#palmer jane

[champagnetoasts]

a return to blogging...

Cough cough cough. Is this thing still on? 

I laid in bed last night thinking of all of the things I wanted to accomplish in my last SOLO week of maternity leave. And you know what? I’ve really, REALLY missed blogging. Life has changed quite a bit since I started sharing words on this space almost 8 years ago... this will likely be less about me lusting over a pair of YSL ‘Tribute’ shoes and more about funny quips from my kids, sharing Marlowe’s birth story, the occasional outfit post, my return to running, and my journey with BBG (week 4 over here). I’m ready to return to this place and hope there are still one or two of you that are reading (HI MOM!) <3  

My return to the keyboard if you will. Leave a note and let me know if there’s anything you’re interested in hearing about. Until then, a few pictures as of late. 

summer time curls / PJH / June 2018

3 going on 13 / PJH / Father’s Day 2018

Marlowe + her bonnet / May 2018

Have you ever seen a cuter watermelon? Marlowe / June 2018

Sisters / late May 2018

[champagnetoasts]

Bedtime

I’ve made no secret that I’m having a hard time with how quickly my baby has turned into a little girl. Especially recently; something about her becoming a busy little chatterbox has me lamenting over how fast time is passing. I’ve always said parenthood is the ultimate dichotomy. Wanting to teach your child independence and yet grieving in your own way when they grow too quickly.

Blake and I alternate nights putting Palmer to bed. We both have our own routines but try to include a little quiet time for just the 2 of us after finishing books/ before putting her into bed. I like to turn the lights off in her room, say our prayers, and spend a few minutes snuggling.

Each night I try to remember exactly how I feel in that moment. Some nights I have small tears that trickle down my cheeks when I realize I won’t be able to hold her like this forever. Some nights she’s restless and wants to immediately go snuggle in amongst her stuffies and blankets and drift off to sleep.

This evening, her little fingers traced over the outline of my earrings, she twirled a few pieces of my hair between her palms, and she laid her head on my shoulder and just let me hold her. I won’t lie to you– I could sit like that forever. Eventually she started fiddling with the tags on her blanket which is a sign it’s time to climb into bed. I asked her if she was ready to cozy in and she vigorously nodded yes.

I leaned down and whispered in her ear “I love you so much, darlin.” And she quietly whispered back “Love you, Mommy.”

I know I might not remember many things over the span of a lifetime, but I sure hope my memory bank holds tight to how full my little heart is for that child right now. A mother’s love is something special you guys. And I feel so blessed to get to experience that. ❤️

[champagnetoasts]

remember me?

Phew. I make promises to try and be a better blogger and then I go and fall off the face of the earth again. I swear my New Years resolution will be diligence on this platform. 

So what have we been up to lately? Preparing for Christmas, keeping the house afloat, working really hard, and trying to raise a neat small human. 

Palmer continues to amaze me. She wants to be a helper about 90% of the time (dishes, sweeping, trash duty) and has an impressive little vocabulary. The other 10% of the time she’s borderline Animal from “The Muppets”. Anyone that has reared a toddler will fully understand that comparison. 

She’s the ultimate encourager. Palmer loves to pat me on the back and say “Good job, Mama.” when she’s particularly proud of an accomplishment. She’s also a tried-and-true rule follower and I can totally see this kid ending up like Tracy Flick if she’s not careful. P has her first best friend and, truthfully, nothing has been more heartwarming than seeing those two toeheads holding hands walking down the hallway at school. 

She’s opinionated and tells us “NO” without any precaution or hesitation. She loves a good football game, is obsessed with shoes, and smelling candles. I think her teacher recently taught her how to blow her nose at school because suddenly we have very empty Kleenex boxes and a trail of tissues to all of our trashcans. Palmer is teetering dangerously close to being able to open doors in the house which makes me thankful for the door chimes we have connected to our alarm system. She’s been fascinated with the fall season, the crunchy piles of leaves she insists on jumping into, and anything witchy or black cat related. I can’t WAIT to see how this little girl tackles her holiday enthusiasm when our Christmas tree goes up. Hint: we are only half kidding when we mention bolting it to the wall. 

And if I had $2 for every person that’s asked me when she’s having a little brother (because that’s totally in my control, right) I would be able to put down a large deposit on our next house. But that won’t come until AT LEAST early spring and is another discussion topic for another time. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends! This year, Palmer says go for the icing first and forget the utensils! 

oxo

[champagnetoasts]

[champagnetoasts]

We returned yesterday from a blissful week in Hilton Head. We soaked up every ounce of sun on the eastern seaboard, played in the surf, befriended some petting zoo animals, rescued and released A couple of wayward starfish, enjoyed more rosè than I care to admit, ate Cowboy Ribeye's and more than a few bites of Oreo dessert, and filled up on family for 7 days. I'm having a very hard time coming to grips that our magnificent vacation is now over and I have to send my little buddy to school in the morning. I've had almost 10 days with her and I'm sad to think that as of tomorrow morning, back into the hustle and bustle we go. I also realize that, as a person who truly lives for "what's next", it also means I can have a difficult time living in the moment. And with Palmer growing at lighting speed, I don't want to miss a single second pushing on to what's just on the horizon. So needless to say I had a mini meltdown putting her to bed this evening. I have to get a grip now because in a few years, I have a feeling I'll be wiping tears off of her sweet cheeks when she realizes vacation mode is over. So here we are. Back to "real life" but with a heart full of wonderful memories and the ever present parental dichotomy of shifting time + children growing up. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. ❤️

[champagnetoasts]

Waving my white flag again for being a terrible blogger. Not that anyone is keeping tabs at this point...

This month has brought a big change for me professionally. I’m LOVING my new role and the idea that I’m contributing a lot more to a team than I had been previously. What a nice feeling to leave Palmer at school in the mornings and feel like I’m making an organizational difference. 

I’m quite enjoying the 16 month stage with Miss P. She’s starting to show great advancement with her little vocabulary (current favorite words are banana, Apple Jacks, red ball, and milk) , she has taken a recent liking to books (FINALLY!), and I am adoring the spitfire personality she has grown into. Though throwing a fit for “cookies” at dinner isn’t adorable, I guess it just comes with the territory. The terrible twos are going to give me a run for my money. 

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my perspective shift as a parent over the last couple of weeks. My internal dialogue has changed quite a bit as the “stages of Palmer” have progressed. It’s been interesting to watch myself take a more laid back approach to the past 6 months than I would have expected of myself pre-child. 

P’s current likes: shoes, lemon Oreo cookies, strawberries, salmon, mac & cheese, dancing in public places, waving to strangers, long runs in her jogging stroller, birds, bubbles. Current dislikes: hairbows, waiting for anything, having her nose wiped, having her blankie taken away, peaches, shopping (strange girl), her Puddle Jumper swimmies. 

Looking forward to a nice family vacation on the horizon. Hope you’re all enjoying your summer. 

Here’s a pic of my [mini] lady love just for prosperity’s sake. 

oxo

Photo c/o Blake’s super talented Aunt Barb // and no her fingers aren’t stuck in the window ;)

[champagnetoasts]

I let Palmer fall asleep in my arms on most evenings. Bad sleep habits be damned– it’s by far the best part of my day and I plan on continuing our tradition just as long as she’ll let me.

Baby girl isn’t so little any more. But she’ll always be my baby. 💕

thanks to my mom for finding this gem

[champagnetoasts]

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.