pages of stickers slapped in the middle, hence - her new favorite) and headed out! When we arrived and dada pulled OG out of her seat...my heart exploded.

OG had placed a sticker of a bouquet of flowers on her upper arm/shoulder.

Wait for it...

Like momma's tattoo.

(Awww.....)

OG has been amused by my tattoos since birth, but particularly the flowers on my shoulder. At first, when she was a littletiny, she loved staring at all the colors. Then, when she was a bit older and started drawing and coloring, she found it interesting/humorous that momma had been colored upon. Now that OG knows about flowers - that they are pretty and smell sweet - she will sometimes sniff my arm and laugh. So as soon as I saw that she had placed this flower sticker on her shoulder...GAH!

I quickly mopped up my melted heart, gathered my emotions, and tried to remember that I was about to be in public - so I probably shouldn't happycry over a sticker.
YAY EMOTIONS! MOTHERHOOD!

Yeah, so...without further delay - please enjoy these pictures of Ms. OG with her little flower tattoo.
You may silently wonder about my sanity later. :)

OG is wearing:
-THE MOST ADORABLY LOVELY SHOULDER STICKER TATTOO
-A tank top
-Some yellow pants
-Yeah, yeah, shoes too, but did you see...
-THE LITTLE AMAZING STICKER ON HER TINY MUSCULAR BICEPT

Ok, I guess that outfit is pretty adorable too.  And hello Minnie!

And she LOVES books - I couldn't be more proud. XOXOX

You might be thinking "Well, that's an adorable post! I bet they had a fun family breakfast!" - and you'd be correct.  But...the biggest bonus of the day?  Guess who else happened to go out for breakfast that morning?

BABYCOUSIN CAMPBELL!  (with her parents, of course)

She is still very small and new to the world, so she wasn't able to join us at our table. However, we did get to watch her sleep for a bit and briefly catch up with cousin Tara and Grant.  It was great to see them out as a family!

And that Ms. Campbell is just SO PRECIOUS.

Even though this picture isn't from Sunday, it IS from Campbell's first day home a few weeks back - and as you can see she's already bringing it on the fashion front!
We're excited to see you again soon, cousin Campbell!