Happy Dad's Day to my favorite everything

We have grown so much as parents in the last three years. It's been amazing to watch your relationship blossom with our daughter. I can't wait to see what we have in store with two children.. a daughter and a son. I love you so much!! I think of the dreams we have together and how we are making them come true. Thank you for going on this journey with me. I wouldn't choose anyone else to be by my side. You rock. xoxo.

Time

When I was pregnant with Anya, Dwight and I discussed our plans for the future. We both agreed that I would stay at home and he would go to work. It wasn't a hard decision, we both wanted the same thing for our family and financially we could scrape by. We would have to give up some things but in turn we would get the life we hoped for. I knew it would be a decision that would shape my life forever.
When breastfeeding didn't work out for me I clung to the idea of it as we had budgeted in no formula. Well, thank God for wonderful parents, as mine payed for 90% of Anya's formula. Thank you mom and dad.. no SERIOUSLY.
When I was pregnant I thought of the days ahead with optimism and uncertainty. Looking back now I am not sure I knew what I was getting into. There have been long days where I have been exhausted and I can hardly keep my eyes open by 5pm. I have been puked on.. peed on...etc. etc. There have been comments by people that just.don't.get.it. (aka.. I don't think I would be able to stay home all day.. don't you get bored?... ha!) But the thing is the moms that go to work all day get puked on and peed on too. They have to shower and go to work and leave their little ones at times they least want to. Every mom is tired.. and lacking of time... but we do it because we love our little ones until the end of the earth. Whatever decision parents make for their family is the right one for that family.
What I had no clue about is how much fun I would be having hangin' out with a 2 year old. Yes her shows are not my thing... Cookie Monster, Barney, and Mickey Mouse wouldn't be my top pick. Yes, we do the same game over and over until my brain hurts. But most days are like today. I just smiled all day while watching her do new things and show her spunky personality. We spontaneously jumped in the car to go share an ice cream and stop to see the Clydesdales at the Bud plant. Her little sayings cracked me up, Lets go! Look at him! Look, horsies over there!! There is not one other person in the world I would have rather spent my day with.
My whole point in this post is that the best gift my husband has ever given me is time. Time to be with Anya.. and memories to keep. Without him, she wouldn't be here and I wouldn't be able to share my life with the two of them. So, THANK YOU. You are the best. I love you and will forever be thankful for this time you have given me.

Anniversary celebration

Dwight and I decided to celebrate our anniversary in Portsmouth. We had a wonderful dinner with a beautiful view of the harbor. It's always great to get alone together. We walked around downtown and had a few drinks. Portsmouth is one of my favorite places.




The next day, Dwight sought out the biggest lobster roll we have ever seen.

We also got some relaxing in on the beach. I missed Anya terribly but it was nice to just lay down and shut my eyes a few times without worrying about her. We had such a nice time.

Happy Anniversary

Happy 4 year anniversary, Dwight!

The moment we said our vows will always be engrained in my memory. I knew it was much more than just words. It was a promise, and one that we live every day. There have been easy days and hard days but at the end of each day there is always love, and lots of it.

As I look back on these four years I can't believe how much we have done. There are so many memories. Looking back fills my heart with such appreciation and love for you.

You are the best decision I have ever made. Saying, "I do", will forever be the one choice that has set my life path to be one that I have always dreamed about. I love you. Forever.

keeping the spark

Dwight and I took some time together this weekend. We headed to the slopes for a half day of skiing. By the end of the day Dwight was doing so well. I can't believe how fast he picked up the sport. We headed to a little Mexican restaurant for dinner. The food was amazing. We stopped at a pub on the way home for some drinks and conversation. This morning we are heading to the movies before we pick up Anya.

We both feel refreshed. It is so nice to have a break. As a stay at home mom, there is no other job I would love to be doing. However, it means I am caring for someone all day and every day. It's nice to be able to talk to each other without the, can you get her a snack, I think she needs a diaper change.. etc. etc.

Our marriage is the foundation of this family. It is the rock that we base each day on. Without it, we would crumble as a family.

One of the best things we can do for Anya is love each other.

reminiscing

Tonight I came across a bunch of pictures from about seven years ago. These pictures were taken the first months that Dwight and I were dating. It was so nice to look back and forward, looking at where we have been and where we are now. I loved him then and I love him (even more) now.

Portland, Maine

Over the weekend Dwight and I headed up to Portland, Maine by ourselves. It was our chance to celebrate our 3 year anniversary. We started the trip with a stop at Sebago brewery for some lunch.. and my huge blueberry beer...

After lunch we walked the cute streets, stopped in shops, and browsed menus of the quaint restaurants lining the cobblestone alley ways...

We walked down to the harbor and booked a sunset cruise for the evening. The funny thing was by dinner time a fog had rolled in making it an un-sunset cruise. We still enjoyed ourselves. I actually think we enjoyed ourselves more with the fog.

These are harbor seals...

By the end of the trip the fog was so thick that we were surrounded by white. Dwight and I were laughing so much at the view. It was memorable to laugh with him and snuggle together under a blanket.

I couldn't help but relate the cruise to our marriage. In life there are times when things are a little hard to see. There will be times when we both wont be able to see a thing ahead of us. But as long as we can laugh together and snuggle under a blanket.. well we've got it made. I was laughing in this pic.. we were being so silly together. I know I will never forget that un-sunset cruise.

We went to a really nice restaurant for dinner. We ordered a horrible bottle of wine. The fresh seafood was delicious. We talked.. we laughed.. we got time together alone. I can't stress enough how as a married couple it is so important to get away alone. We promised each other that we wont go more than a year without getting away alone. We owe it to each other. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our marriage and our family.

I feel so blessed that we still enjoy hanging out and doing things together. I think it's easy with life.. work.. a baby.. to lose it. But.. we still got it. ;)

I kept saying, I'm out and it's late, with a huge grin. It's just so rare to get out of the house at night nowadays. We usually put Anya to bed and watch a movie or a tv show. I do love low key nights. We get time together but it's not so often that we get to go out to dinner or entertainment. It was so FUN. I loved it. Portland is full of a lively nightlife. You can hear laughter and live music wafting through the streets. It is pure entertainment on every street. We wandered into an outdoor patio where a bluegrass band was playing. We were sucked in by the sounds. We couldn't leave, they were that good. It was a blast. We people watched and laughed at some of the hilarious things going on around us.

We had a great time. After 3 years we can still have fun. Even though we have a child and responsibility we can take the time to stop and appreciate one another. We are in this together and our life is a fun ride. I'm so lucky to have Dwight next to me.. foggy or not.. good wine or bad.

3 years ago today...

I can still remember how it felt to stand up with Dwight in front of all of our friends and family and promise forever. I still look back on that day and love everything about it.
Now we are a family of 3 and that day was just the first step into a life of commitment, love, and fun. I am so honored that Dwight wanted to have the rest of his life spent by my side. I wouldn't choose any other person in the world to be by mine.

Happy Anniversary Dwight!! I love you so much!! xoxo
Check out this video..

If you see this couple..

wish them a HAPPY 33 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

My parents have been a great role model to my sister and I on what we want in a marriage. It is wonderful to see the respect and love they have for each other.

When I was around 17 years old my dad was fixing my car. I was holding the flashlight. He turned to me and said, you know.. after all these years I love your mother more now than ever before. I was thrown. At seventeen I had never thought of my parents, those old folks, having a deep love that grew stronger with time. I knew they loved each other vowing to be there always.. but to have my dad say it meant so much. I knew I wanted that in my own life some day.

Cheers to 33 years mom and dad.. and cheers to 33 more! ;)

It's a bird, it's a plane.. it's super dad

We are finally there. It only took ten months for us to figure it out. What's that you ask? I'm talking about how to work as a team for 99% of the time as parents. It has been wonderful but it has been hard. I'm not going to lie, I am an honest person. It has been the hardest thing we have ever done as a couple. Two people who live together do things differently especially if one is male and one is female. However, this isn't taking out the trash or doing the dishes. This is raising a person! It is the most important thing in the world. When we had Anya I had visions of how I wanted things to go and so did Dwight. Were they the same? No, of course not. We grew up with different parents, in different houses, in different towns. How were we expected to do things the same? The thing is that everyone warned me about this. I would hear, when you have a baby it will be hard because your husband will do things differently.. but just let him. Ha, easier said than done! Now I know you are all calling me crazy but if you have ever been a new mom you have to agree that you are slightly psychotic after having a baby. No one can do it as well as you. Including that wonderful man you married.
But on to the good part. I think we have the hang of it. Yes, there are times where I tell him that Anya needs a bottle or is trying to get his attention. I am her mom so this wont ever change. Watching her play with him is a whole new realm of motherhood. She is in complete love with this silly and loveable man that is her daddy. He wakes up and gives her a good morning and a kiss first thing. He sits across from her at the dinner table and shakes his head so that she can shake hers back at him. They have started to wave at eachother too. She will sit up and look for him when she hears the door open. She loves to hear him sing silly songs and she laughs away at every one.
We really feel like a family now. I feel like we took our wedding vows and created a family, a new life from it. Now we have a whole new reason to work together and continue to make eachother happy. We have a baby to promise forever to. If that isn't enough of a reason, I don't know what is. It makes me fall more in love with my husband every day. Every month did get easier but now at 10 months I think we are smooth sailing. I wish that they had prepared us in our baby classes. There should be a marital class before you have a baby. Screw telling me how to swaddle I should have heard, don't worry, you may want to kill eachother at moments. This is all in the process of becoming super parents. Because honestly this man I married should wear a cape. He comes home after a long day of work and tells me the house looks nice, says thank you for cooking dinner and gives me a kiss. I get to be with our daughter all day and then get a reward of praise at the end of the day? I wish I could go back to the days before when I was a hormonal new mom. I would tell myself, simmer down you will catch on. I would tell myself, every day it gets easier and soon enough our little family of 3 will not only be adjusted but we will be happier than ever.
Now, I feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world. I have my beautiful little cupcake and super husband/dad.. whether he wears a cape or not.

Skiing day 2

Today Dwight took the day off to go skiing with me. My mom watched Anya and they had a fun time together and even went for a walk. The temperature was in the mid 50s, it was sunny and gorgeous. We had a blast! Dwight did even better than the last time and he was really getting the hang of it. We went to Pat's Peak which is about a 40 minute drive for us. For lunch they have a restaurant upstairs in the lodge. It has an outdoor deck which we sat and ate at while we watched the skiers. I even had a blue moon. It was a great day spent together and there was talk about teaching Anya some day and future ski vacations.

When I was growing up my mom told me that after children you need to keep doing things alone as a couple to keep your marriage strong. She must have repeated this over and over because it's pretty ingrained in my head. During the first year of a baby's life it can be really hard on a mom to leave her baby. There is nothing wrong with that, it's natural. I am finally getting to the point of feeling happy (and not a huge ball of anxiety) with leaving her once in a while. She gets time with her grandparents and we get time together alone. It's a win-win situation. Actually it's a win-win-win situation because at the end of the day we are stronger as a couple and what is better for Anya than that?

Day on the slopes

Yesterday we spent the day at Mt. Wachusett with my sister and brother in law. My parents watched Anya and my dad was eagerly waiting at the door for her when we arrived in the morning. Dwight has only skied a couple times in his life and I grew up going skiing every year. We have never gone skiing together. This day was either going to be a wonderful day or a complete disaster. Well, I had the best time I have had in a long time. Marty and I switched off skiing with Dwight while teaching him. Jill took turns going to the top of the mountain with Marty or myself. It was so great to see Jill snowboard. I haven't seen her racing down the mountain like that in a long time. Dwight did awesome! At first he was unsure but by the end he really got the hang of turning and we even took one extra run because he was doing so well. It was such a great feeling to be doing something together.. laughing.. and being us. We weren't talking about routines or who would do what with the baby. I wasn't mommy for the day and I really needed it. I had no clue how much I needed it until I was there. When I was flying down the trail with the wind in my hair I really felt like myself again. I know I have a new me and I love being a mommy.. but once in a while it really feels great to feel the old me. After we finished we went to the lodge bar to sit with some drinks and listen to a band. It felt amazing. We picked Anya up past her bedtime and she was fine... she only napped 20 minutes for my parents but she wasn't crying. She slept the whole way home and we are already talking about when we can go again. ;)

anniversary dinner

We left Anya with my parents so that we could celebrate our anniversary at Gibbet Hill (the place we got married). We had a wonderful time going out alone and having adult conversation and yummy food. The waitress took our appetizer off the bill because it was our anniversary and the bill came to 777!! 777 is our wedding date (I just had to take a photo). If you don't know our 'thing' with sevens.. it's a number that follows us around. We got married on that date because it was the only Saturday left at Gibbet in July or August of that year... I only later realized it was 777... I chose the latest time possible because I wanted a late wedding and it was booked for 7pm... my wedding band has 7 diamonds.. our room number the evening of our wedding was room 7... all coincidence.. and the list goes on and on...
Well dinner was spectacular and we picked Anya up and drove home.. put her to bed.. and watched our wedding video while sipping champagne.. It was just what I was hoping for!

Dwight has a bit of what we think is poison ivy in his eye. You can sort of see it in the photo above. This happened to me before and it is NOT fun.. we are hoping it goes away before he needs to schedule a doctors appointment.

Today I went to a mom support group with Anya. I was pleasantly surprised. My neighbor had told me about it and she was also there. She has a 4 month old girl :o) The place is called Nini Bambini in Bedford, NH. The moms and babies sit in a circle on blankets and discuss all sorts of mommyhood topics. It is great to see other babies and ask questions :o)

Oh and.. my rings fit again.. hooray!

2 years ago today...

... we started a life together. It has been two amazing years. I can't imagine life without having met Dwight. I could go on and on about the man he is and how lucky I am to have him but I will just write Happy Anniversary honey.. I love you more than you may ever even know.

Our 1 Year Anniversary

Our first Anniversary was such a special celebration. We had reservations at Gibbet Hill, the place we were married a year before. The restaurant had sent us a gift certificate for dinner on our anniversary. We had such a yummy meal! We took a couple photos outside of the restaurant and on the deck where our cocktail hour was at our wedding. I recommend eating at Gibbet Hill, the food is amazing.

We came home and drank 'real' champagne out of our wedding flutes. We watched our wedding ceremony and ate our cake top!.. It was so fun and we really do feel lucky to have eachother.