Thank You For My 26th Birthday

True Love — 2010

Josh and I met about a month before he turned 29. On the morning of his birthday, one of the first things he did was call his mom. I remember thinking it was bizarre, so I questioned this ritual. Josh explained that it was in fact his mother who did all the work to bring him into the world, and on his birthday he felt it was more appropriate for him to call her and express his gratitude than it was to wait for her to call. I thought this way of thinking was unique, as many things are in the mind of my fiance, but that was all I thought about it at the time.

Today, I am spending my 26th birthday in a similar way that I spend all of my days, which is alongside my sweet Charlotte. As I reflect on this story from almost five years ago, I have a completely new appreciation for the people who gave me the gift of life.

I especially want to express my appreciation for my mother. Throughout my life, my mom has been by my side wiping my tears, supporting my decisions, loving me unconditionally and more. I never understood the dedication and commitment being a mom requires until I had a little one of my own. From the onset of pregnancy, into the transformative experience of childbirth, and through the newness and eventual way of life that is parenthood, becoming a parent is one of the most selfless choices one makes, and it takes a true warrior like my mom to always come from a place of care and understanding.

So on my birthday, I want to say thank you to my mom and dad! My parents have sacrificed everything to give me (and my three sisters) more love, guidance, friendship and fun than we could have ever hoped for. I wouldn't be here without them (literally), and I hope that one day Charlotte loves and appreciates Josh and me in a similar way that we do our parents.

Baby Milestones — Eight Months Old

My sweet eight-month-old baby is hitting milestones left and right

I am now over eight months into motherhood, and I fall more in love with Charlotte every day. It doesn't matter if I play a song off iTunes that reminds me of pregnancy, or if I'm just watching her sleep at the end of my long night . . . Either way, every part of my days makes me fall more head-over-heels in love with this little girl.

Not only have I been blessed with an extremely happy and easy-going baby, Charlotte is also very strong and confident. I am so beyond grateful to be Charlotte's mama, and I find myself wondering what exactly I did in a past life to deserve the gift of her presence in my day-to-day. My girl has always been ahead of the curve in her growth and development, so it is no surprise that she has continued with mastering milestones.

What milestones are we enjoying at eight-months-old?

Crawling. Charlotte is an all-star crawler. She has finally mastered clearing the landing between her room and the hall. She is always up to her own agenda, deciding to crawl away when her mom and auntie are playing in her room with her.

Pulling Up to Stand. While a box, couch, chair, knee or dog are all great options, my eight-month-old baby's favorite object to pull herself up to stand on is her kitchen set. A hand-me-down from my parents, this kitchen set is interactive and full of music and learning activities. Charlotte tears it up dancing, leaning and playing on her kitchen set for up to two hours.

Standing. Using just about anything, short or tall, to pull herself up, Charlotte then stands and balances free of any help for up to 30 seconds. I was almost certain she would take her first step today, but the stars haven't quite aligned yet. We'll get her until nine months to commit to walking.

Clapping. If you're happy and you know it . . . Charlotte caught onto clapping quite quickly. After her dad taught her how to clap one night, and she remembered it the next morning, her understanding of this action has only grown. When Charlotte and I found ourselves at House of Ruth's Rally Out Against Domestic Violence last week, she was clapping along with the crowd and celebrating between speeches and performances.

Snacking. Charlotte enjoys snacking on small pieces of bananas and organic, gluten-free puffs . . . as well as anything else mom approves. Her hand-eye coordination is spot on, while her ability to navigate food between her pointer finger and thumb and into her mouth is only successful about half the time.

Communication. Conversations between Charlotte and her chosen person (stranger or family member) are a lot more deliberate than they used to be. She has two different waves, and she is quick to mimic all her favorite people. Her favorite words and expressions (besides growling constantly) are dada, hi, baba and yay.

Another note that I'd like to make, even if only for myself in the future, is how Charlotte makes friends with everyone in her path everywhere we go. I cannot leave my house or go into public without multiple comments on Charlotte's giant smile, friendly growls and sweet demeanor. It's adorable now, but I'll definitely have to teach her to not talk to strangers someday! ;)

A New Endeavor — Starting a Local Mom's Group

I've started a mom's group, and I can't say that it was my idea. About two weeks ago, my little sister mentioned to me that I should organize a community for local mothers to meet up with their kids to share advice, stories and friendship. I entertained the idea for a couple days, but among my other responsibilities of work and home, I dismissed the concept by telling myself that I just didn't have the time.

Fast forward to last Sunday . . . 

Here I am at a baby shower for one of my girls of whom I have no mutual friends. I was quickly introduced to another mom who has a baby boy only weeks younger than my sweet Charlotte. We began chatting back and forth, and we immediately found out that we had so much in common. Just minutes into our conversation, she looked at me and asked with a smile, "Are you in a mom's group?" Instantly, I had a realization that this conversation was happening for a purpose . . . I needed to start a meet-up for local moms with little ones. 

Today, I decided to make good on the commitment I made with myself, and I've started my mom's group, "Modern Mamas Social Club." I was sure to invite some of my favorite local moms, and they invited their friends. While I've done a ton of research on mom's groups . . . I'm still a newbie to this whole thing. I'm so excited to meet up with other moms and their minis, and I am also happy to learn more about what will make this group valuable to all its members. 

Feel free to share your advice below for running or being a part of a mom's group! 

A New Baby in My Life Brings Love and Nostalgia

This Article Was Written Oct. 2, 2014

We have lived together, and we have been neighbors twice. Beyond that, Crystal and I have also maintained a solid and meaningful friendship for the past nine years. That makes Crystal my longest, most consistent friend. Crystal, like me, comes from a family of three sisters, so it makes sense that we both don't require a lot of female friends outside of our dramatic (and fun!) sister circles.

When we met many years ago we were quite different. She was way punk rock, and I was a cheerleader trying to fit into her crowd now and again. We eventually fell in love over our passions for writing, rum, horror movies, talking and overall being ridiculous teenagers. Today, I found myself sitting at the foot of her hospital bed, staring lovingly as her sleeping newborn laid nested in my arms. There is nothing like the birth of your best friend's baby to stir up your nerves and emotions.

Waiting impatiently as Violet's mother brought her into this world, I began to ruminate on my personal birth experience (once again). Charlotte was less than eight pounds a little over seven months ago. However, it seems like a lifetime ago. She was only bite-size for a quick glimpse of time. Now she is sitting, waving, talking, crawling, eating solid foods . . . Cha is ready to take over the world.

I remember laying in my hospital bed, following our countless visits by family, friends and nurses. Charlotte was beside me in the baby cradle, while Josh was passed out on the pull-out. Awake, alert and calm at only a couple hours old, she was sucking on her hand and staring back at me. I couldn't help but smile, noticing how much she resembled a newborn picture I had always cherished of myself that I found in my parents' old pictures.

. . . . . . . . .

Congratulations to my close friends on the arrival of their sweet baby girl. Violet is not only the light of your lives . . . every morning you wake up next to her will be a euphoric testament to the commitment and love that you as a couple has had for almost a decade. 

Baby Milestones — Crawling is Officially Here

This seven-month-old baby is on the go!

Will you forgive me for my absence? It has been over a week since my little monster started crawling, and that was only the beginning. The milestone of crawling was accompanied by pulling herself up to stand . . . and climb! Did I mention she has five teeth broken through and one on its way?

Back to the crawling . . . The confidence, strength and coordination finally aligned, allowing Charlotte the freedom of mobility. She is beyond happy to be crawling, which has brought with it a determination that knows no bounds! Now that crawling across the living room is yesterday's news, my daughter has set her sights on walking. This causes her to try and stand-up all the time—before she falls asleep while nursing, in a high chair, mid-crawling, etc.

A couple nights following her big crawling debut, Charlotte's dad tried to teach her how to clap. It was really sweet. He spent 20 minutes sitting in front her demonstrating how to clap, and then he would physically prompt her to mimic his actions. The next morning, Charlotte and I headed over to grandma's house for a daytime visit. I sat her down in the middle of the carpet to roam free. As soon as I turned around, my mother said, "Oh look, she's clapping!" Of course, when I turned around she had stopped. After a couple more times of missing her clapping, I finally caught a glimpse of her excited little hands barely hitting each other. When I sent her dad a quick video of her clapping, he was proud of his little girl.

Milestones are exciting when you reach them one at a time. When you watch as your baby develops rapidly before your eyes, you can't help but feel grateful for having each special moment. Put down your cell phone, and be present with your little one. They seem to grow with every blink of your eye.

Welcome Baby Violet — Family's First Photo Shoot

Ten days ago, my good friends welcomed a healthy eight-pound baby girl named Violet into their family. I am so grateful to have another calm, beautiful, sweet and tiny person in my life. We decided to head to the nearest park in our neighborhood to take their first family photographs today. Check out my favorites below!