bittersweet

Today we changed Izzy's crib into the toddler bed.  As I watched Izzy help Chris disassemble and transform the crib, I was choking back tears.  My mood instantly changed as soon as I saw the fourth side of the crib come off.  Somewhere deep in the pit of my stomach I had this feeling that it might be the last time I ever see this bed as a crib. 

We've been thinking a lot about having a second baby and just like the first one, planning for a baby is stressful.  And after having one... let's face it, parenting is hard work.  It took a lot of work to get Chris on track with the second baby thing but now I feel like I'm getting cold feet.  There are a ton of super mom's out there that do an amazing job juggling two (or more) kids.  Somedays I know I could do it to and then other days, when I have to peel my trantrum throwing-fake crying-feet kicking kid off the ground, I believe one is enough. 

So here is to the next six months of "planning".  In the meantime, I am giving Chris and I a pat on the back for getting thus far and having a successful first nap in the big girl bed. 

don't judge

My magical post about going to Lake Burton for our last week of vacation will come this week full of a million pictures I took but first....

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you lose your keys or you cannot find your check card?  Well magnify those feelings by 10 and that is how I felt as joined a handful of people at the Houston International Airport who became Olympic sprinters to make our connecting flight. 

Our day started at 4AM east coast time... we left for the Atlanta airport, said our good-byes, got through security without having to strip naked, arrived at our gate in decent time, boarded the plane where we had an entire row to ourselves so Izzy could crawl around as she please..... this is where our story turns sour.  Just as I think we are about to take off we are delayed on the runway because of storms just outside of Houston. 30 minutes pass and we finally lift off into the big blue sky heading home. 

 This little nap lasted only 20 minutes after take off.  :(

Just as we are about to land the pilot explains that we will fly around Houston and enter in from the west side. Well this is when Izzy's beef taco decides to tear up her stomach and make a run for it out the back door.  As the stench fills the back of the plane I am wondering if we will land soon.  ONE HOUR later Izzy is still in her dirty diaper, the seat belt light is STILL on, and we are thinking about landing.  The flight attendant assures those who are making connecting flights will have no trouble since those flights have been delayed as well. 

She was WRONG.  As I sprinted to our next gate after being the last ones off the first flight and waiting for my stroller, we made it just in time.  Well actually the lady said they already closed the gate but would allow me to go in.  Do you see my child?!? Can't you smell her?!?  You better let me on that plane or this is not going to go over well.  As I walk on the plane, people are staring, they can smell my child as I pass each row, they can see I'm one sweaty mess because I dressed for 60 degree weather in Monterey instead of 100 degree weather in Texas and I am frazzled.  Don't judge.  As I make my way to the back of the plane, again, I realize the window seat that I chose in a timely manner online when I checked in has turned into a middle seat with people on either side of me.  This will be fun.  With my head held high I swiped my credit card to pay the $7.99 price to watch unlimited TV Nick Jr. the entire flight.  Don't judge, you will thank me later when my kid is quite.  So there Izzy and I sat sandwiched between a teenager and a very tall lady for another hour and half before the seatbelt sign turned off so that I could FINALLY change my daughter's poopy diaper.  The rest of the flight was good then by the grace of God, Izzy fell asleep in my arms.  I enjoyed a little guilty pleasure, 16 and Pregnant, thank you MTV.  Don't judge.  Then The Beast woke up.  Boy was she pissed when she realized she was STILL on a plane.  I got the stares as my child release the inner demon for all to hear.  Then I did what any great mom would do... I fed her mini M&M's.  Again, don't judge.  The evil spirit left her little body and she was once again my sweet, sticky, girl. 

We are finally home with Chris.  We all took a very long and deserved nap.  It's good to be home but, once again, I cannot feel my feet. 

So if you are in the airport and you see a mother traveling alone with her infant.  Don't judge.  You have no idea what her story is and how it will go. 

loving life

If you know me well, you know I'm a very emotional and sentimental person.  Sometimes I am so overwhelmed with emotions that it is hard for me to flip the switch off.  Being home in Georgia right now has made my heart whole and gitty watching Isabelle interact with her family.  I am in awe as she runs to her Grandpa to sit in the chair with him.  He swoops her up as if she weighed 10lbs.  He sits her on his belly and they laugh and giggle as they hide under the blanket on the back of the chair.  It's hard to concentrate on the TV because the two of them are in histarics as they whisper under the blanket.  She is not even two yet and she seems to understand every joke and message Grandpa is telling her.  It also melts my heart watching my dad.  You can tell he is enjoying every moment of this time "alone" with her.  He doesn't care if he can't see the TV or if she bounces on his belly.  He is content and full of pure joy.

I can also see this same joy from everyone else that plays with Izzy.  Especially my mom.  Mom wanted so bad to take Izzy to Brusters for her first ice cream cone.  Izzy has shared ice cream cones before with me and her daddy but this trip to Brusters involved her very own cone!  The look on her face was priceless when she realized it was hers.  My mom's face was also filled with smiles ear to ear knowing she was the culprit of her first ice cream cone that soiled her clothes and was given to her even if Izzy didn't eat her dinner.  As I snapped pictures and watched the Oreo ice cream melt down into the creases of my daughters fingers and Oma looked on with pride, I couldn't help but think that we will be missing this in a week.

My sister, who is coming to visit us in California the whole month of July, is also enjoying her time with her niece.  I'm still hoping she wants to come to Cali since she has witness the worst of Miss Iz during our stay in Georgia.

Also while we were in Georgia we braved the humidity and mosquitoes and sat on the lawn to watch the Laser Show at Stone Mountain Park.  We enjoyed the company of our second family and laughed along with the strangers around us as Izzy shook her hiney to the pre-show music. 

Angie and Eli. 
 

Eli is five months younger than Izzy.  Just like everyone else we know.... she has more hair.  

 

 

While we are here the days are going by so fast.  It is hard to believe we've been here for two weeks already.  I can't keep up.  I keep snapping pictures of precious memories we are making in Georgia but cannot post and comment on them fast enough.  I have a ton more pictures to come.  Tomorrow we leave for one of my favorite places in the whole world.  When people say go to your "happy place" in your head.... this place is my happy place.  Lake Burton in the north Georgia mountains has raised me to love lake water, marinas, tubing, knee boarding, and evening boat rides.   We grew up there.  It's been five years since I was there last.  This time will be so special for me.  I am taking my own daughter to experience the morning chill, afternoon rain storms, s'mores by campfire, and the trill of swimming in a lake.  I have been looking forward to tomorrow since the last time I was up there (for my bachelorette party).  I cannot wait to make unforgettable memories with Izzy. 

just B-log...

I haven't written in a while.  Well let me rephrase that... I haven't posted in a while.  I've started entries but the rush of the day takes me away from the computer, then I lose my train of thought, and ultimately have to start over.  Since my last attemt Izzy has experienced her first bubble bath, we flew cross country to Georgia, then drove 9 hours one way to Florida to visit my grandma.  We are out of sorts but I'm loving life being at home with my family.  Emily is home from college, my mom is on summer break and my dad's corvette is fixed and already has taken me to Sonic for a cherry limeade.  I'm in love with the heat and humidity.  I love wearing a tank top and shorts.  It is amazing what the change in weather can do for your mood.  We are back from Florida and anticipating the arrival of my Aunt Donna for the night.  This week of vacation will bring more relaxing times in my home away from home.

76....

That is how old my grandma is.  She can drink with the best of them but she may not be able to hold her liquor quite as well.  Tonight we enjoyed the grandma that might have been over served.  After Izzy and Papa Doug were asleep the three generations played in the pool.  I did not want to swim since the water was only 83 degrees.......burrrr.  My grandma on the other hand talked a big game but once those little toes hit the water it took her a while to go in.  I bribed her by putting her wine further down the pool side so she would have to swim to get it.  Then I tried to challenge her to see if she could swim the length of the pool in one breath.  After doing the "grandma side stroke" while laughing and talking, she asked if she did it.  Yummmm, no.  So then she bullied me into getting my suit on and dipping myself in the chilly pool.  While I tried to force my body in slowly my sister thought it would be fun to pull me in to make the pain go away faster.  Once in the pool it was game on!!  First on the agenda.... chicken fights.  Me and my grandma vs. my sister and my mom.  Well it started with me holding my grandma around her waist and Emily holding my mom around her waist.  As they both fought to the death with their legs Grandma asks me "Did I do good?"  LOL.  Well not only did she do good, I thought she could do great.  I then proceeded to put grandma on my sholders and mom made her way on Emily's.  Unfortunately, we failed.  The night went on for another hour or so.  We laughed and laughed and laughed until we finally tucked Grandma into bed.  She kept saying "You will never have a grandma as fun as me".  She is definitely right about that.  We have made a lot of fond memories with her and plan to make many more well into her 80's.

 

My mom, sister and grandma. 

::

I'm happy we traveled all this way on two planes to get to spend time with our family and closest friends.  There is no special occasion to bring us home other then Chris having finals and this is the last time Izzy will get to fly for free before she turns two.  There is something priceless about this trip.  Watching Izzy interact with her Oma, Aunt and Great-grandma has been worth the whole trip by far. Tonight, Izzy took a late night swim with Auntie Em.  Until tonight, Izzy would only play on the stairs of the pool.   But there was something about tonight that lured Izzy into the deep end of the pool with her aunt.  Could it be because it was her first time swimming at night or the fact I only let her wear a swim diaper, whatever the case is, Izzy enjoyed ever second she had with the water up to her chin with her Aunt (aka Emi).  It almost looked like she was getting away with something.

::
While in Florida, Emily and I took a day to ourselves.  I left Izzy home with her Oma and Great-grandma to be spoiled rotten all day.  It was the first time in a long time that Emily and I had some quality sister time.  Just. The. Two. Of. Us.  We left the house at 7:30AM and headed 3 hours NE from Punta Gorda, FL to Orlando to witness the spectacular Wizardly World of Harry Potter at Universal Island of Adventures.  We are both huge fans of Harry Potter and this was a once in a life time opportunity for us.  We paid our admission and hightailed it to the back of the park to immerse ourselves in the the magical world as muggles.  It was AMAZING!!!  We had so much getting dizzy and sick on all of the roller coasters.  We treated ourselves to a delicious Cheeseburger in Paradise at Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville Restaurant for lunch.  We finished the day with another round of roller coasters and watched the sunset as we drove the 3 hours back to our Grandma's house.  It was one of my favorite days of my entire life!!!  Spending the day with Emily just as sisters was awesome!!  I miss her so much when we are out in California.  She is so busy most of the time with school that I hardly ever get to talk to her.  When I do get a chance to hear her voice she is tired, exhausted and preoccupied.  This day with her made up for all the days we have been separated and all the conversations that were lost because of a screaming baby or nagging homework.

This is only the first week of our vacation!!  Bring on more sun and heat and fun!!!