My Favourite Maternity Leave Moments

 

Hey everyone and happy Friday! I apologize for no post on Wednesday. Ryan and I are on our own internet and it isn’t very strong. A little wind on Wednesday made it not work! So, I figured I would show you what I had prepared for Wednesday!

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Happy Wednesday everyone! Our week is again, cold and wintery! As usual, I am SO over it but still asking time to slow down. It will soon be March which is the month that Sam (and I) begin our transition to daycare.

The emotions about sending Sam to daycare are still there but I don’t have as much fear as I did before. Truthfully, trying to do work with Sam is literally impossible now. Being a Mom is wonderful and my favourite thing to do but I also LOVE my job. It’s close to home, flexible and actually enjoyable. I feel like I do my job well and multiple times I have heard it mentioned that they are excited for me to come back.

Getting to spend the first year of Sam’s life with him has been invaluable. I am so thankful to live in a country that gives women this option. I also think that this has played a huge role in being successful with breastfeeding Sam. As I am working on a freezer stash for Sam’s daycare, I realize how much I am HATING pumping and know it wouldn’t have lasted if I was to do it during the beginning stages.

There are so many moments through the (almost) first year of Sam’s life that I am so thankful to have been apart of. I would catch ourselves during a moment of fun and try to take a mental picture of it.

As I go back to work and transition I hope that I can look back onto these memories and remember that amazing time.

I want to remember the slow moments with snuggles. On the front porch rocking, sitting and watching TV, carrying him and when he is nursing.

The fact that Sam was the perfect sidekick! He was easy to bring anywhere with me. Out to eat, shopping and drives! He was always my little partner in crime. I loved when someone would stop me to ask his age/name.

I also want to remember that first month. The fear that I felt and the uncertainty! I had no idea what the heck I was doing! I had changed maybe 3 diapers in my life. Being so tired yet able to function somehow.

The clothes! How fun it was every day to pick out his outfit! I don’t care what people say, dressing a boy is JUST as fun as dressing a little girl!

I know I’ll remember the sweet smiles, the knowing look that I am his mommy and the giggles. I know on those first tough days back to work and stressed out, it will be thinking about those sweet and fun moments with my son that will get me through.

As I look ahead to the change in our lives I’ve stopped dreading it and instead look at the positives. My strong boy will continue to thrive and now he gets to develop more social skills. He’ll do crafts and games. He’ll learn to listen to someone besides his Mom and Dad. And he’ll see me as a hard working woman and yet someone who can let go of the office and be devoted to him.

Happy Wednesday!

xo

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Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

My Favourite Maternity Leave Moments

 

Hey everyone and happy Friday! I apologize for no post on Wednesday. Ryan and I are on our own internet and it isn’t very strong. A little wind on Wednesday made it not work! So, I figured I would show you what I had prepared for Wednesday!

_______________________________________________________________________

Happy Wednesday everyone! Our week is again, cold and wintery! As usual, I am SO over it but still asking time to slow down. It will soon be March which is the month that Sam (and I) begin our transition to daycare.

The emotions about sending Sam to daycare are still there but I don’t have as much fear as I did before. Truthfully, trying to do work with Sam is literally impossible now. Being a Mom is wonderful and my favourite thing to do but I also LOVE my job. It’s close to home, flexible and actually enjoyable. I feel like I do my job well and multiple times I have heard it mentioned that they are excited for me to come back.

Getting to spend the first year of Sam’s life with him has been invaluable. I am so thankful to live in a country that gives women this option. I also think that this has played a huge role in being successful with breastfeeding Sam. As I am working on a freezer stash for Sam’s daycare, I realize how much I am HATING pumping and know it wouldn’t have lasted if I was to do it during the beginning stages.

There are so many moments through the (almost) first year of Sam’s life that I am so thankful to have been apart of. I would catch ourselves during a moment of fun and try to take a mental picture of it.

As I go back to work and transition I hope that I can look back onto these memories and remember that amazing time.

I want to remember the slow moments with snuggles. On the front porch rocking, sitting and watching TV, carrying him and when he is nursing.

The fact that Sam was the perfect sidekick! He was easy to bring anywhere with me. Out to eat, shopping and drives! He was always my little partner in crime. I loved when someone would stop me to ask his age/name.

I also want to remember that first month. The fear that I felt and the uncertainty! I had no idea what the heck I was doing! I had changed maybe 3 diapers in my life. Being so tired yet able to function somehow.

The clothes! How fun it was every day to pick out his outfit! I don’t care what people say, dressing a boy is JUST as fun as dressing a little girl!

I know I’ll remember the sweet smiles, the knowing look that I am his mommy and the giggles. I know on those first tough days back to work and stressed out, it will be thinking about those sweet and fun moments with my son that will get me through.

As I look ahead to the change in our lives I’ve stopped dreading it and instead look at the positives. My strong boy will continue to thrive and now he gets to develop more social skills. He’ll do crafts and games. He’ll learn to listen to someone besides his Mom and Dad. And he’ll see me as a hard working woman and yet someone who can let go of the office and be devoted to him.

Happy Wednesday!

xo

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Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Ok Snow, That’s Enough

 

Happy Monday everyone! I am feeling a little “cabin fevered” after this weekend full of snow! The “small” amount they were talking about for Saturday, turned into about 6 inches of white stuff! Changing plans for both Ryan and I!

The weekend started out on Friday with our company’s annual sledding trip! I didn’t participate this year but I heard they had LOTS of fun!

Ryan participated in the sledding trip and got home after Sam’s supper time. He then had to shower and head out to a wake. While he was out, Sam and I snuggled and enjoyed quiet time before it was time for bed. Being that it was movie night, we watched a few minutes of Cars. I am LOVING that he likes to hold my hand now!

It has been a LONG time since Ryan and I have ordered a pizza in and not made our own. But by the time he got home, it was almost 8. I guess because we don’t get it often but the pizza tasted SO good! We also settled in for an movie! We watched Sex Tape with Cameron Diaz.

Saturday morning we were woken up by Sam at his usual time. Don’t you wish baby’s knew what weekends were? ha ha! But I nursed him in bed and we all stayed put and watched some TV for a bit. I still think back to when I was pregnant and imagining bringing my baby into bed with us on early mornings for some snuggles. Now the time is here and it’s SO wonderful!

Eventually we did crawl out of bed for some breakfast! An omelette request via my husband had me whipping up some eggs! This is Ryan’s 4 egg omelette with cheese and ham! I SO wish I could eat what he can! ha ha! 

Being that it had already started snowing, Ryan went ahead out to snow plough a few laneways around home before he headed to a funeral and then to bed for work. While Sam napped, I conquered a task that I have to admit, doesn’t get done very often…deep cleaning the fridge and freezer! If there’s a spill or mess I will not hesitate to clean it up. But the kind of clean where you take everything out and wipe/wash everything inside? Rarely happens. But a job I was glad to have done!

That afternoon I did my make up and hair, made supper and then Jilly came over because she had agreed to watch Sam while Ryan and I went to a wedding reception. Except those plans went array. It was still snowing hard and Ryan had to go to work. But, I figured I could drive there myself. I have done that drive a million times. Half way there, I turned around. I am usually a very confident driver but have become WAY more cautious since having Sam. I am hoping the beautiful bride (Hi Andrea!) and her groom had a wonderful time celebration the start of their married life together! 

Sunday morning Ryan got home from work and I got myself and Sam ready for church. My parents stopped in before hand for a quick coffee. When Sam woke up from his nap my mom was walking around with him in the kitchen and we couldn’t believe the look of him! He looked HUGE in her arms. Now, my mom is a petit lady but where did this enormous baby come from? Ha ha!

Sunday afternoon Ryan slept and I lounged around and got things ready for the week ahead. Since we have started back into our meal plan, Sundays are always about a “nicer” and harder to make meal. I set the table, pour a glass of wine and we all enjoy the nice meal together. It’s nice to have that time together on a Sunday without the thoughts of rushing off anywhere.

I guess it was a great weekend despite all the snow but this girl is ready for Spring. I hate winter to begin with but having Ryan working nights is getting old. I am looking forward to getting into a more normal schedule.

How was your weekend?

xo

5 Things About Current Life

 

Happy Friday everyone! I’m feeling a little sluggish today but SO looking forward to the weekend! For some reason, everyday this week I am getting up before my alarm! There’s something about this even earlier wake up call that starts the day off wrong!

We are 24 days away from when Sam starts daycare and if you know me, you know that I am already trying to get into routine in order to make life a little easier. Here’s some of the things that have been happening!

1.  When I first had Sam, I slept when he slept. When he woke up in the morning, I woke up. When I was getting up every 1.5 hours to feed him, it had to happen this way. Once I started getting more sleep, I would purposely try to get up an hour before Sam did so that I could get ready for my day, including enjoying my cup of coffee. Now, I continue to do that. I love having some “me” time before the day starts. The time has gotten earlier and earlier so that when I start back to work, it isn’t a huge adjustment to wake up. What helps the early mornings? An awesome coffee mug! I love my new one from FraggleCreations.

2. I’m loving my new Mommy haircut! It’s been on the shorter side for a while and I do find it easier to manage. The only problem? Sometimes I hate doing it! I’ve now “trained” my hair to go three days without washing it! Day 1, fresh out of the shower from shampoo and blown dry. Day 2, bath or quick rinse to clean my body but hair is still pretty much styled from the day before. Day 3, another quick rinse in the shower where I run the water through my hair and do the motion of “washing” it but without any product. After my hair is dry on day three, I’ll run the straight iron through it make it curly. Surprisingly, this takes half the time of blow drying! So if you see me with curling hair (and its not a special occasion) you can guarantee that I am rocking three day dirty hair!

3. Sam is officially a full night sleeper. He has gone about a month sleeping fully through the night and it is glorious. We have been having some trouble with my poor boys wardrobe. He has these long legs that makes all his pants look like a flood is coming. He has this tiny waist so all the pants are huge around the waist. He has tiny shoulders and big pot belly that makes shirts look large up top yet make his belly stick out. It is getting harder and harder to find clothes to fit him perfectly. I guess if he is going to be as tall as his Daddy, its a problem we better get use to.

4. We have been blessed with some amazing clothes from friend and cousin Stacy! I’ve also picked up a big bag of used clothes for 20$ that was posted on a local used Facebook group. I went through all these clothes to take inventory going into the spring/summer season. Yes, it’s February but our busiest time for work will be right when Sam is starting daycare full time. I figured before I have time for nothing anymore, I’ll get as organized as possible. After taking inventory, I realized there were some things that were missing from his wardrobe, mostly shorts. Within a week of taking inventory, Old Navy sent me an email informing me that they were having a 50% off all their kids stuff! Jack pot! I scored 20 pieces for a fraction of the price! Yesterday, it came in the mail and I had lots of fun going through it.

5. As of this week, Sam is off of purees! I am happily putting away my blending and he is eating what we are. It was my goal to have him eating solely regular food before he started daycare because I didn’t want to have to make and pack all of his food. I had started strictly following our meal plan again and preparing food the day before. I am also starting to make a little more to accommodate our growing boy! He is still loving food at the moment and eats SO much! I bought some little plates for Sam at Walmart (1$ each!) that have been great for him and me. I like that I can organize his food and actually see what he is eating (and how much). It is awesome having him eat what we do now!

What is going on with you this Friday?

Happy weekend!

xo

These Are A Few Of Our Favourite Things– Sam Edition

 

Happy Wednesday everyone. I had a random moment of realization on Monday, it was 1 month until things change completely for Sam and I. Our wonderful routine is going to be thrown upside down when I return to work full time and Sam starts daycare.

I have been really enjoying our time together and now that I have found a daycare that we LOVE, I am feeling less emotional about the transition.

In the last (almost) 11 months Sam and I have developed a nice routine and figured out what works best for us. We both have our preferences but things change almost daily! Here are some of the things that my boy is loving as of lately.

1. It’s no surprise that my boy loves to eat! Sometimes I just sit there astonished at the amount of food one little guy can eat! One of Sam’s favourite parts of a meal is the end when we hand him a sippy cup of water! He LOVES his water cup and gets so excited to get his hands on it! I purchased a nice set of playtex cups for his stocking and they are great for him to hold onto! After multiple drops on the floor, it is still in great shape and hasn’t leaked.

2. For Christmas, Sam received this Stride and Ride elephant. At first, he wasn’t a fan but now that he is leaning to stand on his own he loves it! He loves to use it as a walker but mostly he loves to ride it while Ryan and I push him around the kitchen!

3. There is no surprise that Sam LOVES Tucker. He tries to get near him over and over again throughout the day. Recently, Tucker has realized that Sam is someone that will play with him. He brings his toy to Sam to get him to throw it. Sam attempts the toss but I will give him hand. He then proceeds to giggle as Tucker goes to get it and brings it right back! This will keep him entertained for HOURS!

4. When I was pregnant I used an exercise ball to help with my pelvic pain. It has been sitting in our living room unused ever since I had Sam. Recently, Sam has discovered this large ball and thinks it is the greatest thing ever!

5. I know there are a lot of opinions about children and watching TV. In our household, we are TV friendly. All of our play time is in living spaces that have a TV and to be honest, it’s a long day without any background noise. Our favourite channel is Treehouse. For the most part, Sam doesn’t even watch it because he is too busy playing. But, as soon as Bubble Guppies is on the screen, he stops to watch it! I have actually grown to kind of like the show too!

6. For Christmas, Santa brought Sam the Vtech sit-and-stand learning walker. It is another toy that he didn’t care for until he became mobile. His favourite part though? That little purple phone! He INSTANTLY goes for it. In fact, he has another little plastic phone that he loves as well! I guess he see’s Ryan and I on our phones and “Monkey see, monkey do”.

There are many things that Sam enjoys lately. Every day he discovers something new. I love to sit back and see the concentration on his face when he is examining something for the first time. Or the pride he feels when he figures something out on his own. Every day is a new adventure!

Happy Wednesday!

xo

A LOVEly Weekend!

 

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that your weekend was full of LOVE! I know mine was! Although it didn’t start out that way! Here is my boy, post spaghetti supper, having a complete meltdown. And like the mother-of-the-year that I am, I had to stop to document it before consoling him! ha ha!

I’m not really sure what his problem was all week but he has been fighting naps all week (NOT LIKE HIM) and getting up again during the night. I’m thinking it may be more teeth coming through but who knows. I also wonder if he is trying to drop his morning nap (PLEASE NO!). Any mommy’s out there with an idea I’d love to hear it!

After Sam was cleaned up and in bed sleeping, Ryan and I decided to get our supper ready. It was a great suggestion from the hubby to wait till the little one was in bed to eat our supper. Usually we eat all together but instead while Ryan read Sam his story I finished up the pizza. We also got new internet so we were able to move our WII back downstairs to enjoy Netflix. It was the perfect winter set up, and our favourite thing to do on Fridays…Movie Night In Beechgrove!

Saturday morning Sam was up at his usual time so I took him downstairs for some cuddles and cartoons while Ryan slept in a little bit longer.

After we were all up Ryan entertained Sam while I made some pink Valentine pancakes. Dorky? Yes but totally us! I love a little corniness in my life.

Ryan and I are not really big Valentines people. We recognize the holiday with a nice card for eachother but that is usually it. I guess between presents at Christmas and Ryan’s birthday at March, it just seems like an overload of STUFF. But this Mommy was pretty happy to receive this thoughtful card this year. Not going to lie, I cried! I just thought it was really thoughtful of Ryan to get me something from Sam.

Saturday was another brutally cold day but we had our February date to do! It was Ryan’s month to plan and he did it well! But more on that another time.

Sunday morning we were off to church and Sunday school! Afterwards, we were going to follow my parents down to the city and join them for breakfast. When I got out on the highway my car was shaking and it was difficult to keep it out of the ditch! We were pretty sure it was just ice on my tires but with the –40 degree temperature, I decided not to risk it and headed home for a quiet day in.

Sam and Ryan both had great afternoon naps and while everyone was sleeping I got supper done and watched Knocked Up!

We have been playing a lot in the basement lately because there is less that Sam can get into!

His newest favourite toy? This mini hockey stick! He just holds onto it all the time! Ryan is pretty excited about this fact! Tucker seems a little bit more scared of Sam now!  

How was your weekend?

xo

My Valentine

 

Happy Friday everyone! Sorry for the lack of posting in Wednesday! I had a work conference and was gone. Ryan actually watched Sam for the day and got to be the stay-at-home parent. I think he realized how much time is committed to Sam. When he told me all his plans for the day I just nodded my head, knowing very well that he wouldn’t get 1/4 of it done!

I have to give him credit though, he dives in on the Sam duties full steam and doesn’t even hesitate anymore. I even think Sam is turning into a Daddy’s Boy, which Ryan is pretty proud of.

There’s no mistake who my Valentine is and has been for the last 7 years and today, I’d like to dedicate this post to him.

To the man who can simultaneously make me so mad I could throw a lamp at his head and then in then next sentence, make me laugh so hard I have tears streaming down my face….

To be honest, life with you can suck at times! Your dirty socks, endless piles of “stuff” and passion for slids/trucks/anything with a motor, drives me bananas! The countless times I have to pick my battles and work on compromising with you is insane.

But here’s the thing, I wouldn’t change it for anything.

There is no one in this world that makes me feel safer. You are my protector and the one person who can calm me down.

You are the best father in the way that you get “down and dirty”. Always interacting with Sam via floor level. You are there to do all the “boy” things.

Truthfully, I can’t picture anyone else putting up with my crazy ways. You are always calmly and sometimes, equally jubilant during our crazy adventures.

I admire your ability to befriend anyone. You know LITERALLY everyone! It amazes me.

You are a gentle giant. Your height can give off the impression of someone who is tough but in reality you are sensitive and cuddly (please don’t shoot me for saying that! ha ha!).

In some weird way, all of our differences are exactly why we work as a couple. We balance each other out and are also similar in ways too.

You are my Valentine today, tomorrow and always , and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

I love you!

xo

Winter Fun Weekend

 

Happy Monday! I hope that everyone’s weekend went by very slowly! Ha ha! Our weekend was pretty low key but also so fun!

On Friday I hung out with my boys, got Sam ready for bed and then headed out the door for my first book club meeting of 2015! We were discussing the latest Emily Giffin book! It’s a very light chick-lit read but was great for book club discussion! It’s always nice to go out for the night and spend it with other women sitting around chatting with yummy snacks!

Saturday morning I actually got to sleep in! Sam was up at 6 and nursed. Ryan then took him and let me sleep for another 1.5 hours! I was in bed late the night before and the extra hour of sleep made all the difference! I felt so rested!

When we were all up and ready, we hit the road to grab a quick breakfast, run a little errand and get Ryan’s skates sharpened! Ryan is already looking forward to the day he gets to teach Sam to skate and was looking at all the little ones in the store!

We got home and hung out, put Sam down for a nap and then got ready to head up the road to a birthday party for a beautiful little 5 year old.

We couldn’t stay long at the party so that Sam could go down for his afternoon nap. Ryan headed off to enjoy the rest of the day snowmobiling. Sam and I went about our day, playing, making baby food and going for a walk! Eventually it was time for bed and I got to read Sam one of his favourite books, Samuel Scaredosaurus.

Once Sam was asleep, Jilly came over for a movie night! It was blast from the past as we watched Cocktail! It was a great movie to watch the weekend before Valentines day!

Sunday morning we woke up to a snow storm! The minister wouldn’t be making the drive from the city to church but the doors were open and someone would be doing the service. Being that the church is one a 30 second drive from home, we decided to go! Afterwards, we went to our villages newest restaurant for breakfast!

Sam and Ryan both went down for a sleep while I worked on getting things organized for the week to come! When they were up we enjoyed a nice BBQ supper together and played!

It was another great weekend with my boys. It’s always a shame that the weekends always go so quickly but we try to enjoy every second!

How was your weekend?

xo

Samuel–10 Months

 

Stats: No new official measurements.

Wearing: Holy growth spurt! I feel like my little dude was hardly in some of his 12 month clothes and now he is out of them! He is now in 12-18 month clothes and 18 month PJS! He is still in size 4 shoes and size 4 diapers.

Sleep: For the most part, our boy now sleeps through the night! There have been a few rough nights because of teeth popping through. Otherwise, he is now a great sleeper! 1 hour nap around 9 am. 2 hour nap around 1 PM and then bed by 6:30-7 PM until 6:30-7 AM!

Eating: Everything! Ha ha!

I am still nursing Sam and have yet to give him any other milk source. I am pumping a lot in between feedings to stock up my freezer for when Sam starts daycare. He is still nursing about 4 times a day. It is still amazing to me the amount of  free time now compared to when he was small and had to feed him every 2 hours!

Sam still gets a solid three meals a day. Puree’s first and then food on his tray. He is able to pick up the food on his tray better so at the end of this month we cut out his lunch purees. Within the next couple of months I’d like to completely cut out purees. Sam is still a little picky about his food. He loves meat and veggies and is not too fond of fruit. He loves pasta and cheese but if something is cold, he’ll usually fight to eat it! He loves cheerio's and anything that is on my plate! ha ha!

Appearance:

Sam’s hair was getting into his eyes a little so we went for his first hair cut and now he looks even more like a little dude! I was glad to have the hair all trimmed up though now so it should grow in looking a little better.

I always marvel at Sam’s long legs. For the most part, he seems very normal but then when I look at his legs they just seem so long! I am astonished by the amount of food he eats but still his arms and legs don’t have rolls. He does have a nice little pot belly though!

 

Likes:

Sam loves to explore now that he is on the move. He loves chasing Tucker, lifting up the carpet and he really likes heat grates!

Sam’s favorite time of day is when he is getting ready for bed because that’s when he gets his bath and book. Lately, he has been really liking to read. He will sit quietly on my lap and you can tell he is actually absorbing the pictures now.

This month Sam seems to be even more snuggly than normal. He has enjoyed watching some cartoons while snuggling up with me on the cough.

Dislikes:

Sam HATES getting into his car seat. Lately, he gets excited to be getting out of it. He also hates getting into his highchair. He hates being told no, getting dressed and getting his face wiped.

Milestones:

Met your cousin Lily for the first time on January 8.

You got your first tooth on January 14.

Started crawling on January 23 and you haven’t sat still since!

First haircut on January 26.

Mommy:

How is it that I already have a 10 month old? It’s amazing to me that in the short span of 10 months, I had a baby who need me for everything, even to support his neck, to a baby who is now this mobile and somewhat independent little boy. There has been another big shift this month in your independence. You can go for hours playing and exploring and not even look back to find me. At the same time, I love  that you show affection now with your hugs and kisses.

I have started to think about life after breastfeeding and it makes me sad. It is a nice break that you and I get to take multiple times a day.

You are still my little buddy. A day does not go by that you don’t make me laugh. There are some moments that are hard and days where I look forward to your nap time. But then, as soon as you are gone to sleep, I start looking through my phone at your pictures because I miss you! ha ha!

Daddy:

Daddy is LOVING that you are active and mobile now. He loves to watch to play and loves to play along side you! The way you play with him is totally different then with me. With your dad, it is more active. It’s neat that you are able to tell the difference between how your dad will play and how I will. Now that you are nursing less, you and him are able to hang out alone outside of the house. He loves to take you on little road trips with him!

Other:

It was so great when Sam finally got a tooth but no body tells you how messy it can be! For both teeth, Sam developed blood blisters. For the first tooth, the blister burst during supper and blood starting dripped down his chin. The other he was sleeping over at Nana and Grandpa’s and there was blood on the crib sheet the next morning. Before having a baby, I had no idea teething could be so bloody!

For SO long Ryan and I would say, “He is SOOO close to crawling”. It was true and then all the sudden it seemed to click in his brain and he just started crawling forward and now there is no stopping him! It was from 0 to 60!

Our boy is SO happy when he is naked.

There was a huge shift in Sam’s love for books all the sudden. He now knows that they aren’t chew toys. He gets excited before bed because he knows he will get his story. He will now sit quietly and look at the pictures and listen to the story. It seems to really relax him and sometimes I’ll catch a little smirk on his face if I made a funny voice during the story.

Letter:

Dearest Sam,

10 months, dude! Double digits! How did that happen? You are now an active and adventurous little guy as you begin being mobile. It is a whole new world for both of us now. You are so independent and no longer need me right by your side as you play! Even though you are a fun and silly little guy, there is a sweet and shy spirit about you. I love to see all the different things that make you, you!

Again and again I feel SO lucky to be able to have spent this time with you at home. The biggest thing we are doing lately is just living in the moment! Trying to remember your little quirks and fun expressions. I know the time is so precious and I am doing my best to enjoy every second!

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

xo