July 4th 2014

Of course our fourth of July started off with this cutie. 

We had lunch at a BBQ place down the street and this Mama celebrated the holiday with this tasty sangria.

Yum. 

And Emmah enjoyed herself in this giant high hair so much, that she pooped herself...

...all over her festive onesie. 

So we did a quick load of laundry after lunch.

Then Emmah, her TiTi [aunt Kaitie] & I headed to Eyes to the Skies, a for-charity hot air balloon fesitval.

Something about hot air balloons are so magical.

After we had some lemonade and Emmah coerced me into giving her my straw,

[she LOVES straws and this one was super fun!]

Ems changed into her jammies and we strolled around waiting for the fireworks to start.

[we didn't have funnel cake though, because the lines for one were massive]

I know, bummer right?!

 

 Nothing more American than a giant, blow-up, American flag, bald eagle & a ferris wheel.

Am I right?

 

Emmah fell asleep right before the fireworks started but then woke up right as the last finale ended, and caught a glimpse of a firework.

It's safe to say she loved it ;)

Live Simply

Lately, I have been feeling overwhelmed by "stuff" [probably because we are moving at the end of the month and I need to pack up all our crap]. While packing up some of our kitchen, I realized we have a lot of extra plates and cups, that we really do not need.

Conveniently I came across this Facebook page and I've decided to attempt to play this minimalism game all month long. You have to get rid of one thing on the first day, two things on the second day, three things on the third day, etc.

I should let you know, that I have been asking God "How can I live joyfully, everyday?" and he responded with "Live simply".  So this is an attempt to listen to His word that says not to store up treasures on earth.

I'll check back in at the end of every week to let you know what I am letting go of!

Want to join in on the fun? 

I Believe That We Will Win!

Over here at the Hamme [rhymes with Mom] House, we are soccer fans. 

The TV has been on non-stop World Cup coverage since it began. 

[I can honestly say that I think I have seen a little bit of EVERY game...SAHM bonus right there] 

 

Living in Chicago has many perks, one of them being that it is the US Soccer headquarters and they have been having LIVE viewing parties downtown. So of course we went...with our 9 month old.

 

 And she LOVED it! We were there for 6 hours and she absolutely loved it. We have known this, but she is definitely an extrovert. She gets so energized when she is around people. Especially lots of people. Clapping and cheering people. 

 Naturally, she thought they were clapping/cheering for her.

Oh. And I breastfed in public [no cover] for the first time in the park. 

Mama power!

We had such a great day.

These are the things I will miss about city living. Time to soak up all this city has to offer. 

STAT.

#ibelieve  #letsgoUSA

Emmah: Nine Months

Weight: 17 lbs
Sleep: 9pm, 12am, 2am, 4am, 6am, 8am...phew, Mama is TIRED
Clothing: 6-9mos/9mos, but her little squishy self needs 12 mos bottoms now
Likes: pickles! the Frozen soundtrack, morning cuddles, going for walks/runs, shaking your head "no"
Dislikes: car seat, naps, green peas
Milestones: Your 5th & 6th teeth came in this month, scooting on your back, holding your baby food pouch to eat, pulling yourself up and standing

Emmah bear, time is flying by and you are growing so fast. This past month we visited with Grandma, Grandpa & Auntie Devan in Delaware. They cannot believe how big you are! Most days, the only way you will sleep is when you are in the stroller/car-seat/high chair. I think it is because your teeth that came in and now you may be getting more.

You do not mind sour things, you have sucked on a lime, lemon, pickle, and none of them phased you! Now whenever Mama eats a pickle, you demand that I share, so I do [you even take a bite!]. Pickles are the only not-pureed thing you like to eat. You still love music, especially the Frozen soundtrack [Do you wanna build a snowmaaaaaan?] You also like to shake your head back and forth like you are responding "no" to us. It is quite hilarious. You love to stand up and hold our hands and you even pulled yourself up while you were taking a bath. 

You are just the most beautiful baby on the planet and we love you so much. I can't believe you will be ONE year old in three months!

KISS!

One of Those Days

Today was one of those days. 

One of those days that when Emmah woke up, I rolled out of bed and said "we're going to Starbucks!"

It really has been one of those months, to be honest. Emmah has refused to nap lately and is waking up almost every two hours at night. This mama is getting no sleep. On top of this, I am struggling to find the balance. 

The balance I have been so deperately seeking since Emmah turned 6 months old. I finally felt like I was [somewhat] back to my normal self, but here I am 3 months later feeling less than adequate. The day I feel like the best Mom, I feel like a terrible wife [did I even say one kind thing to my husband today or did I only ask him to take the garbage out?] Other than yesterday, I couldn't tell you the last time I cooked dinner. Our poor furbabies probably think I hate them. I wear running shorts and a t-shirt most days [Do I run? Not most days. But I do walk! Most days.] And "me-time"...who is me again? [seriously, who am I?]

Starbucks didn't help this morning. 

Exhaustion combined with a fussy baby who didn't want to leave Mama's side brought me to tears. Mike took Emmah, told me to take a few minutes to myself, and reminded me to run to Jesus.

 I opened the good book and God spoke. 

"The LORD sets prisoners free"

[Psalm 146:7]

Freedom.

This is what God offers me daily. 

He offers me freedom from the pressures of being the best at everything. He tells me that I am enough. Even if dinner is PB&Js three nights this week, I am enough. He tells me that we have enough. He tells me to live more simply. He tells me that comparison is the thief of joy.

He sets me free.

We're working on finding the balance. 

Mamas, did you struggle with finding balance? What did you do?

Our Weekend + First Mother's Day

The weather in Chicago is finally beautiful and reminding us why we live here. 

On Friday, we took Emmah to the zoo for the first time, (she slept the majority of the time) but when she was awake she was a happy girl!

Saturday we went to the arboretum & walked to our favorite ice cream parlor.

On Sunday we went out to lunch and then walked around an outdoor mall and got caught up in a thunderstorm. It was awesome! Emmah wasn't so sure about rain, but after Mama showed her it was fun to take off your shoes and run around in it...she sort of liked it.

 Man oh man do I love this little bear more than I could have ever imagined.  

I am so thankful I get to be her mama.

I hope all you amazing Mama's had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Postpartum: 28 Weeks

Pre-pregnancy weight: 123 lbs
Pre-delivery weight: 168 lbs
Post-delivery weight: 148 lbs
Current weight: 123 lbs

Seven months PP and I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight!

My intentions with these posts are not to brag, but are for anyone who is looking to get a realistic idea on how long it takes to lose the weight after having a baby. I had every intention of being one of those awesome women who lose the weight 3 months after having their baby, but learning to be a mom and working part-time, accompanied by a lack of motivation, it just wasn't happening folks.

Since January (when the weight loss competition I entered, ended) I haven't done anything consistently. I have had great spurts of clean eating and episodes of working out, but I attribute my weight loss (4 mos-7 mos PP) mainly to breastfeeding. Gotta love it!

Even though I am back to my pre-preggo weight, my body is not as toned as it used to be. The belly area is holding on tight to that last bit of chub and my legs aren't quite as toned as they used to be.

But I am finally feeling like myself again, (I have honestly googled "postpartum depression" almost every month, thanks to these crazy hormones! but more on that later) and ready to focus on being a healthier person physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Here's to seeing the scale go UP, due to fat loss and muscle gain!

Emmah's First Easter

I know, I am all sorts of behind but who gives a hoot. Don't be surprised if you see my Christmas post popping up. In an attempt to keep everything in this blog and hopefully have it printed for Emmah some day, I am determined to go back and write each post that I intended to write!
((including her birth story...(insert embarrassed emoji here))

Easter morning was so much fun. We woke up, got dressed/ready for church and then gave Emmah her Easter basket. Even though she is too little to know exactly what is going on, she did reach for her Easter basket and pull things out which was absolutely adorable. 

In her basket was a little laptop, her first Bible, cute jammies, a book, a few headbands and of course Easter eggs! She loves those things. Doesn't take much to make our little bear happy.

As you can see, I didn't include a cutsie, Easter morning family photo because as soon as we got to church that morning Emmah had a blow out all over her white dress. 

Oh, an Easter to remember.

He is Risen!

Happy Easter!

Sneak Peek

We recently had some photos taken by a beautiful friend of ours. This is a picture she sent to us as soon as she got home.

Can't wait to see/share more!

Emmah: Six Months

Weight: 15 lbs
Sleep: Great! Waking up at midnight & 6am to nurse, but still stirring around 3am
Clothing size: 6-9 mos/9 mos, and you still fit into a few of your 6 mos onsies & jammies
Likes: things that make crinkly noises, talking to Grandma & Grandpa via Facetime, bath time, Utley the cat
Dislikes: tummy time, getting your jacket on, going in your crib awake
Milestones: You can sit up & you got your first tooth!

This month seemed to fly by faster than all the others. You are growing right before our eyes, making me question if it is really possible for time to go by this quickly. I saw a newborn baby this month and thought "were you really that small and fragile?!" 

 Your first tooth cut through this month, just a few days before your half-birthday, and you handled it like a champ! You are our tough baby bear. Speaking of tough, you love Utley, our cat. You grab onto him and he loves it. When he hears you making noises, he will come find you and sit right in front of you so you can pet him and grab onto his fur. Whenever he comes into the room we are in, your eyes light up and you watch his every move. Daddy & I think you are going to be best buddies growing up.  And growing you are doing. You have some of the chunkiest legs I have ever seen a baby, and I must say they are also the cutest. I want to squeeze and kiss them every time I change your diaper! Actually, I do squeeze and kiss them every time I change your diaper :)

Oh, and your favorite toy is the wipes wrapper/container. You love that crinkly noise it makes!

WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Half-Birthday, Emmah bear.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Emmah: Four Months

Weight: 14 lbs

Sleep: Sleeping great, on more of a routine/pattern now!

Clothing size: 3-6 mos/6 mos

Likes: Cuppycake song, baths, crib mobile

Dislikes: getting in the car-seat, tummy time, long car-rides 

You love looking at yourself in the mirror, and you are becoming interested in your jumperoo. You have learned to give kisses and you love giving them. You have been going to sleep each night at 9pm and waking up for the day at 10am. You wake up at 12am & 6am to eat and you also wake at 3am, but usually soothe yourself back to sleep. You love it when I sing to you, and your new favorite song is the cuppycake song. Every time I sing it, you stop fussing and stare at me with the biggest smile on your face. If you could have it your way, you'd have me sing it to you all day long.

This past month, we traveled to Pensacola, Florida to visit your Nana & Papa for Christmas, and you were not happy about being in the car-seat for so long. We celebrated your first Christmas and you went swimming for the first time in the indoor pool, you loved it.

You are getting SO big, Emmah and your smile lights up my day like nothing else! 

I love you.

Postpartum: 16 Weeks

Pre-pregnancy weight: 123 lbs
Pre-delivery weight: 168 lbs
Post-delivery weight: 148 lbs
Current weight: 129 lbs

This month was better. I worked out and ate pretty healthy over the holidays and didn't OVER-indulge. But I definitely ate dessert.

Merry Christmas Eve!

'Tis the Season

Christmas jammies, Christmas lights, fires in the fireplace, stockings hung with care, tasty holiday Starbucks, SNOW, kitties under the tree & vacation!

We have made it to Florida & are ready for all of the Christmas festivities to begin!

Emmah: Three Months

Weight: 12.4 lbs
Height: 24 inches
Sleep: Sleeping 4-6 hours at a time at night, in the crib!
Clothing size: 3-6 months
Likes: baby swing, car-rides, snuggles, activity mat, Mommy singing to you
Dislikes: getting dressed, tummy time
Milestones: grabbing things, cooing, holding your head up

Emmah, this month you found your voice! 

You are so talkative after you get your diaper changed and I absolutely love it.  You have slept for 5-7 hours straight a few times this month, and that was awesome for Mommy. 

You like to find bright lights/electronic screens, and once you do, you are locked on to them. You started playing with the toys hanging from your activity mat this month, batting the stuffies and grabbing/holding on to the rings. 

You are not a fan of tummy time, but we keep makin' ya do it anyways.

 And some days, you aren't very patient when I am getting you dressed.

Daddy & I love snuggling you and giving you kisses.

You met your GG and Great Grandpa this month and you guessed it, they fell in love with you too. Grandma & Grandpa are so thankful they got to hold and kiss you this month over the Thanksgiving holiday. 

We love you, and cannot wait to celebrate your first Christmas in just a few days!

Mommy confession: A few days ago, Mommy put you in your crib for the night and accidentally locked Utley the cat, in your room with you. You screamed so loud and I saw him in the video monitor, trying to get your hand moving around. Mommy & Daddy rushed into your room and scooped you up so fast. Mommy felt terrible. Daddy chased Utley around the house.

Postpartum: 12 Weeks

Pre-pregnancy weight: 123 lbs
Pre-delivery weight: 168 lbs
Post-delivery weight: 148 lbs
Current weight: 131 lbs

Well this month was great! a total crap-shoot. 

 I did maybe one workout AND did not eat healthy. 

I totally let the holiday season get the best of me.

But it's okay, I have the cutest 3 month old on the planet!

The Nursery

I can't believe it has taken me so long to get this post up!

Getting Emmah's nursery ready was so much fun.  We painted two of the walls a light grey color and did one wall in dark grey polka dots. 

I used pink & yellow as accent colors and little girly pieces to tie it all together!

One of my favorite things in her room, are the pictures of both of her Grandparent's on their wedding days. 

And it is safe to say that her room is my favorite room in the house!