Something In The Water

I'm sorry, did I miss something? Yesterday (ish), I was just graduating high school, and by the afternoon, I graduated college, then by the evening, I was moving into my own place. Somewhere along the line, it seems like everyone started doing one of the following:

1) Getting engaged
2) Getting married
3) Becoming pregnant
4) Having a baby
5) A combination of two or more of the above.

I won't say who, but I know of at least five people who are having babies, a handful of weddings to come, and honestly, I have lost count on engagements within the last three months.

At first it was all happy and exciting, then it was "gee, this is getting to be a normal announcement..." and finally, it turned into "I am no longer convinced the timing here is all coincidence, there must be something in the water that is producing rings, flower arrangements, and babies."

 It's making me a little unwilling to get my daily intake of water because I don't really feel old enough to be attending so many weddings as a friend rather than extended family member, and I definitely do not feel old enough to know of people I graduated high school with who have been married, had a couple kids, and then got divorced. 

I mean, honestly, I'm thinking back now on all the summer afternoons I wished would speed up because I was just "sooo booorrreeddd, Mom," and yes, it's disgustingly cliche, but I am feeling like time is now in fast forward and I don't have time to adjust to all the new things coming my way before another comes along.  I say this as I think "the vacuuming and bathroom cleaning needs to happen this weekend, and I should really get to that mounting pile of laundry, and oh, I need to call the insurance guy, and I need to decide what crock pot to use for the chili I'll be making..."
 
Meanwhile, my un-old brain thinks "I am within 20 minutes of three breweries and that snow looks like more than a lot of fun to play in this weekend."

All I'm saying is, while everyone else is either planning a wedding or buying a lifetime supply of diapers that really only lasts a week, I'll be at the brewery, because it appears beer is safe...because something is definitely in the water.

Christmas Memories

So glad Cameron loves Christmas as much as
I do!

Recently, I have noticed something, something a little exciting: this Christmas, as I sat beside the family Christmas tree (kudos to my mom, it was beautiful!), I realized the little things really bring me lots of joy, perhaps more than I thought. A good book (not surprising) can keep me entertained for hours, but put me in a kitchen with all the right ingredients, and I could probably spend the whole day just putting a dash of this, and a tad bit of that into a glorious-smelling concoction. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I opened a brand new panini maker (for the record, I could live off paninis if it was socially acceptable...). It's safe to say I had visions of sun dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella dancing in my head. Yummmm!

Then came the biggest moment of the season...drumroll?

I GOT A KITCHEN AID MIXER! Yes, the stand-up kind that makes me think of adorable little 1950s housewives. and it's RED, my absolute favorite color in the whole wide world. I am beyond excited to use it and have all kinds of plans for home-made breads and pizza dough, not to mention all the cookies and muffins.

However, what I have been unequivocally blessed with this season is a group of incredible people who constantly surround me with love and support. My family and friends mean the world to me, and I could not have been happier to spend the holidays with them. My grandmother has always loved Christmas, and I can remember her asking in June for our lists ever since I was a kid. Seeing her kid-like joy on Christmas is a memory I will always treasure, and watching my  expanding extended family laugh and talk was so fulfilling to me.

Perhaps the most meaninful gift I received this year was a box from my grandmother filled with old family photos. Everything from photos of me as a baby, my dad growing up, and my family as we grew together was included, and I must say, the note she included made me tear up.

Here's to a wonderful year, to health, to friends, and to family. May your New Year be filled with joy and the happiest of memories.

Swanky Living

Baby feet. They're just so darn cute, aren't they? Add to that their little coos and goofy facial expressions and absolutely viral laughter, and it's impossible to deny they're absolutely adorable.

Here's the thing about babies, though: the spit up, and they have nasty, awful dirty diapers, they throw their pureed peas all over the kitchen and then smear it through their hair until it's crusty...all the time. It's just so easy to forgive them because of all the aforementioned cute things.

A couple years ago, I did a research project for my child psychology class in which I investigated the cost of having and raising a baby for the first year of its life--the final number alone should be a great reason for teens to not even want to sit next to someone of the opposite sex, let me tell you. Looking back, some of the items I included were a little unnecessary, but not nearly as silly as what I found in the collection of pictures of celebrity baby nurseries.

Check out what Jennifer Lopez did for her twins

The sweeping drapes, fuzzy fabrics, and irresistibly cute crib bumpers, bows, and blankets are all very nice for the adult eye, but in reality, they're huge suffocation hazards, and those bows? Choking hazards. Congratulations, you've built a very adorable, very deadly nursery.

Look at the photo to the left. Are you kidding me? Can you imagine getting the less-than adorable pureed pea spit-up out of those fabrics? No. That chandelier is beautiful, but it will be less so when Baby throws a ball and it comes crashing down.

Granted, I'm sure JLo has at least one or two maids to clean up that mess, but still. I know I don't have a baby, but Baby wouldn't know the difference between a possibly less cuddly room that is entirely practical. A mattress in the crib minus the bumper, pillows, and stuffed animals is practical and safe, albeit less "awww!" worthy from Grandma.

I'm urging you, please keep this in mind when you have kids. Remember, a happy, breathing baby is always better than a beautiful satin bow around the crib rails.