Weekend Getaway

Last weekend, our family of three headed to Atlanta for a little R and R. Husband was excited to get to see his Falcons play in the NFC Championship; and C and I were excited to spend the weekend playing at the zoo and aquarium. He booked us at the Ritz Carlton downtown, close to most of our planned activities, and we arrived to find San Francisco fans lining the sidewalk with cameras and memorabilia in hand. We were at the host hotel of the 49ers!

We checked in and then decided to go for a little walk downtown before getting dinner. The weather was perfect and we strolled while C chatted about everything we passed. We looked at sculptures and tossed pennies in a fountain. We approached a beautiful, large church and C exclaimed, "wow, a castle!" We agreed. It was most certainly a princess castle.

We had an amazing (and surprisingly kid friendly) dinner at Alma Cocina, a Mexican restaurant conveniently located next door to our hotel. The food was amazing, but C was distracted by a mounted cow's head directly above our table. She kept saying, "A cow! Oh no! It's stuck!" Husband and I just told her he was okay and that he was resting, but every now and then she would catch a glimpse of him and worry all over again. It was adorable.

We thought she was getting tired, so we decided to head back to our room and order dessert by room service. As soon as she was back in the room, she was jumping on the bed, playing with the phone, and "reading" every magazine in the room. We enjoyed coffee and dessert with our little night owl before I gave her a bath and wrapped her in the complimentary robe. I just couldn't resist.

C and I settled into the fluffy bed to watch Winnie the Pooh, and Husband kissed us goodnight and headed downstairs to hang out for a little while - a football fan's dream (even if it was with the wrong team). The funny thing about Husband is, he's never met a stranger, and ended up chatting with another Falcons fan all night and walking to the game with him the next day! One of the many reasons I love him.

We woke up early the next morning and headed to the zoo! It was a beautiful day and most of the animals were out. 

We saw so many animals, but her favorite (no surprise here) was the petting zoo. She could not get enough of all the goats and sheep. She petted and brushed them and tried to snuggle them.

Her favorite was a white goat that was sleeping sitting up. 

She looked at him thoughtfully...

and decided to hop on!

It was such a fun morning!

We headed back downtown to drop off Husband for the game and then C and I were headed to the Georgia Aquarium. The traffic was terrible, so he decided to just get out while we were stopped in traffic and walk the rest of the way. There was no time for a long goodbye, so he just made it quick and got out of the car.

C lost it.

She could not figure out where he went. She started to cry scream for Daddy over and over again. It was honestly the hardest I have heard her cry...ever. I could not console her. I stroked her leg while I drove through traffic. We called Daddy so she could hear his voice, but that only made it worse when he hung up. We parked at the aquarium, got out, and still, she screamed for Daddy. It was heartbreaking. Finally, after at least twenty minutes of milk and snacks and rocking in the parking lot, she calmed down enough to go inside.

Luckily, once she saw where we were, she was excited. We were able to meet my friend, Betsi, there and spent the afternoon with some of our favorites - whales, penguins, dolphins, and "fishies." 

The aquarium closed at 5:00, so we killed time in the parking lot with a snack and an Elmo dvd until Husband was ready to meet us. As soon as he got in the car, C was thrilled! We were on our way home, but stopped at Cracker Barrel for a quick dinner. She clung to Daddy like a koala bear and was not letting go. We have quite the daddy's girl on our hands.

We packed a lot of fun into our weekend getaway and enjoyed some time with just the three of us. I'm so grateful for a husband who plans fun trips for us and for a little girl who is becoming quite the traveler (as long as she has Daddy within reach)!

The Magic Lens

We got a new camera right before Christmas. Husband got a bonus for being so awesome at work and it was a present to ourselves. He was a photography minor in college and does beautiful work, but we haven't had a digital SLR for about a year and we were really missing it. The iPhone just wasn't cutting it anymore.

With the camera purchase, Husband picked out a couple new lenses, one of which was a 50mm f 1.4. I was already in love with his 20-40mm f 2.8. In my eyes, it could do no wrong. He tried to convince me that this new one would be my new favorite, but I just couldn't imagine it. Then, I used it.

It has magical powers. I'm still getting used to it (I definitely get a few blurry shots now and then), but it is an amazing lens. Between my dad (a professional photographer) and Husband, I know a little; but usually stick to fully automatic...until now. Thanks to a few pointers, I have been getting some great shots of C (some have even been mistaken as Husband's)!  She lives with paparazzi now because we are obsessed with documenting every day with the magic lens.

The camera loves this little girl (and so do we).

The only one I can take credit for...

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

This week, Husband crossed over the precipice and left his twenties behind him. He made me promise not to throw him a party for the big 3-0, so we celebrated with family this week instead.

Last Sunday, his parents joined us for lunch and presents. Catherine helped me make Husband's favorite meal - pot roast, mac and cheese, and fried okra; and his mom brought her famous chocolate chess pie. 

It was such a nice, relaxing way to celebrate our favorite person. And C loved getting to spend time with her Mim and Pop!

Since his actual birthday fell on a work day, we settled for a quick celebratory lunch in the food court (and a carousel ride of course). 

Last night, we were able to celebrate with my family. My brother-in-law's birthday is this week, so we had a combo dinner complete with way too many cupcakes.

I somehow managed to get zero photos of Husband or my brother-in-law; but I managed to get plenty of C dressing up in my and my sister's old dance costumes! We had so much fun relaxing and celebrating with family this whole week.

Husband's favorite response to people making a big deal about his birthday is this quote:

There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11. -Dave Barry

Nevertheless, I can't not celebrate the life that has changed mine so much. This man is truly my best friend. He makes me laugh. He has been beside me during some of my favorite memories. He is my late night movie marathon partner, my early morning dance partner, my toughest critic, and my biggest fan. It's tough not to love him or all that he is. He is selfless, gentle, and loving. He is thoughtful and loyal. He works tirelessly to provide a beautiful life for our family; and, above all, he is the best father to the best gift we have ever received. 

I can't imagine my life without this man, nor do I want to. I am thankful for his birth today and every single day. 

Happy birthday, my love (and don't worry, you don't look a day over 29)!

Catching Up

There is a new sound in our house: the pitter-patter of tiny little feet as they WALK around. We officially have a walker on our hands and now spend the majority of our time catching up to her. Watching her toddle around is one of the cutest things I have ever seen (and she's still slow enough to catch).

(Try to ignore my coaching...)

My mind has been racing lately. It's full of nostalgia for the past year and excitement for the upcoming. This time last year, I was excited about my upcoming baby shower, having no clue what the next week would bring me. Merely three days after the shower, gifts still piled in the basement, nothing washed, nothing put away, the car seat still in the box, we welcomed our baby girl to this world. A little early, but right on time. And our world changed forever.

I look back on this past year and can count on one hand the number of times I have hired a baby sitter. I have yet to sleep a single night away from her. I spend my days and my nights with this tiny person and have gotten to watch her grow and develop every day. For nearly 365 days, I have watched her breathe in and out with the lungs she grew inside of me. I have watched her eyes, my eyes, follow me, look for me, love me. I have watched her mouth, Husband's mouth, grin and laugh and cry and sprout new teeth and new words. I watched her fingers learn to grasp, learn to pass things from one hand to the other, learn to feed herself one tiny piece of food at a time. I watched her go from lying down to sitting up, to rolling, to crawling, to standing, and now walking. 

I have heard her cry and laugh and call for me and Husband and Banks in her own sweet language. I have felt this child with every sense, with every fiber of my being. She is my heart. My whole heart.

As we embark on her second year of life, I am so very grateful for the first. I am humbled by the job of motherhood. Although I've been here all along, I find myself just now catching up, just now realizing the magnitude of this past year. And I am in awe of this child, all she has become and all she will be. 

Husband

Nine years ago, I joined a group of my college freshmen girlfriends for a night out at fraternity row, where I met a cute sophomore boy at the Sigma Chi house. It would take a year for that boy to ask me out and another year between our first and second date, but finally, finally, the stars would align and we would be together. Forever.

On the 10th, we celebrated a very special birthday. My husband, a man I have known for nearly nine years and loved for seven, celebrated his twenty ninth birthday. And, while I know it is selfish, I consider his birthday a gift to me as well. Twenty nine years ago, a baby boy was born who would one day become a man, a husband, a father, and I am infinitely grateful for that day of birth that occurred almost two years before my own.

He's THREE

Honestly, I find it difficult to even begin to express what this man means to me. Husband is smarter than he admits and stronger than he knows. He works tirelessly to provide for our family and allows me to spend my days at home with our sweet girl. He has so many wonderful traits that I hope our daughter will inherit.

I am constantly amazed at his ability to befriend absolutely anyone with his immediate likeability. On our honeymoon, I awoke from a poolside nap to the sound of him leading a group of complete strangers in a "Roll Tide" at the swim up bar. He will inconvenience himself simply to make your life easier and will literally give you the shirt off his back (or the hard drive full of programs from his pocket).  


He is the biggest Alabama fan ever and has somehow managed to sway me from my Auburn roots. Really, that just means I wear crimson on Saturdays instead of orange, but he convinced me nonetheless.


He makes special events special. My gifts pale in comparison to his. When he gives a gift, it is clear that he has put months of thought and effort into it. Our first Christmas together, he gave me custom made shoe racks that he built himself, after measuring my tallest heels to make sure they would fit. And when my 21st birthday celebration was derailed by Hurricane Katrina, he set up a party in my apartment and even made my birthday cake. 

He is an honest man and believes in the value of hard work, but also believes it is important to have what has become known as an "Andrew Saturday" every now and then. He has taught me how to put the check list down and to appreciate these Saturdays of non scheduled bliss, full of good food, good beer, and good company.


It is rare that one finds someone who balances them so completely. Someone who knows you better than you know yourself, and who isn't afraid to keep you in check. On good days and bad, he is exactly the man I need in my life and I am thankful every day for his.

I love this man. And so does his little girl.

Happy birthday (month), my love. I celebrate your birth every day.