A month in photos

Trying out Uncle Pat's Jeep in Savannah

In Sarasota for Blair's wedding

Our hostess Jill, her date Will, at the wedding after party at the Ritz.

Too much fun at Blair's wedding!

Beautiful Blair who will kill me for this photo.

You moms out there know that vanity takes a back seat when you are actually in a photo with your babe. At the Jonquil festival, May 2010.

With Ross's cousin Meg and Chloe at Ben's 1st Communion party.

Precious girls!

My bully daughter trying to squeeze her cousin's nose. Chloe did not like Mary Kate and her daddy's little "game"

Celebrating our Ben's First Communion! Precious Boy who is so sweet to MK!

This month has been full and wonderful. It brought my first Mother's Day. Mary Kate helped daddy pick out beautiful new stationery for me and took care of most baby care duties that day. Ben's First Communion was so sweet and special, even from our vantage point in the narthex :) We loved having our cousins in town from Philly and Mary Kate loved all the attention!

Our girl turned 10 months a few days later and seems to have morphed into this toddler person. I kind of can't get enough of her these days. I hope I get a post of her 10 months later but just in case, the quick version of her life these days is pulling up on everything, new sounds "sssss, thissssssss," more independence with her eating (less spoons, more baths), better napping (praise the LORD), more cuddling (again, praise the Lord- though still much less than the average babe), has finally conceded to sitting still for 5 minute intervals to be read to- maybe we won't have an illiterate baby after all, loves swimming in the pool, has started reaching out for mommy and daddy (insert melted heart), and this month had her first weekend away from mom and dad!

Ross and I left the girl this weekend with my mom and sister while we flew to Sarasota for the Sullivan-Berrigan nuptials. Blair's wedding was probably one of my top 5 favorite weddings. My date was handsome, the champagne was flowing and my dress required no sucking in! We stayed with Jill who is simply joy personified and got to see lots of old friends from UGA and the Catholic Center. We stayed up until 2-3 am each night, about 6 hours later than usual. Blair was so gracious and beautiful and the tears flowed freely watching my old roomie finally get her day. No detail went untouched. It was one of those wedding where every guest felt special and cherished. I was so humbled by the love and sweetness from our bride!

We are back home now and I have loved reacquainting with my girl. I loved the getaway but oooh how I missed that gremlin! The next weeks promise to be busy and fabulous with a family vacay with our sweet friends to the Hinton Center in NC, someone's mama's 30th birthday, and lots of summer fun!

Quick Takes Home Depot Computer Style

So, last week my computer crashed. And it took 600 photos of my girl. I cried for one minute. Then I stopped. Then I kicked myself in the butt because I kept reminding myself to back up all those photos and never did. And now-a-days I am attempting to perform a job I do 100% remotely from a blackberry. Pretty it is not. But tonight husband brought home his work computer and while he played tennis, I fit 4 days of work into 2 hours (after I cussed and cussed and finally found the wireless button. Was so tempted to call my techie friend Scott and interrupt his daughter's 1st BIRTHDAY to find it. Common sense finally prevailed.) Anyway- I wanted to post some quick takes because there is a lot going on lately and I don't know when I'll be back to a screen that is more than 2 inches wide.

1. It's amazing how much free time is had once a computer dies. Monday morning was my first weekday without my beloved attachment. By halfway through MK's nap,  I had made the bed, showered, eaten breakfast, cleaned MK's bottles and completed a week's worth of my new bible study (thank you Mikki Breen!) By this time normally I would have stalked 40 blogs, worked a little and read the news online and people.com. I definitely want that computer back but will be imposing some limits on my time-wasting self  when it  gets here.

2. Mary Kate will be ten months old Monday. And this girl is cracking me up. See below for snippets of my day.

Monty used to run away from her. Now he just sits there and lets her crawl all over him. Like my redneck baby's diaper ?

The girl is as feisty as ever and ALL OVER THE PLACE. She now loves to crawl around the foyer into the kitchen. I will crawl the other way into the kitchen and she goes bonkers when she sees me crawling toward her. I guess you have to be there but it cracks her up. And nothing beats goofy baby laughter.

3. Yesterday I was driving to lunch with the girl and we had to stop by Ross's work for our Dave Ramsey stash. As I was driving, I was blown over by how fortunate I feel to be taking my girl to lunch with good old friends in the middle of the day while he works. And lest my husband use this sentence against me for any reason, please feel free to call Cameli's to inquire as to how this angel behaved during lunch. Add that one to the list of "do not return" restaurants.

4. Said angel whined from 4-7 pm today. And by whined, I mean raked her fingernails across a chalk board for 3 hours. (Again, feeling the need to combat any thought of homemaker bliss over here).

5. But back to homemaker bliss.



needed to remember those big ole teeth. There are 4 more, they just get hidden by these big daddies.



Joy Elizabeth introduced us to McEntyre's Bakery. Holy cinnamon roll.

6. In response to the new found cinnamon rolls, mini-cakes, and big fat cookies, I decided to start running. That was Monday. I haven't started yet. But I will. I think. As I told a friend, I would really love a reason to be proud of myself. And apparently one doesn't feel proud after eating a box of swiss cake rolls. Trust me, I tried, about 4 times.

7. Work ebbs and flows. This month it paid for my ginormous dental bill. Big time savings right now. http://www.kninness.aupairnews.com/. Take a peek.



8. Last month it was the dental bill. This month, I need this. And despite my bible study being about seeking holiness by combatting (fill in the blank- for me, it's material things), I think I'd be really really holy if I could do my bible study from this space.

copied with respect from urbangrace.com

9. Saturday is this boy's 1st Communion. Ben is so special to Ross and I, such a kind-hearted, loving, active boy. He loves Mary Kate and she adores him right back. 1st Communion is one of my favorite events in the life of a child. I have fond memories of me squinting in the courtyard of the Blessed Sacrament Rectory as the sun shined down during pictures. I wore a veil my grandmother made me and new white mary jane shoes. I was given a white prayer book and white rosary beads that I loved. As an adult Eucharistic Minister at the Catholic Center in Athens, I loved giving kids the precious cup for the first time and watching them squirm at their first tastes of wine. I remember giving it to Eason and her winking at me. I can't wait to see Ben, always so reverent during Sunday Mass, receive the body and blood of Christ for the first time.

10. One week from tomorrow, I will be on a plane with my husband. ALONE. We will get to see our long lost friend Jill and watch Blair marry Mike. We are so thankful for these friends (and for them deciding to get married giving us no excuse not to take an adults only vacay). Mary Kate will be ridiculously spoiled and probably take no naps but it won't matter. I will miss her terribly but I'll be with my favorite man. I am giddy with excitement.





A Tribute to Moms

My new favorite holiday is fast approaching. Next Sunday will be my first Mother's Day. (I actually thought it was this Sunday but since I'm actually sitting down at the computer, we're gonna go with it) As my BFF reminded me, this is the 1st year that I really get to celebrate all that this loaded word, mother, has come to mean. Each day I grow more in awe with the enormous, exhausting, exhilirating, enchanting job that is being a mama. And since I know that on that day I'll be a ball of incoherant emotions (as usual. maybe), I wanted to share some things that have inspired me recently.

Our MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) steering team does a monthly bible study. We are reading Tender Mercy for a Mother's Soul.  It has encouraged me more than I can ever say. This week's chapter was called Grace Upon Grace. That about sums up what we give and what we need 4,000,000 times a day (as mothers, or in any other role in life- maybe moreso as wife ;) In this chapter was a beautiful tribute to moms that I wanted to share. I think each one of us can find our moms or someone who was like a mom to us in this.

"A Tribute to Moms"

This is for all the mothers who froze their bottoms off on metal bleachers at soccer games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see my goal?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up chunks of hot dogs and cherry soda that suddenly reappeared saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here."

This is for all the mothers of Kosovo who feld the night and can't find their children.

This for the mothers who gave birth to babies they will never see...and the mothers who took those babies and made homes for them.

This is for the mothers of victims of school shootings...and the mothers of the murderers.

This is for all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes...and all the mothers who don't.

This is for reading, "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year...and reading it again, "just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who mess up, who yell at their kids in the grocery store and stomp their feet like a tired two 29 year old who wants ice cream for before dinner.

This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school...and for the mothers who opted for velcro instead.

This for the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair, milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

and my personal favorite~

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot. - Author unknown.

my first day as a new mom, in disbelief that this baby was a GIRL!

Love.

Greetings from Savannah. Thanks to the prayers of MANY, we are having one of our nicest trips yet. We leave tomorrow to start Holy Week with Ross. He will humbly have his feet washed by Fr. Fallon at the Mass of the Last Supper. This is always a special week for our family. When R and I had been dating for just a few months, we took a half day on Good Friday, hiked Kennesaw mountain and said a rosary together. It was at that moment that I knew God had answered my prayer for a prayerful, devout Christian man who experienced his faith through Catholocism. Many hikes later and he is still leading me closer to Jesus. Prayers for you all to experience a calm peace, knowing whether you go to church or not, whether you pray or not, whether you have questions or not, whether you love Him or not, you are immensely, and immeasurably loved.

On a lighter note...our girl is 9 months and 4 days old

And whoa is this my favorite age!! If you subtract the eating paper, recent 5 am wake-up trend and desire to gnaw on every cord in site, it really is the most wonderful fun I've ever had. She has 6 teeth and will eat anything and everything. Mama couldn't keep up with that appetite so now she gets a bottle of formula a day to meet her needs. While my emotional, crazed self cried buckets over this decision, 3 days in and life is already better for our girl. Words are baba, dada, and the sssss sound. Waving bye is starting to happen, as she figures out what to do with those fingers. Bath time is adored and being outside is her favorite activity. We are so excited for Spring!

This little girl, this PURE GIFT, is an area of my life where gratitude is not a problem. Even when she's face first in the dog bowl. I mutter thank you to Jesus about 30 times a day for this girl. Tears rolling as I write that. What on earth did I do to get her?

My Mary Kate,

You are Light.

You, my sweet girl, love to be outside. You crave the sunlight, just like your daddy. Since you were a tiny, tiny baby, walking outside would calm any cries. As not much of an outdoorsy kinda girl, I am happy that you are teaching me to literally walk out of the darkness and into God's beautiful, light-filled nature. I see the trees and the clouds through your eyes now and, like you and dad, want to be in the great outdoors!

You are Joy.



While you couldn't hunt easter eggs at the nursing home with our MOPS friends, I had a hunch that you might throw a few smiles to some folks who needed it. You are sitting on Barbara's lap, and holding Dot's fingers. You played with them (and Dot's walker) for an hour.  Given sufficient rest and food, you have a smile waiting for anyone who will give you attention. And nothing on this planet gives mom and dad more joy than watching you bring that joy to others, simply by being you.

You are friendly.

This is your BFF Joy. You love, love her. And I'd say the feeling is mutual (though that girl does not discriminate in who she throws her big, scrunchy nosed grin at!). You love Joy and other little people. This week at church, you crawled around on the floor with another little boy. You didn't mind at all his desire to steal your book; you just loved another little person to play with. I am happy that already you enjoy the babes around you and pray you grow to have rich friendships to walk you through life.

You are fun!

This picture was taken March 20th, 2011. We had just come home from Savannah and dad was vegging in the bedroom. He asked if you could come hang out with him. Already, you are probably his favorite buddy. I walked in to see this. It's one of my favorite pictures of you and daddy just enjoying being next to each other. I did find parts of that magazine in your diaper later but that is just fine by me!

You are adventurous.

The other day I walked in your room to find dad putting your diaper on you backward. As in, you were in this position and he had just given up on changing you the normal way. There are things to see, places to be, and none of them involve you laying still for a millisecond. You army crawl at the speed of light and no amount of baby proofing can stand up to you. Your heart is eager for adventure, curious about the world awaiting you. Dad couldn't be more pleased. Mom couldn't be more nervous!

You are loving.

While not much of a cuddler, you show your love to people in so many ways. By happily holding a birthday sign for memaw, or by the way you lightly held your Busia's face while you sat on her lap, there is no doubt who you love. I am the single most blessed woman on the planet earth that you love me.

You are His.

Oh my girl. This past weekend, on your 9-month-birthday, I left you for the first time. My stomach was in knots all week. I feared you feeling abandoned by the lady who feeds you. I feared not being able to enjoy myself without you. I feared you growing up feeling the burden of a mama who needs her gal too much. I feared something happening to you while I was gone. I feared not being able to share you with your grandparents and daddy while I was way. And as I rocked you for a ridiculously long time Friday night before I left, I wanted to keep you to myself, to not share you with people who love you. You are mine, I thought. And as quickly as the thought entered my mind, the Lord reminded me that this is not true. You are His. You are a precious, invaluable gift that He has loaned me for however long He sees fit. I must share you with the world. Because they need my friendly, joyous, loving, fun, adventurous, light-filled girl. And truly, because you need them too. I am so happy you are already His and I pray that you know every day who loves you even more than mommy and daddy.

Happy 9-months to my beautiful girl.

I love you, so, so much!

Mama



next place

I am having a day over here in Smyrna. It started off well. By 11am, I had washed all the sheets in the house, had dinner in the crock pot, one bathroom cleaned, sink cleaned (cause my old friend Weschler always reminds me kitchen sinks hold more bacteria than toilets). I had a baby napping longer than usual and a living room dusted. I started to feel competent.

Idiot.

Fast forward 3 hours and a few self-indulgent tears later. I have a daugher asleep, a dog not licking me, and the breeze coming in the windows my husband convinced me to open. But I am not thinking about this beautiful place. I am thinking about the places I "want" to be. The house I want to own. The new car we just decided not to purchase. The new job I desire for my husband. The way I wanted to feed my daughter.  Didn't I just blog about being content where we are and not needing things?

Bigger idiot.

Life is so, so beautiful for our family right now. But my discontented heart is focusing on doors recently closed, and the seeming lack of windows opened. It is focusing on where we are not very strong (weak is not even the appropriate word.) Recent nutritional needs for Mary Kate have me feeling terribly inadequate as a mother. It deserves a post of it's own but even I have a limit on self-indulgence. I am so disappointed in myself that I have allowed a few insignificant setbacks to cloud my view of the beauty that sits in front of my face.

Need I repeat it again, idiot.

I feel like a child, a bratty, bratty child. My husband has a job that allows me to stay home with my child. My child has been nourished exclusively by my milk for nine months. My friends rival the apostles of Jesus in loyalty, compassion and goodness. Why is it so hard to keep the focus there some days.

All together now...

I will step off this bandwagon now. (all clap in gratitude). I know that I am human and as humans with sinful hearts, we will always want more than we have. We will always want to be in that next place in our lives- the place with more square footage and bigger cars and fabulous milk supplies :) But, as sweet J.Space reminded me today (thank you gchat!), until ALL we desire is God and his love, until that fills every superficial, materialistic want, and even the honorable, respectable wants, there will be days where we will be total idiots, craving the next big thing.

Mama Ninness here is heading to confession this week. The state of my heart is pretty gritty right now and while I am so assured that God is smiling at his idiotic daughter right now, there is real, selfish sin that needs to be confessed. I don't doubt that I'll be enving and wanting before I even walk out of the confessional, but it feels good to expose it for what it is and to aim for wanting the biggest thing- the big guy upstairs.

i got nothin'

We are definitely in a blogging slump at Casa Ninness these days. A mobile almost 9-month-old + heavy work week+mops consignment sale has equaled very little downtime. I have some blogs brewing so hopefully more substance will come soon. Until then, just some quick thoughts on life these days. Riveting, I know.

• the other morning, Mary Kate got up on all fours, looked straight at her daddy still asleep in our bed and yells, "dada!" To be fair, it's one of 3 words in her daily vocabulary but it sure as heck looked like she knew what she was saying.
• I have met most of my cultural care families and au pairs and I can say that I am loving this. The au pairs are fantastic young women, so fun and vivacious. And the families are unique and wonderful. So far, so good on the part-time work front.
• As stupid as it is to utter these words out loud, I feel like I am totally getting this motherhood deal. It took me a lot longer than I arrogantly anticipated, but I love it. Almost every minute of it. The other day, Mary Kate started to turn into a 5:00 pumpkin and I turned on music and danced around the house with her. She laughed at her ridiculous mother and I was proud of stepping out of the box and just enjoying my kid. I stopped and whispered thank you to God and my husband for being able to be home to enjoy that very moment.
• We are so excited about the summer and fall. In two weeks I'll venture out for my first night away from the gremlin to celebrate a fabulous gal's upcoming wedding. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about leaving the babe but I know how ridiculous that sounds and trust me, I'm way more excited than nervous.
• Flights and hotel are booked for that same gal's wedding weekend in Florida. Thank goodness for friends getting married giving us an excuse to take a vacation. I am MUCH more nervous about leaving MK for those three days but after seeing our hotel and ordering a fun sundress yesterday, giddiness is making gains on nervousness.
• Really, really awesome things are happening in some of my best friends' lives. One is going back to nursing school to prepare for long-term overseas missions. The other should be in Africa at the end of the year. Another is getting to start her new life in one of my all-time favorite cities. Another is in looooove and another is getting a new baby boy this summer. Another turns the big 3-0 tomorrow and I might leave Mary Kate with Monty to drive to Chattanooga to see her.
• MOPS has quickly invaded my life and I couldn't be happier. As I take on more responsibility there, I am so excited about the opportunity to really serve the women of Smyrna, Mableton, Vinings (and a few stragglers from east cobb and Atlanta :) I have not forgotten the deep breath I finally took on my first day there and how it profoundly changed my outlook on motherhood and staying at home.
• There has been lots o' talk around here about baby Ninness number 2. Don't choke. We are not pregnant. But we have talked lots about our faith, how much we trust God's picture of our family, how much our own selfishness plays into our plan, etc, etc. I am thankful for a faith that encourages these discussions often and for a God that promises to care for us no matter what that picture looks like.
• I have recently started Mom's One Line a Day. It's a beautiful little book that helps you quickly journal your babe's life. The best part is that each day has 5 years on it (20_, 20_, 20_) for the year. I know I will treasure looking back and seeing what MK was doing March 30th of 2011, 2012, etc).  I am AWFUL at routines so the fact that I'm only 2 days behind on this shows its value. Give this to yourself for mother's day!
• If MK wakes up in time today, we are doing an easter egg hunt at a local nursing home. Having spent lots of time in nursing homes with hospice patients in high school, I so look forward to bringing my smiley (hopefully) girl to these precious people.
• I was talking to a friend this morning about the financial impact of having a baby. I know it will get much more intense, but right now, I really haven't felt any change in our lives after baby and loss of a my big ole fat social work income. Other than wanting a bigger home that no one is getting right now, I don't feel deprived. Hands down Ross and I attribute this to the very hard discussions we had during Pre-Cana. Throw in some coupons here and there and pulling some Dave Ramsey ideas that work for us, we are making it. I truly believe that "the less you have, the less you need, the more you have, the more you need." Maybe not true for everyone but for us, unless I go gallavating around Phipps (bad idea), I am okay (for the time being :)
• I have four pair of yoga pants in the washing machine right now. That is pathetic. Even more pathetic, the number of them still in my drawer. Maybe I should up the ante on what "getting dressed" means over here to be more than shower, toothbrush and lip gloss."
• Thanks to Faith and Family Live, I have two books on their way and one recently zapped into my kindle. Mary Kate has promised 2 long naps a day so mama can get inspired.
• Lent is halfway over and while we definitely need to raise the bar in this house, I do feel the sacrifies more this year and am relatively happy with the connection between what I miss and why I am choosing to miss it. Plus I feel like taking small children to Mass alone during the week means I get a free pass to Heaven.
• We are watching some of Braves spring training and are so excited for this baseball season. It's the one sport I can watch and enjoy with Ross. See below for MK's opinion!  

Okay- that's plenty of narcissim for one day. Just a few photos that may be repeats but they make me laugh.

Maybe this year MK will be more excited about our Braves!!