A Low-Key Holiday

We followed a short trip to western KY to see Ryan's family with a very casual Sunday and Monday...full of naps and sleeping in till 8am (which is considered late in our household). I started and finished another book (reviews to come later), and Ryan and I finally got around to watching Angels & Demons (we recently signed up for Netflix and I LOVE it!).

After Alexandra's three (!!) hour nap this afternoon, I promptly put her in a swimsuit, lathered her up with sunscreen, put those cute curls in pig-tails and we headed out to the backyard. I could think of no better way to celebrate a holiday home from work then sitting in the backyard, laughing with my husband and baby girl. I watched, listened, and delighted in the observations Alexandra made and the little pleasures she enjoyed.


Eating sweet watermelon from the fridge. Squealing with joy as Daddy made an impromptu sprinkler out of the hose. Floating plastic boats in the water table. Laughing so hard she lost her breath while swinging toward the sky. Pointing out the blades of grass, the leaves of the trees, the orange day-lilies by our back deck. Tugging on my hand and saying, "come on, mommy" for the hundredth time, begging me to lead her down the slide.


The most joyous moment of my day? Alexandra repeatedly running toward me, fully soaked from head to toe, to envelop me in big hugs. Her skin and swimsuit, cold from the water, drenched my dress but I couldn't begin to care - feeling those little arms squeeze around my neck, the wet curls against my cheek, and that sweet head lying on my shoulder, I could only think of one word to describe the moment.

HEAVEN.

My Sister, the Television Star!

Sorry for the lack of posting this week, have been out of town in Chicago for expert depositions - I'm so excited that this post is my first after a short absence. Ya'll, I'm freaking out! As I've noted on here before, my sister, Rachel, is an OB/GYN resident at Brigham & Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals in Boston. Not only is she beautiful, kind and funny, but she is also BRILLIANT. It is no wonder Harvard wanted her for their residency program. She is getting ready to start interviewing for fellowship programs to specialize her study in gynecological oncology.


There is a show coming on ABC this summer called Boston Med. ABC followed several physicians at Brigham & Women's and Mass Gen and from that footage, will be airing an 8-week special beginning Thursday, June 24th at 10pm EST on ABC (you might recall a similar show that aired a few years ago called "Hopkins" which was billed as the "Real Grey's Anatomy"). My sister was one of the physicians they requested to cover, so Rachel lived her life with video cameras tailing her every move for several months. Below is a link to a clip that ABC has released which features my sister - please check it out, THIS IS SO EXCITING!

Check out this great MSN Video: 'Boston Med' Sneak Peek: Rachel

Splish Splash

For her 2nd birthday, Alexandra received a water table* from her Mimi and Poppy (aka my parents). The temperature broke into the 90s today, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to break out the water table. I put Alexandra in a romper, slathered her up with sunscreen (even though we were in the shade, you can never be too sure), gathered up my camera and a big, fluffy beach towel, and we hit the water.

* Note, this is water table, not to be confused with a water BOARD. My sister, Rachel, kept repeating at Alexandra's birthday party that she had received a water board from my parents - no, the grandparents weren't handing out methods of torture!

I believe that approximately one minute into it, Alexandra's front was doused.


Her little Buddha belly looked so pronounced with the wet romper stuck next to her skin!


With the humidity, Alexandra's curls really kicked into high gear...


This next one just makes us laugh!


"See Mommy? I like dousing myself with water!"


It's truly amazing to me how something as simple as a plastic Silo cup can provide such amusement for a child...



If the heat and the humidity of a Kentucky summer do not wilt us, I have a feeling our backyard is going to be a constant source of entertainment and fun for our family over the next few months. Even yours truly gets in on the act and joins Alexandra on the double seater swing!

SATC Fashion Friday

Happy Friday to you! As promised previously, I am continuing to celebrate the upcoming release of the sequel to Sex & The City with some of my favorite SATC moments. Without Carrie's love of fashion, I don't think SATC would have been quite the same. Patricia Field is a genius - while she dresses quirky in real life, I love how she made the characters come alive with her use of what I imagine to have been a VERY extensive wardrobe department.

Carrie was just a WEE bit obsessed with all things couture:



Do you remember when Carrie got to play model for the day and became "fashion road kill"??



Carrie worshiped at the altar of Vogue - one of my all time favorite SATC scenes was when she got to enter the fashion closet at Vogue and spotted the Manolo Mary Janes, aka the "urban shoe myth":



Two of my favorite scenes from the movie dealt with fashion - the first was Carrie trying on couture wedding gowns for a Vogue cover shoot....



...and the second was when the ladies raided Carrie's closet while they were helping her pack up her studio apartment.



What I wouldn't do to just take a brief walk-through of the SATC wardrobe department, just to be surrounded by all of those exquisite clothes and shoes!

Summer Uni & The Countdown is On

Do you have a go-to uniform (aka "uni") that you routinely use in the summer months? I refuse to wear shorts (they are so-not-flattering on my frame, I'd rather go swimsuit shopping than pick out shorts!), and the humidity in the South rules out any form of pants unless they are linen. No, my favorite outfit of the summer is the little knit dress with a great pair of sandals. Here's a few that have caught my eye recently:

J.Crew Jessie Cotton Dress found here:


The Shoulder to Shoulder Dress at ModCloth found here (so sad this one has sold out!):


The next three are all compliments of Ann Taylor Loft...

Ruched Halter Dress seen here:


Strapless Dress seen here (It even has pockets - bonus!):


And the Scoopneck Dress, seen here:


Seriously, throw on one of these knit dresses with a great pair of neutral or metallic wedge heels like these, and you are set for running errands on a Saturday or just about any summer event:


As you can see from Alexandra's outfit this past Saturday, she couldn't agree more with her mommy's choice of summer uni - of course, her mommy also picked this outfit for her. Okay, her mommy picks out all of her outfits...





Such JOY!

Speaking of joy, I cannot begin to convey how excited I am for the upcoming release of Sex & The City 2 - I think I've watched the extended theatrical trailer a dozen or so times now and get pumped every time I view it! Here it is again for your viewing pleasure:


To celebrate the upcoming release of the movie, over the next week or so I will be sharing some of my favorite SATC moments. Sticking with the summer vibe, I knew I had to start out with a clip from the episode Cock-a-Doodle-Do, where the girls celebrate summer on the rooftop with Flirtinis and a bunch of drag queens - you know, a typical summer night!

Disturbia

Here's a little debate for you this Friday morning...the following clip is of a team of dancers, age 7, dancing in the World of Dance Competition in Pomona, California last month. I stumbled upon the video this morning, and while I think that these little girls (and I do emphasize little girls) are extremely talented, I find the moves and the costumes kind of disturbing. Am I alone here? I don't consider myself to be a prude, but these little girls look SO grown up and they are only SEVEN!

What's Cooking, Good Looking?

First, for all of your sweet comments on my photo in the last post - thank you! However, in the interest of KEEPING IT REAL, I must advise that the photo was NOT taken immediately after Alexandra's birth. Oh, no, no, no, no, no - that was taken the day FOLLOWING her birth, after I had the opportunity to take a shower, put on a pretty gown/bathrobe, and fix my face so I wouldn't be shamed in front of visitors. No, dear readers, I looked far different immediately after Alexandra's birth - while I must confess that I wore a full face of makeup and had my hair fixed when I went in that morning at 6am for my induction (hey, there's a lot of photo opportunities!), needless to say all of that had gone to hell in a hand basket by the time of her birth at almost 9pm. Just wanted to set the record straight!

I will be posting pictures of Alexandra's birthday party soon - I'm presently waiting on some pics from my sister, as busy momma that I am, I failed to take any photos of the decorations and the cake pops (yes, I made them, fool that I am!). In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some pics of Alexandra's present from Ryan and I...


I knew I wanted to get her a retro-style kitchen, but the one I initially spotted at Pottery Barn Kids was ridiculously overpriced ($700 for a kid's kitchen?!?!). So you can imagine my great joy when I found this little beauty on Amazon for a fraction of the price. It's so well made and very sturdy. I love all of the little features on it.

We filled the fridge and pantry with all kinds of goodies:


Warmed up some comfort food on the stovetop:


Slid a pan of adorable iced-cookies into the oven:


There's even room for her tea set, sandwiches and sweet treats:


I was a little nervous as to whether Alexandra would like it - there's a play kitchen at daycare but I don't think she has ever shown the slightest interest in it. So you can imagine my great relief when this ended up being a huge hit! The kids at the birthday party loved playing with it:


And the birthday girl has enjoyed it ever since, making us little treats and telling us the names of all of the different goodies stored within the kitchen's nooks and crannies!


I'm not going to lie to you, this kitchen is even fun for the adults! As Ryan's mom and I were cleaning up after the party on Saturday night, we took great care to separate the fruit and vegetables, and placing the "cold" items in the freezer and all other items in the pantry. (I imagine that as the days progress, I'll eventually get to the point that I'm just shoving all of the food, pots, pans and plates into any open space I can find). This kitchen has caused me flashbacks to our own childhood version of the kitchen - the Easy Bake Oven.


How is that for a blast from the past?!

Motherhood

It's a blessed moment when a woman becomes a mother - between Alexandra's birthday and Mother's Day, I've recently thought back alot to those days spent in the hospital for her birth. Those were joyous days, sleepless days, not-sure-what-the-hell-I'm-doing days - and I would repeat every one of them(including the four months of colic) to experience the pure joy I've had since seeing that little blue plus sign on the EPT test.

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful, wonderful mother, my lovely grandmothers, and every exceptional woman who has been or will one day be blessed to take on the role of mother!

Happy Second Birthday, Alexandra!

Today marks such a special day for my little family - the second birthday of our sweet daughter, Alexandra. We celebrated with cupcakes at daycare this afternoon - afterwards, Alexandra and I stopped at the bakery to order her birthday cake for her party this Saturday, and then headed to Toys R' Us to pick out a toy (a barking puppy narrowly beat out a Little Mermaid purse!). We had a quiet little dinner at home followed by another cupcake and a singing Thomas the Train balloon.

I wanted to share with you some of the pictures from today, as well as a letter I wrote to Alexandra for her birthday. At the end of the post, there is a little video I prepared of the past year in pictures - it's a little long, but I think you'll enjoy it!

Dearest Alexandra …

Happy 2nd Birthday, my darling girl. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the conclusion of your first year – how time slips past us so quickly and quietly.


Over the past year, you have matured from my baby, who was not yet walking, to my toddler child, running down hallways and conversing in sentences consisting of 3 to 4 words. You remind me of this metamorphosis on a daily basis, pointing out all of the “babies” that we pass in the hallways at daycare. Truth be told, this observation pains me a little bit each time I hear it, because I still think of you as my baby. I probably always will think of you that way.


Now, all mothers think this of their children, but you are oh so special, my little one. God has certainly blessed you in numerous ways. I have never encountered a child so in touch with what is going on around her and so observant! You catch little details that I would miss ten times over – it’s a refreshing reminder to your mommy to slow down and really take in everything.


You are incredibly smart, and your teachers at daycare are always remarking about what a bright little girl you are. The latest comment gave me a good laugh – when your teachers asked you yesterday whether you had seen any ponies this weekend (referring to the Kentucky Derby), you promptly answered, “yes, in the mud,” undoubtedly referring to the muddy track from all the rain on Derby day.


Developmentally, you are right on track with where you are supposed to be – you talk up a blue storm with a pretty extensive vocabulary, you can point to twenty some body parts, you know your numbers up to 20, you know your colors, and you are starting to figure out the ABC song (which I often hear you singing quietly in the backseat of the car). You have quite the sense of humor and love to laugh, often remarking “that’s funny!”


You also love, love, LOVE to giggle – I’m constantly trying to come up with new goofy things to set off a laughter fit between the two of us. Your current favorite is the “little piggies” on your feet. Other favorite things include Sesame Street, Thomas the Train, grapes, raisins, sweets, books, flashcards, your baby dolls and your “bakas” (blankets), and playing outside.


Oh, my sweet girl, I wish I could put into words just how very much I love you. You are my sun and my moon – you are everything to me that is good in this world. As a woman, I feel so incredibly blessed to have been chosen by God to be your mother – His is a divine purpose and I feel so honored that he entrusted you to us until the day you join Him. You are perfect in each and every way, and I celebrate your life every moment of every day. Alexandra, you have blessed me with more happiness than I could have ever hoped for in this lifetime. You are my sweet angel, my everything.


As your Mimi has always told me, I love you all the time, with all my heart.

I love you always,
Mommy

Derby Extravaganza Post - Part II

Are you all tired of the Derby posts or what?! I promise, this is the last for at least a year, I just wanted to wrap up everything with some pictures from Derby Day itself. As noted in my last post, the weather was absolute perfection on Thursday and Friday, but we knew the storms were coming on Saturday - local meteorologists had been predicting it all week. We just didn't know HOW MUCH rain we would get! Even though we were going to be under cover, Ryan ran out and bought the last two ponchos at the closest Wal-Mart for the walk from the cab drop-off to our seats. I also took a garbage bag (yes, a garbage bag!) to carry my hat in before we got to our seats so I wouldn't ruin it - it's all about the hat!

Unfortunately, I didn't take nearly as many pictures on Derby Day, due to the rain and the cool breeze I was trying to fight off with my flimsy wrap. Ryan did take a couple with my iPhone so you could see the outfit and hat - sorry for the picture quality!



This outfit was my favorite of the week (probably because it's green, my favorite color). My friend Anna did a great job - the hat was the prettiest shade of chartreuse. Without even realizing it, I ended up matching the colors of Mission Impazible's silks! (See the button in the pictures??). I wish I had more pictures of the hat to share with you - it has a beautiful, creamy magnolia bloom on the side, and some faint pink orchids which Anna used to pick up on the pink in my dress.

Speaking of pink, check out that tutu Alexandra was sporting Derby morning (thanks Nana and Papa!)!


Ryan was excited that he also got to wear a hat that day and not have to deal with the rain.


More lovely hats - this is our friend Rick's cousin (Connie), sister (Dawn) and mom (Cheris). Many of Rick's family members came in to help him cheer on Mission!


Celebrities who arrived at the track fashionably late were interviewed for everyone to see on the huge screens in the infield - here's a local reporter interviewing Terry O'Quinn, who I'm sure you'll recognize if you're a fan of the show "Lost" (which I have never seen).


Unfortunately, they didn't show any interviews of the celebrities I was interested in (Justin Timberlake and Carrie Underwood, amongst others).

There were lots of beautiful hats, and also some weird fashion choices...


I made only a couple of bets before the Derby race itself - here's a beautiful horse I bet on (unfortunately, he didn't pull through for me!).


Yes, that track was as muddy as mucky as it looks. Here's one interesting shot of the muddy track that was taken during the Derby race:


At long last, it was time for the Derby race itself. The horses are paraded along the track from the backside out to the paddock, and the owners typically escort their horses. I lost count of the number of photographers who came out onto the track to photograph the parade of Derby contenders:


I tried to get a few pictures of Rick walking with Mission Impazible, but the quality isn't so great as I was standing on my tip toes to get a good shot and I couldn't hold the camera still. Mission is the gray horse being led by the individual wearing the number 14. Rick and his Uncle Dennis (also a co-owner) walked alongside of him...



Here's Rick following behind his horse down the walkway leading to the paddock:


The garland of roses being escorted out to the winner's circle:


After the final preparations are made in the paddock, the jockeys ride the horses back out to the track - you can't really see Mission, but that is his jockey, Rajiv Maragh, in teh green and brown silks. They are followed by Todd Pletcher, Mission's trainer, who is also the trainer of Super Saver, the winning horse.



As the horses entered onto the track, an amazing and completely unexpected event occurred - the sun came out! The crowd joined in singing "My Old Kentucky Home" and, as always, it brought a tear to my eye. The sun always shines on our beloved Kentucky home, and it is events like this that make me so proud to be a Kentuckian.

I have to tell you, it is true, the Derby is THE most exciting two minutes in sports - especially when you have some connection (albeit loose) to one of the horses. My heart literally leapt out of my chest, I was so excited, and I cheered my head off for Mission Impazible as he made his way around the final bend. Alas, it was not meant to be, and the day would be won by Super Saver, ridden by the great Calvin Borel.


Mission Impazible still ran a great race, and I'm so proud of that beautiful thoroughbred! We are even more proud of our dear friend - Rick, thank you for allowing us to join you in this wonderful ride. It was an experience we will never forget!