A Rocking Good Time

And with the blink of an eye, another weekend has come and gone. We have been so very busy the past few weekends, and while everything we have been doing has been enjoyable, I'm looking forward to doing absolutely NOTHING next weekend!

Friday night the partners at the new firm surprised us with a little girls' night out. They have decided that the six of us who are attorneys should do something fun every quarter. Are you curious as to what our fun event was this past Friday? Get ready for a blast from the past...we attended the "Still Rocking" concert tour headlined by REO Speedwagon and Styx, with 38 Special as the opening act.


We had an absolute blast! I got a lot of teasing throughout the night as I was only familiar with 1/3 of the songs. At one point in the concert, REO Speedwagon's lead singer mentioned that it was 30 years ago they were driving to Nashville to record their first CD...um, yeah, I was 2 years old. Oh well, I still love a lot of the 80's music, and these guys really did rock out pretty hard!


That's the lead singer from REO Speedwagon - this guy ran all over the stage and had several wardrobe changes, which cracked me up. The jeans he wore at the very beginning of their set looked like they had been attacked by someone who is a little too fond of the Bedazzler. He still sounds the exact same - he has such a distinctive voice.

Probably just as much fun as the music was the people-watching. I saw plenty of mullets:


(ah...Billy Ray. You really know how to do a state proud. Because of you, this stupid hairstyle also is known as the "Kentucky waterfall". Thanks A LOT.)

Saturday evening, we headed to Lexington to celebrate the engagement of some friends. The cocktail party was held at the Bodley-Bullock House, which was built in the early 1800's and currently serves as the headquarters of the Lexington Junior League:


Talk about a total 180 - from 80s rock, mullets and draft beer one night to Junior League the next!

Today was a pyjama day in our household - well, except for Mommy. I had to make the typical runs to Target and Kroger, so I was in my uni of black track pants, hoodie and baseball hat. Is it a fashionable look? No, but it's damn comfortable, especially after living in heels all week long. Alexandra stayed put in her Elmo jammies all day, and don't you know she was loving it!



Do you see that ball she is holding in the first picture? That's a ball of rubber bands that Ryan keeps in the office and Alexandra is OBSESSED with it. I'm not exactly sure what it is about it that fascinates her so, but I bet she could sit and play with it for an hour if given the opportunity.



Other things that captured her attention this cold Sunday afternoon included her new bracelets (thanks Mimi!)...


Her toothbrush and toothpaste...


And Mommy's IPhone...


Hmmm....note to self, probably not smart to let my almost-2 year-old handle my easily breakable lifeline! Have a great week!

A Happy Treat in Honor of Friday

Happy Friday! I'm gazing out my window at work at the beautiful sun, which is deceiving because it is still so cold outside, and thinking about my busy weekend ahead...(work function tonight, engagement party for friends tomorrow night)

Do you ever just want to treat yourself to a fun little item? My mother-in-law calls them "happies", my mom calls them "treaty treats." Whatever one wishes to call them, I've just known for awhile that I wanted this baby to end up on my right wrist:


It's the bauble bath bracelet from Anthropologie, and I just love it. I've had it bookmarked for awhile, but today I finally decided to make it mine. Now I just need a tanned arm to go with it - too bad I can't treat myself with a trip to the beach!

No Wedding Is Complete Without Him...

Thank you so much for your lovely comments from my last post. As several of you suspected, it was terribly difficult to write, what with the tears that kept hitting the keyboard! For right now, we are taking each day as it comes. Pappa is still hanging in there - he has had a good day here or there, but nothing significant enough to make us think that his condition is going to change. I appreciate the continued thoughts and prayers.

Now, as promised, I will move on to some lighter fare! When I wrote my last post, I included a **teensy** amount about my friend Christa's wedding this past weekend, but I left out one of the FUNNIEST aspects of the wedding that is just too bizarre not to share.

The wedding ceremony and reception took place in Covington, which is a city of about, oh, I'd say 50,000 folks, give or take. It sits right on the Ohio River, directly across from Cincinnati.


(A view of the Cincinnati skyline that I just had to throw in - it's one of my favorite memories from living there for the 3 years I was in law school...).

So, the wedding ceremony had ended and we were rip-roaring ready to get to the reception at The Madison , a very nice events center in the heart of Covington. The limo had already taken most of the bridal party to the reception site - I hung back with Christa so I could bustle her dress, remove the veil, etc. After all the pictures were done at the church, the bride, groom, bride's brother, a couple of groomsmen and I all piled into the limo. When we neared The Madison, we saw a throng of people out on the street a couple of doors down, with security everywhere. Now, Covington is not tiny, but this was certainly not the norm. Come to find out, a concert was taking place at The Madison Theatre, featuring none other than...wait for it...


Yes, the one and only SNOOP DOGG!

What on earth he was doing in Covington playing at this relatively small venue beats me. Seriously, though, what are the odds?? Of course, as soon as we all hear this, everyone starts going ballistic. I have a vague memory of hearing Christa say, "Do you think we can get him to come to the reception?" Don't you just love it?! Seriously, it's like a little girl's dream come true....the white dress, the beautiful cake, the handsome groom, and Snoop Dogg rapping your first dance! Supposedly one of the groomsmen spoke with Snoop's head security guard and tried to entice him with the promise of an open bar. For a minute, we thought it might work as the guard seemed to pause for a moment and think it over. Unfortunately, there was no Snoop sighting to be had but it certainly made for an interesting story!

As I told one of the female guests sitting at our table that Snoop Dogg was playing a couple of doors down, she responded, "Really? That's what it was? It figures, I thought I smelled a lot of pot when I was standing outside."

Funniest damn statement of the night...

Emotions Running High

(Disclaimer - this is a pretty deep post, and if you wish to stop reading now, I understand. I promise to have more lighthearted fare next time!)

I've never had a weekend quite like the weekend I am just ending. I didn't think it was possible to experience joy and grief at the same time...

Now I know that it is possible, and that I'm probably a better person after this weekend...

I began Friday with a lot of excitement and anticipation. As I have blogged about a few times over the past couple of weeks, my dear friend Christa got married last night and I was honored to be asked to serve as her Matron of Honor. My mom was planning to come up and spend the weekend with the little one so Ryan and I could attend all of the wedding events.

That was the plan at least...God, however, had something slightly different in mind...

My maternal grandfather (whom I have always called Pappa) has not been in great health for several years. In the past several months, however, we have noticed a much more significant decline in his condition. We have been preparing ourselves for what was to come, as Hospice was called in a few weeks ago. With that being said, my Mom had informed me that my Pappa was actually doing better for a couple of weeks, until this past week when he spent most of his days in bed and only uttered one word or two. Friday morning, my Mom called to let me know that my Dad would be watching Alexandra this weekend as the Hospice nurse had called and said she thought there was very little time left.

I hung up the phone and I sobbed...I didn't know what to do. After a lot of debating back and forth, I finally decided to head on up on Friday night to NKY/Cincinnati for Christa's wedding - especially after my Mom and my Mamma (grandmother) told me that it was what they wanted me to do and that it was what my Pappa would have wanted me to do as well.

So we went on Friday night, as planned...and I'm so happy we did. Christa looked beautiful, and just radiated joy out of every pore. Spending the weekend sharing in her excitement was a refreshing breath of fresh air. While Pappa never strayed far from my thoughts and I shed several tears over the weekend (both from joy at the marriage of my best friend and sadness at the thought of losing my Pappa), it did me good to be at an event where I could be enveloped in happiness and love. To my great surprise, I even made it through my Matron of Honor speech without shedding a tear (well, I might have gotten misty-eyed a couple of times...).

We returned to Louisville this morning, and after spending a couple of hours with Alexandra, I drove to my hometown to see my Pappa. I had about an hour drive to steel myself in anticipation of what I would see and saying my final goodbye. When I saw my Pappa lying in his hospital bed, I physically and emotionally ached, seeing the shell of a man that I always knew as my grandfather - the stoic farmer. I held his hand and gave him water. I kissed his face, and whispered to him that I would always love him, and that while we would miss him, it was okay for him to go and be at peace....that we would be okay. As I left to return home, I knew in my heart that it would be the last time I would see my Pappa alive.

As you can see, it has been a weekend of the most extreme emotions for me, such highs and lows. With that being said, I wouldn't trade this weekend for the world as I have stood witness to the most shining examples of love...


The love of a father and child, so clearly exhibited in the tearful smiles and tight embraces of Christa and her father as he saw her in her wedding gown for the very first time. That love was also so obvious in watching my Mom and my Pappa. I was struck this afternoon by the overpowering love she has for her father as I watched her climb into his hospital bed and let him lean back on her chest so he could sit up for a few moments, and as she lovingly eased him back onto his pillow to rest.

The love and devotion shared by a husband and wife. I observed this in watching my dear friend interact with her groom. I saw this in the parents of the bride, who have been married almost 40 years - Christa's father shared with the guests that as he and Christa's mom have happened across a wedding party over the years, they squeeze hands and say, "May they be." He explained that they say this as a wish that all of these newly-married couples may be as happy and content as they are today.

I also saw this in my grandparents. My Mamma has moved into the guest room, sleeping on a small bed next to Pappa's hospital bed. She has not left his side for one minute. Even today, as we all slipped out into the family room to let Pappa rest, I watched as she moved her rocking chair to the outer edge of the room, just outside his bedroom door so she could keep watch over him.

Yes, it has been a weekend with my emotions running high. While I know the coming days will be difficult as we brace ourselves for the loss of my Pappa, I know that he will be in a much better place and free of pain, which makes us all feel at peace. On the drive back to Louisville, I thought of how blessed I am to have born witness to the events I observed this weekend and to witness ...

the love I have for my dear friend,

the romantic love shared by my friend and her groom, by my parents and Christa's parents, and by my grandparents,

and the love between parent and child.

One thing I'm certain of - I'm a better person for what I have seen this weekend.

Name That Tune

First off, thanks for all of the very kind comments to my Valentine's Day post! We know we have a very special little girl, but it is always nice to hear that from others, as well!

I am in serious need of some music suggestions. My best friend Christa is getting married this Saturday - I'm the maid of honor (actually, I think my official title is matron of honor but I like maid better, matron sounds old!). I have decided to make a CD of some of our favorite party songs from back when we were in college, as well as some current songs, to listen to as we get ready. We were at the University of Kentucky together in the mid 90s to 2000...that statement probably just made me seem ancient to some of you who read my blog.

Please comment with suggestions for my mixed tape...er, I mean CD. I know without a doubt that I am including "No Diggity" by Blackstreet (since that was played at EVERY frat party we attended in the fall of 1996), and I also think the fast version of "Let's Get Married" by Jagged Edge would be appropriate. I'm sure I'll throw some old school Michael Jackson ("PYT", for sure) into the mix. Other than that, I am in serious need of some suggestions!

All You Need Is Love

(Warning, picture heavy post to follow, stay with me!)

I've never been that into celebrating Valentine's Day, but I did commemorate the day of love with a few special little moments with my own loved ones. While my parents stayed with Alexandra Friday night, Ryan and I went to Stoney River for dinner. I'm sure my filet was very good, but I truly cannot give an honest opinion as I couldn't taste one bite due to my head cold. I felt terribly guilty, telling Ryan that we could be eating McD's, and it probably would have tasted the same to my desensitized tastebuds! This head cold has got to hit the road, along with the snow (Louisville got another 8 inches of snow today, that's on top of the 4 or so we got last week....32 days till spring!).

Saturday morning, Alexandra opened her little Valentine's gift from us a day early. We didn't do anything too major - just a little love from Abby Cadabby (one of the Sesame Street gang for those not in the know) and one gigantic sucker. I haven't brought myself to open it yet...I have visions of sticky red hand prints all over my nice clean couch. I have no one to blame but myself for that one.




As you can see, the gang's all here so Abby should feel right at home.


I spent a little time on Saturday and Sunday at my new office, doing a little decorating (more on that to come in another post, I want to share the finished product, not the work in progress!). I spent the rest of the days at home, bonding with my girl.


There was lots of time spent chauffeuring our friends...


Loving on our favorite baby doll...



Reading a classic...


Enjoying high tea...


Flashing toothy grins...


Coloring, building block towers and expanding our ever-growing vocabulary...




A few moments lost in quiet reflection...


...And savoring some new found independence...


...all of which made up for one sublime Valentine's weekend!

An Incredible Deal

I promise to devote my next post to Valentine's Day (and I hope that all who read this blog are having a great day with their loved ones), but I only have time to do a short post as we're getting ready to watch "Couples Retreat".

I scored a MAJOR deal this weekend, too good not to share. At lunch on Friday, some of the ladies at work gave me the details of a huge semi-annual sale going on at a local boutique. I'd never been to said boutique but thought I would swing by on Saturday and see what deals were to be had. I made my way back to the sale section and my eyes were drawn to these beauties (which are much better looking in person - the quality of the lighting in my hallway is definitely sub par, as evidenced by these pictures):



Stuart Weitzman. Calf Hair. Leopard Print. PLATFORM. Need I say more?

These babies were regularly priced at a staggering $395.00. (Believe me, I've never even come close to having shoes that cost almost $400 make an appearance in my closet). They were on a clearance table at 80% off. No, that is not a typo - EIGHTY PERCENT OFF. I generally do not spend much money on shoes, so I thought I would treat myself only once. My heart skipped a beat and I snatched them off the table and declared them mine. So now these lovely little shoes occupy the most prized spot on my shoe rack, making all the other shoes feel woefully inadequate. If only it would stop snowing long enough for me to break these babies in!

Got Myself a Keeper

My husband and I rarely discuss the blog, but today I got some proof that he follows along on a regular basis...

I've had kind of a rough week - the stress of being out of work 1 1/2 days due to daycare being closed with the snow was getting to me. I got back to work today and what happened? My computer got a virus. Yes, both my desktop and my head have colds, apparently.

So...knowing the kind of week I was having, Ryan stopped by and brought me the latest copy of Vanity Fair, which I blogged about here, as a pick me up. Then, when I got home tonight, he gave me an early Valentine's gift - a Michael Buble CD (you'll recall I recently professed my love for all things Buble here).

Yes, I'm a mighty lucky gal.

Cabin Fever

Since Monday night, I think the greater Louisville area has received somewhere close to 6-7 inches of snow. With all this thick snow, it's a shame we didn't have any evaporated milk as I could have made a huge stash of snow cream (does anyone else remember this from childhood?).




As daycare was closed due to the snow, I spent the past 1 1/2 days with this little cutie:



I think I'm going to start calling her Curly Locks - her curls have a mind of their own. We have had a nice couple of days - lots of coloring and even more Elmo. However, while I've enjoyed my time with the little one, I'm starting to lose it a little bit and think it will be good to return to the office tomorrow - toddler tantrums in a confined space make a mommy's head ache (doubly so when combined with the fact that I am battling a head cold). Plus, getting work done with a toddler pulling on your hand every 5 minutes to go on a "walk" around the house is a near impossible feat.

Once upon a time (you know, pre-career, pre-husband, pre-child), I would have used a snow day as an excuse to snuggle up someplace warm and spend the whole day reading. This is a love of mine that has been sorely neglected lately (I do not count doctor depositions as "pleasure reading"). Each night as I crawl into bed, weary from the day, a stack of magazines and books taunts me from my bedside table:


Does anyone else's nightstand look like this, or am I the only one that is building a small personal library? A few of these I am reading actively, but several I have picked up and put down without delving too far into the book. I just can't seem to make myself put them up though, promising myself that when I "find time" (I almost snorted, I laughed so hard typing that!) I'll pick these books up and finish them.

Oh, and for those keeping record, there are 4 magazines and 7 books on my nightstand. They are, in no particular order:

(1) Most recent issue of US Weekly (rubbish, I know, but a guilty pleasure)
(2) Most recent issue of In Style (with Anne Hathaway on the cover, LOVE her)
(3) Most recent issue of Lucky (with Keri Russell on the cover)
(4) The special Oscar edition of Entertainment Weekly
(5) Twilight (which I fully admit to reading a second time in no less than 3 months)
(6) Food Rules by Michael Pollan (I read about this recently on a blog - I can't remember which - and am intrigued. I think Pollan was recently on Oprah to discuss this book - not that I buy into everything Oprah puts out there)
(7) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (which I picked up last week after reading some really great reviews of it here)
(8) Understanding Exposure (still trying to improve my photography skills with my DSLR)
(9) Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On by Shellie Rushling Tomlinson (I swear that is the name of the book! It's a southern humor book - the tagline reads "What southern mamas tell their daughters that the rest of ya'll should know too.")
(10) The Time-Travelers Wife (I picked this up in the airport a few months ago and read the first chapter but have gotten no farther - not really sure why but would really like to finish this one)
(11) New Moon, the second in the Twilight series (yeah, I know, I admit I have a problem - that's the first step).

A Beautiful Mirage

It is cold here in Kentucky....and when I say cold, I mean can't feel your nose-bone chilling-my teeth are going to shake right out of my head-cold. True, it is probably not as frigid as say, Fargo, North Dakota. If you've grown up in the South, though, anything under 30 degrees is freezing, period. And it was cold today, somewhere in the high teens or low 20s. And guess who had 4 different appearances scheduled at the courthouse a couple of blocks away? Yeah, you guessed it, THIS girl. At least they were grouped together such that I only had to make the walk twice but that was two walks too many.

And to add insult to injury, check out the weather map from The Weather Channel:


Yeah, you see where that nice little snow storm is heading? Yep, that's right - we're supposed to get anywhere from 4-6 more inches of snow in the next 36 hours. FUN!

It's on days like today, when I'm trudging along on the sidewalks, trying to gracefully sidestep patches of black ice and at the same time cursing the salt trucks for all the salt residue which is tarnishing my new black patent Michael Kors heels, that I let my mind wander to a slightly warmer locale...




Pictures courtesy of moi, from our honeymoon in Turks & Caicos almost 5 years ago. MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE EVER, hands down. If you haven't been there before, I'm ordering you to immediately click over to Expedia and book a flight. As if you need further reason, check out another view of the water:


That is yours truly, snorkeling out in the MIDDLE of the ocean - you can actually see the coral reef below me, the water was so crystal clear.

Really, these are the types of images that get me through the cold dreary winter. Nothing beats laying on a lounge chair, digging your toes in the sand, feeling the sun beat down on your skin - preferably while reading a good magazine and sipping on a lime margarita. All of which I just happen to be doing in the picture below!


Check out that huge grin! Is that not the face of sun-drenched contentment? Okay, yes, the fact I was on my honeymoon with my new husband was probably the main cause of the killer grin but the sun, fashion mag and booze certainly didn't hurt, either.

Here's to your own sun-soaked daydreams! Oh, and for those that are truly observant, I changed my profile picture. As much as I like the shot of my Derby hat from a few years ago, the long brown hair was a very brief phase which I said farewell to long ago, so I figured it was time to post a more current picture.

...And My Heart Just Melted

Far and away, the favorite part of my day has to be Alexandra's bedtime. We have our little routine all set - we head upstairs and brush our teeth. This is a crowd favorite....Alexandra likes to carry all 4 (maybe more, I've lost count) of her little toothbrushes and her toothpaste and say, "teeth? teeth?" We're still working on the actual brushing part - right now she just likes to clamp down and chew on the bristles. Maybe if the toothpaste didn't taste so good to her....

We follow that up with a bath (if it's bath night), then lotion and diaper change (which takes a good amount of time considering she NEVER wants to stay still to get changed), footed pajamas (I think they should make these in adult size), story time and a couple of songs with rocking, and then lights out.

My child loves to read and has her own small library in her room. We usually rotate amongst the following books: "Is Your Mama a Llama?", "Goodnight Moon", "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" and "Counting Kisses." While these are all beloved classics, I wanted to incorporate a couple of books about God into our repertoire - I got her "Thank You, God" for Christmas and I've been reading that to her pretty consistently for the past month or so. If you have little ones, or if you have little nieces or nephews, I would definitely recommend this book - very sweet, and the illustrations are wonderful.


As usual, I read this to Alexandra last night before bedtime. She woke up kind of early this morning - she had a rough night with lots of coughing, thanks daycare - and I went in to her room and picked her up so we could sit in the rocking chair for awhile. As she sat in my lap, she kept reaching for the side table next to the chair where we keep all our bedtime stories. We were in the dark, so I couldn't tell what she was looking for so I asked her what she wanted. She turned to me in that dark room and said, "God? God?"

And I turned into a pile of mush...and thought to myself, "Maybe we're doing something right..."

Classic Never Goes Out of Style

First, thank you to those who left such nice comments about my last post. To be honest, I cried a couple of tears while writing it - I'm such a sap! The simple truth is I am completely head over heels, over the moon, wild about my daughter!

Completely unrelated topic, but I was in Borders today and found myself humming along with the music playing over the speakers - and why wouldn't I when the lovely voice coming over the speakers was from this guy?


I just adore Michael Buble - am I alone in that? Nah, I didn't think so. His voice is so powerful, and his style is unlike anything else out there today in the over-saturated world of pop music. His upbeat songs put a smile on my face, and his ballads tug at your emotions. He had a concert in Louisville a couple of years ago and I'm still kicking myself that we didn't get tickets! While I like his original songs ("Just Haven't Met You Yet" is a toe-tapper), I'm a sucker for his covers. My current favorite of his - which is on his new CD that I don't think is out in stores yet - is "At This Moment." Have you heard it? If you are of a certain generation, you'll remember this from Family Ties - it was the love song for Alex P. Keaton and his girlfriend (can't remember the character's name, but she ended up becoming his wife in real life).


How's that picture for a blast from the past?

I heard Buble's cover of it for the first time on an episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" (yes, I admit that I've watched a few of these shows, I'm hiding my head in shame right now). Here's the clip from You Tube so you can hear the song (and the dancing is pretty incredible, too!):

Total Denial

I'm in complete denial of the fact that tomorrow is February 4th - not that I have a problem with that date, per se, it is just that my little one is going to be 21 months old tomorrow.

How did this happen? Where did the past 21 months go?!?! It's so cliche, but it is true that time flies - particularly after you have a baby.


Here's my little girl one year ago - isn't she sweet? I have always loved this picture - she has this little impish grin like she is thinking about a secret joke that only she and her mommy share. This was taken at a time when my little one still sat in one place, and was content in her Exersaucer (a total life saver). I was still nursing by night, and pumping during the day in a broom closet at work (yes, it left a lot to be desired). She would babble some in her own magical little language, but nothing really was discernable.

In the blink of an eye, fast forward one year - my, what a difference a year makes (please excuse the quality of the photo, it was taken on my iPhone).


The hair on this child's head alone is such a substantial difference! I generally put a cute bow in her hair in the morning to keep her hair out of her eyes but she usually pulls that out within an hour - as is evidenced above. Unlike a year ago, she NEVER stays in one place, not even in her crib! We are constantly on the go - she has gotten an independent edge and likes to walk on her own. She will pull herself up onto most furniture - these pictures were taken in the ENT's office on Monday. Little miss decided she wanted to get up in the seat and read her book, and so she did! Long gone are the days of nursing - now she is too busy feeding herself all kinds of treats (Goldfish, yogurt-covered raisins and string cheese are favorites). We also have a little chatterbox on our hands - she loves to chat and even seems to say "Hi" and "Bye Bye" with a Southern accent! I find now that we have to be more careful with what we say around her - I slipped and said "shit" the other day and for about five minutes I heard this sweet little voice repeat the word. If I told her no, she would just smile even bigger and say it again! Yes, I'm all prepared to accept my "Mother of the Year" award.

She has such a sweet personality - though we are getting the occasional glimpse of a temper, but I assume that is to be expected at this age. Alexandra enters a room and has everyone wrapped around her little finger within a second. She will take a particular liking to you if you'll chat with her about Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street gang.

As we sat in the waiting room of the ENT's office the other day, I couldn't help but watch her, smile and wonder...where had my baby gone to? I watched intently as she walked over to the book display and collected book after book, returning to me with an expectant grin on her face and saying "Mommy? Read! Read!" I watched as she confidently joined a few other children at the fishtank, and as she played with a girl who was a little bit older. It occurred to me that I was no longer looking at a baby, but at a little girl....and a small piece of my heart broke. Please do not think that I am sad that my little girl is getting bigger - every day holds the promise of something new and fun, watching the discovery of the world through her young eyes. However, the fact that 2 is around the corner is a vivid reminder that these moments with her as a young impressionable child are fleeting - and that we must make the most of every moment.