For My Grandpa

Over the weekend my grandpa passed away. He was the one who showed me that family is the greatest gift we have here on Earth. I’ve said before that children make everything better and there is no greater chicken soup for my soul than hearing my daughter laugh when all I can do is cry. She smiles with her whole face, like he would. I find myself telling Charlotte stories about her great grandpa. I told her how overjoyed he was to find out she was coming and that he got to hold her when she was only a day old in the hospital. He said having a girl as the oldest child was his experience and we shared that now. I told her that she got to celebrate his 90th birthday with him. She even looks like him. I think about what he would want for us as a family and it is just this; sharing in the joy of children, after all he had 7 of them!

My grandpa had 16 grandchildren and yet each one of us had a special relationship. I remember he was always on the floor with us; knee deep in toys and imagination. He loved to play the organ and chess with at least three of us snuggled up on his lap. If we weren’t there you could always find us in the pool. We'd hold onto his back and he’d swim for what felt like forever with us submerged, clinging onto him; bubbles shooting out of our grinning mouths. Grieving is like the wind, you can’t see it you can only experience it. It will come and go in waves and I’ll let it wash over me completely. Just when it feels like too much, I reach out for my daughter and she reaches back for me. It is in those moments that I no longer feel sadness just a deep sense of gratitude because I can feel him there, on the floor with us. 

The Liebster Award

The Liebster Award

I have been nominated for The Liebster Award!

I was nominated for The Liebster Award by Danette Perez from the blog: http://camolacebabyface.blogspot.com/

Thank you Danette!

A Liebster Award is for the new/smaller blogs that  do not have more than 200 followers or subscribers. Also this is an opportunity to get noticed and meet other bloggers.

The 6 Rules of the Liebster Award:

1. Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the Award
2. Answer 11 questions that the bloggers give to you
3. Give 11 random facts about you
4. Nominate 11 blogs (under 200 followers) for this award
5. Let the bloggers know you have nominated them
6. Give them 11 questions to answer

Danette gave me 11 questions for me to answer:

1. How do you stay inspired to keep posting? My daughter is my greatest inspiration for writing. I find that writing has also helped to maintain my sanity and keep my wits about me =).
2. What is your favorite topic to write about? Definitely motherhood and all its entirety. 
3. What is your favorite book or series? This is a tough one, but I'll say Midwives, A Fault in Our Stars, and The Catcher in the Rye
4. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be and why? My life is pretty perfect, but I'd say I would love to get paid to write. 
5. Name two bloggers that inspire you and their websites. Jenn Mann: http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/ Karen Alpert: http://babysideburns.com/ 
6. What type of music do you prefer? Alternative rocks 
7. If you could buy anything in the world,money is not a problem, what would it be and why? An obnoxiously trendy diaper bag and stroller.
8. What kind of free stuff do you offer your readers? My wit and charm, comes free of charge with every post. 
9. What are your two favorite movies? Garden State and Juno 
10.  If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be? At home with my family. 
11.   What is your biggest irrational fear? I was very afraid of heights (even though I'm 6'1, the irony is not lost on me). 

Now 11 fun facts about me

1. I cured my fear of heights with hypnosis.
2. In another life I'd like to be a professional chef. 
3. I love any reality show on Bravo (Except the Real Housewives of Atlanta and New Jersey, I do have standards). 
4. I have run 2 half marathons and I am running another in March 2015. I have absolutely no desire to run a full marathon (why would anyone want to run in a diaper?)
5. I worked with children with Autism for a year doing ABA early intervention, which is how I decided to become a special ed teacher.
6. Cream of Wheat and apple sauce is my comfort food.
7. I love movies and books that make me cry. 
8. Living in a crowded city would be my hell on Earth.
9. My best friend and I made up our own language when we were 8 that we are still fluent in and use when we need to talk about people's poor outfit choices in public. 
10.  I won't eat foods that are the same color in one sitting: example goldfish crackers and OJ will just never happen together.
11.  I am madly in love with my life, my family, and my friends. 

My nominated websites are:

http://www.onemightymama.com/

http://practicingnormal.com/

http://theemommydiaries.com/

http://lavenderbeeblog.com/

http://www.taberbabywearers.com/

http://icecreamandfrenchfries.blogspot.com/

http://antimomblog.com/

http://www.mymonkeysandme.com/

http://skinnyandsingle.wordpress.com/

http://www.rockstew.com/

http://momwithstyle.com

And finally my 11 questions for my nominated authors:

1. How do you stay inspired to keep posting?
2. What is your favorite topic to write about?
3. Who is your favorite author?
4. If you could change anything about the internet what would you change?
5. Name your favorite type of food.
6. What type of music do you prefer?
7. What is the best blog post you have ever written?
8. How did you choose your child's name/s?
9. What are your three favorite movies?
10.  If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be?
11.   What is your biggest irrational fear?

All done! Please follow the Rules listed above and keep this going! 

The Curse of the Good Baby

I already took a gamble with the title, but if you are reading this, then I can only assume that you are: a. intrigued b. have a good baby yourself or c. my own mother. I will start off by saying how blessed I am. Everyone prays for health, happiness and a “good baby”. What does this really mean? Sleeps through the night, doesn’t cry with unfamiliar people, is flexible, naps well, and is genuinely happy. I can check all those boxes. Did I mention she has one dimple? (I sincerely apologize to all the brand new moms. If I came across this at 1 month, I literally would have screamed while throwing a pacifier and you can too, but that's only because you are no longer familiar with R.E.M. sleep. Let's chat again in a few months). Now that your eyes have glazed over, I am going to tell you why this is a curse. After the good baby, there is no direction to go but down. Any future siblings will have to compete with the wonderment that is Charlotte. This is the hard battle I must fight, but I will prevail.

She even smiles for the camera.

My best friend was also blessed with the curse, and while she was pregnant with her second she would have people on the street tell her how difficult her next baby would be. Oh you won’t get another one that sleeps through the night. There are no boundaries when it comes to how people talk to pregnant women; inappropriate reaches new heights; rivaled only by how people talk to new parents. Whenever I tell others about my good baby they proceed to tell me how challenging one of their children was with colic or chronic diaper rash. I’m not sure if this is because they are waiting for me to give them a high five for powering through it or if they are just looking for a hug. However, I am aware that babies can be tough. Even good babies have their moments; like when Charlotte hits an octave that makes Macie howl and I haven’t yet had a cup of coffee. To my last remaining reader (hi mom): no baby fits perfectly into any one category and yet they each provide enough joy to last a lifetime. In parenthood you will see the good, the bad, and the ugly, so be prepared. At some point your baby will be good, the diapers will be bad, and the stink eye you give someone when they tell you to enjoy it now since she will give you all kinds of trouble in her teen years, should most definitely be ugly.