LITTLE ONE LOVE | FAMILY LIFE + LOVELY LIVING

SOME THINGS LATELY | LIFE IN AN INSTANT

2013-05-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

Life is really sweet for us right now. Just enjoying it and soaking in as much of it as we can.

/ the peonies in our yard blooomed over night

/ getting the front porch ready for "porch season"

/ I can't get enough of her

/ He can't get enough of her

/ haha- big girl mezmorized by her toys

/ lazy, slow mornings

YOU'RE GROWING SO FAST

2013-05-22T09:18:00.001-07:00

Look at this baby, would ya? She decided today would be the day she sits up in her mamas & papas chair like a total big girl. I took 100 photos and used that annoying mom voice to say "yaaaaaaay" and clap like an idiot the whole time. Sitting in a chair one day, getting her license the next. I can't even handle it.

TIMES ARE CHANGING IN THE LIFE OF RUTHIE CLAIRE

2013-05-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last night ( a few nights ago now) was a night to be noted in the little life of Ruthie Claire Dewald. She slept the entire night in her crib! I can't believe we're already finished with the baby in the bassinet phase but I am so glad she's made the transition into her own crib pretty seamlessly albeit the crib is indeed in our bedroom. (go on, i give you permission to laugh at my silliness) My friends, I'm just not ready yet for our baby girl to be across the hall in her own room. She'd be fine, I know, it's just me. I'm still so comforted by the fact that I can look over and see her sleeping soundly and happily and until I feel ready to move her, I'm pretty content with our current situation. It's a good transition for the both of us I think and may I mention we do not yet own a video monitor. I think that will put much of my anxiety about having her in her own room at ease for me.

How did all you other mama's transition your babes into their rooms? Was it hard for you or for your babe?

OVER THE WEEKEND / CITY FLEA

2013-05-20T16:23:00.002-07:00

Just a few photo's from the kick off Flea of the season. It was an amazing day and we had an incredible turnout. Thanks so much to everyone who came down and shopped and to all of our awesome vendors- you guys rock. We'll see everyone at next month's market on June 15!

SEE YA AT THE FLEA!

2013-05-17T10:33:00.004-07:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to pop in and let all my local friends know that tomorrow is our first City Flea of the season. We're super excited and have some really awesome vendors lined up for you. If you live in or within a couple hour drive of Cincinnati I highly recommend coming down for all the fun. Aside from the Flea, the OTR summer celebration and go OTR 5k run will all be going on. The awesome folks from the summer celebration lined up some rad bands so we'll be rocking along side some killer live music all day long. Hope to see you!

MONTESSORI AT HOME

2013-05-16T08:44:00.002-07:00

We're super excited over here about our new baby montessori toys. These simple toys are the perfect introduction to montessori for little Ru girl. I found these wooden toys on etsy from Urban Homesteaders and couldn't be happier with them.

Toys pictured:

// wooden ring rattle

// grasping beads

// peg game and egg cup game

// teething ring

DEAR RUTHIE

2013-05-14T15:55:00.002-07:00

My little love bug. I have so much I want to say to you in this moment it's almost too hard to find the right words. Let me first just say, gosh you're fun. Your wide mouth grins are without a doubt my most favorite thing on the entire planet. You smile these huge enormous smiles as soon as you see my face for the first time in the morning and it just melts me into a puddle of mush.

You're so happy. The first thing you do each day is smile. I adore how happy your spirit is and hope that it sticks with you as you grow. This happiness that you feel now, it will change and evolve but I hope you always have happiness in your heart. Even when you have a skinned knee or a broken heart, or don't feel like you fit in, I hope you are still a happy spirit and have the ability to know you are so loved. I read a quote just the other day that said, "you are only as happy as your saddest child" and I couldn't stop thinking about it and how I'm sure this must be true. When you cry your sad little baby cries my heart breaks even though I know you are okay and just need an extra snuggle or to be nursed, or need to take a rest.

When I took motherhood on, I took on all the burdens you will face throughout your life and if I could, I would carry them all for you. I hope you know that. I hope you will grow up knowing that you have a mom and dad who love you unconditionally and who will support, encourage and nurture you no matter what path you might choose. I love you so, so much Ruthie girl. It almost hurts, this love I have for you. You keep on smiling for mama but more importantly, you keep on smiling for you.

MOTHER'S DAY

2013-05-13T07:56:00.001-07:00

A few iphone photos from my very first mother's day. It was really a special day and having the roles reversed for the first time felt just right. Ru has only been here for just over 3 months but I swear it feels like she's been a part of me forever. I get it now. Motherhood. The love is just indescribable, that deep and wide love I've talked about before. Gosh, what a gift this mamahood gig is.

Also, my goodness did I luck out with an amazing man. To wake up to breakfast in bed, flowers, gifts, thoughtfully written cards and a clean kitchen- the greatest part is, it was all just like him. Our baby girl is so lucky to have a dad as kind hearted and thoughtful as hers. Thank you, Nick for making my very first mothers day so special.

Here's to hoping all the other mama's- step, foster, to animals, and any other kind of mama there is had a wonderful day.

WEEKEND READING

2013-05-10T09:16:00.001-07:00

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One of the best things about blogging is connecting with other women who inspire me and are constantly writing and photographing things that give me perspective. The online community, when you surround yourself with these type of women is truly amazing. This past week around the web I came across some pretty great stuff I wanted to share with you here. Kick your feet up, grab a cup of coffee an enjoy a lazy weekend morning diving in to these wonderful links.

// Ashlee's take on her first year of motherhood

// This open letter to CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch after his shameful quotes about not marketing to "fat chicks"

// every single birth story and image gallery from the talented ladies at beautiful beginnings. I could read these all day long.

// Megan, from The Fresh Exchange is always so open and honest. Such an inspiring creative always wanting to grow and learn.

// This birthday celebrated in Paris. Definitely craving a trip to the city now.

PS. Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mama's out there. I'm thrilled and blessed beyond words to be celebrating as a mother myself this year. Excuse me while I go kiss the face off the little person who gave me this new title that I kind of adore :)

ZEBRAS AND LADYBUGS

2013-05-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

This morning we ventured to the park with a few other little friends and took in this perfect spring air, the sights and the sounds. There's just something about spending the morning out at the park that sets the tone for the rest of the day- naps are longer, smiles are wider and our hearts for some reason, feel lighter.

Ruthie's little onesie, from Winter Water Factory is the perfect tee for a casual morning out and about and the adorable zebra and lady bug print was a hit with the older kids who are constantly wanting to "see the baby." I've been a huge fan of Winter Water Factory for some time now and couldn't wait until I had my own little one so I could put her in their super fun prints.

Be sure to hop on over to their site and check out all the adorable goodness they have to offer and don't forget to follow along with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Ru's onesie was sent to us by the awesome folks at Winter Water Factory. Thanks so much, guys! We adore it!

GOODNESS TRAVELS

2013-05-08T12:17:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to share with you all Goodness Travels! Two of our very best friends just launched this amazing concept of renting out their vintage scotty trailer for some seriously sweet camping / road tripping. Nick and I are already planning our first trip with "Honey" (her name is honey- so cute, right!?) and are so excited about the possibilities and memories we'll make as a family in this sweet little trailer. Jason and Julianne renovated the interior to give it a nice vintage modern feel and slapped a pretty fresh paint of coat on the exterior. It's seriously so beautiful.

There are some great road trip and camping resource links on the website and I'm sure they would be happy to recommend some good off the grid camping sites along with some trailer folk tips. These two traveled around the country in Honey for a few weeks for their honeymoon. Talk about dreamy.

So get on over to the website and start planning your next adventure! One of Jason and Julianne's favorite quotes is this one from Jack Kerouac and I pretty much think it sums up the goodness of Goodness Travels:

“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.”

MONTESSORI AT HOME

2013-05-07T13:15:00.001-07:00

I've just begun to transform our upstairs nook into a montessori space for Ru and I'm so excited about the possibilities and experiences she'll have in her very own play / learning space. I'm excited to share the transformation here in the coming months. Right now we are limited in the things we can do with Ru because she's still so young but she does seem to enjoy tummy time in front of her baby level mirror much more than without it and loves looking at simple shapes and colors. Her play gym, that I've talked about before, is the perfect thing for her right now.

Within the next few months I plan to introduce her to some simple wooden toys like these and continue to build and grow our space as she does the same. I'm also super interested in creating some sort of directed play group at my house for my friends with babies around Ru's age once they are a bit older and able to actually play a bit. I love the idea of a weekly get together where our kids are able to socialize and play in an environment specifically set up for them. Does anyone do anything similar with your own friends? I'd love to hear what types of play groups work well for you and your kids!

ON LETTING GO

2013-05-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

I'm learning that even though there are dishes to clean, emails to answer, floors to sweep, clothes to be folded, where my time is best spent is right here with this little girl in my arms. There will ALWAYS be dishes to clean and floors to sweep but the days I have, being exactly what my daughter needs are limited. She won't always need the comfort of my arms to feel safe and soothed for her afternoon nap and while it's hard to look around our not so perfect house and think, gosh I should be straightening things up, I'm learning to let go and be what my daughter needs in the moment.

It's so easy to feel like I need to constantly be "doing." Part of me attributes this to the fact that I'm not working outside of the home right now and if our house is in tip top shape at all times I'm doing my part and pulling my weight. I've wrestled with this for the past few months and am finally starting to realize I'm pulling more than my weight around here by being the best mom and wife I know how to be- that having a happy, healthy, well loved daughter is way more important than a clean kitchen.

I'll blink my eyes and these sweet, easy going, cuddly days will be gone and I don't want to wake up knowing I should have just slowed down and enjoyed them. I do enjoy them and I want them to be filled with cuddles AND piles of laundry because honestly, that's real life and how our days should be spent.

OH WEEKEND

2013-05-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

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Oh weekend, it's so nice to see you. It's been one heck of a week. Not bad, just one of those ones where you are not home one single night, haven't cooked a meal in gosh knows how long, have been super busy getting caught up on work emails and experienced your first scream fest with your three month old in a public place. Which by the way happened at a nail salon, feet deep in a soaking tub of water with no where to go. Yikes. Never again.

We spent a lot of time with family this week too and you know what? It's been really nice. I've always been close with my family but I think becoming pregnant and a parent myself has given me an entirely new appreciation for our family and the importance of the family unit. At the end of the day family are the ones who will be there for you during your darkest days and I'm so thankful that parenthood has made this so evident in our lives. Hug someone you love today - It really is so important.

This weekend we plan to get some yard work done. Shop for a new car (hello family of 3 plus a giant dog that doesn't fit in the insight anymore.) Picnic in the park. Eat an ice cream cone. Watch the marathon runners run past our house and celebrate a successful week of parenting and Nick's first week at his new job. Have a good weekend, friends!

THREE MONTHS

2013-05-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

This baby of ours is three months today! Doesn't that sound so big? She has definitely turned into a baby leaving those newborn days behind for the birds. Here's the rundown:

Weight: not really sure but we're guessing around 11 lbs (at her 2 month she weighed 9lbs 3 oz.) She's just a (healthy) peanut!

Height: around 22 inches (she was 18 at birth- gosh they grow fast)

Favorite things: mama and dada's faces, bath time, her monkey and tiger wubbanub's, her ikea play gym and her swing. Also, black and white pictures. Oh also, she loves looking at herself in the mirror- I think the little stinker knows how cute she is :)

Sleeping: Anywhere between 6 and 9 hour stretches each night. (she takes after her mama in the sleep department!)

Milestones: Turning her head at my voice and also following me with her eyes. Constant smiles (We're thiiiiiiiiiis close to laughter)

This having a baby around thing sure is fun.

LOVELY LIVING: GATHERINGS

2013-05-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

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As soon as the weather turned from cold to warm and the smell of the air changed, small gatherings with friends has been on my mind. As much as I dislike cooking for just Nick and I (I really wish that weren't the case) cooking for a group of people and preparing our home for an evening of simple gatherings is right up my alley. We have the perfect little courtyard for such evenings and I cannot wait for our first spring get together. I hope to share such gatherings here accompanied by a new recipe or two, good for bigger groups. These types of gatherings are just one of those small, simple things that I live for. What are some of your simple spring pleasures?

WORKING MOMS / STAY AT HOME MOMS

2013-05-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

As Ruthie reaches the 3 month mark tomorrow, I can't help but think how quickly time is floating by and how wonderful the past 3 months have been at home with her. Before I had a child, I always thought I'd work full time when we had kids- that'd I'd want a career and family and be one of those professional women who have it all. Slowly as Nick and I sank into our groove as a married couple and my love for being around the house grew, I knew that when our time came for a family I'd want to stay home with our kids. It happened gradually but boy was the desire to stay home and raise our kids strong as ever by the time I became pregnant. It really has become that dream job you strive for your entire career. I know it's not for everyone nor is it every mother's desire but I just can not believe that I get to do this every day. I DO work part time from home running our business and blogging here and for a few other sites, and come September I will be going back to my classroom, teaching twice a week, but by then Ru will be 7 months and i'll only be away from her a total of 12 hours a week. I think we can handle that. I have mixed emotions about it though. It's the greatest gig and the hours are so ideal but it's still hard for me to think about having to be away from her for two entire days. Friends have told me the adult interaction will be a welcomed change, however I teach a montessori class full of 3-6 year olds sooooo...haha. I know when the time comes the first couple teaching days will be hard for me but eventually I'll find my groove and being back in my little classroom will be wonderful. And can I just say, single working parents- HOLY CRAP. You guys are amazing. I have an incredible new appreciation for how hard my mom worked raising my brother and I and how dang good she was at it.

So I'm curious. What is your ideal mama / working scenario? If you work, was going back to your job hard? No matter how you spend your days, all of us mama's are awesome and should be supportive of everyone's decisions :)

FLEA MARKET SEASON IS HERE!

2013-04-29T14:47:00.001-07:00

The past few weeks have been completely jammed packed between taking care of Ru and getting our third year of The City Flea underway. We're super super excited for this coming season and have a lot of fun new things in store for the year. I've written a lot about owning a small business and the Flea in the past and I feel like I just need to say it again- We are so thankful to our city for so much enthusiasm and support. The fact that we are able to attract over a hundred vendors every month and thousands of shoppers to each market is just awesome. If you live near Cincinnati, I'd love to see you at one of our markets this summer! Not sure what The City Flea is- Check our website. Also to anyone local who's interested in hanging a poster at their shop, business or office- let me know! I'd love to drop one off to you.

LIFE IN AN INSTANT

2013-04-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Just a handful of Instagram shots of life lately. I sure do love spending my days with this little lady of ours and am so thankful she's just the most laid back, sweet, go with the flow babe there ever was. Speaking of, we're almost to the three month mark and are not on any sort of sleep schedule yet which I kind of love. She naps whenever she's tired (which is still a lot) and just started sleeping 8 hour stretches through the night. (hey, no complaints here!) I love the idea of not having to rush home during the day for a nap time or in the evening for bedtime but I know as she gets older she'll fight sleep and need these scheduled times. When did you mama's start a sleep schedule with your little ones? It seems like there is SO MUCH information out there about the do's and don'ts of baby sleep, it's always nice to hear from real moms about it. PS. did you guys read THIS HILARIOUS ARTICLE on the exact topic? I was laughing so hard because it's so true!

SIMPLIFY

2013-04-24T20:43:00.001-07:00

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About every six months or so I like a good clean redo on a lot of things in my life - my dresser drawers, closet, desk drawer, random rooms around the house, my blog and the clutter that has built up over time in my heart - to re-prioritize and feel fresh. It just feels good to get rid of the silly nonsense and start fresh every so often. I know my husband thinks i'm nuts and that I can just never be content but really, I like to work things up until the clutter, literally or figuratively becomes too much because it just feels so good consciously getting rid of it all. An e-friend of mine recently tweeted "Simplicity can be so hard to achieve," and it really struck a chord with me and made me wonder, why is it so hard? It should be the "simplest" of things in life to achieve- yet living simply truly is one of the harder things we strive for day to day. To not get caught up in what others are doing or how they might view you. It's definitely gotten easier as I've gotten older and as my priorities have shifted but it's still hard and with the amount of social media thrown in our faces with endless amounts of beautiful imagery and "perfect photos," it's still a struggle not to compare your own life to what you perceive as someone else's life. So my friends, I gladly cleaned up this blog a bit (which if you've been around you know it will likely change a bit more here and there) and have done the same around our house too. I guess spring cleaning really is a thing, huh? Cheers to happy, healthy, simple living.

THIS BABY

2013-04-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks sure have been fun with this one. I feel like we're at the turning point of no longer being a newborn, headed straight into babyhood. She's talking up a storm and tells us the best stories. You really are able to have an entire back and forth conversation with her of coos, gah's and eeee's. It's kind of our most favorite thing and Nick and I both melt into a bazillion pieces during every little conversation. In my mind the 3 month mark is a major milestone and we have just a couple weeks until we're there. We might start to worry a little less and we're excited for what's to come in her development around that time. This baby stuff- it's a dang good time.

BLOGGING FOR GOOD

2013-04-22T08:43:00.001-07:00

When my friend Lacy asked me to participate in this mothers day project I was ecstatic and couldn't pass up the opportunity to share a little bit about this beautiful print and the women's hospital the proceeds of the print are going to. Here's a little blurb about the hospital in Somaliland, Africa from their website. "The health of the people of Somaliland is among the worst in Africa, with one of the highest Maternal and Infant Mortality rates in the world. Every year, one baby in eight dies in infancy while nearly 4000 Somali women die in childbirth. This tragedy can be attributed in large part to the long civil war which brought about the death or departure of nearly all of the country’s trained health care professionals."

The good news is that this hospital is working to change these statistics and improve maternal health. From educating midwives and fighting female genital mutilation, the Edna Adan University Hospital is making big changes for the people of Somaliland. So, here's how you can help- spread the word via your social networks using hashtag #givetoednaadan and direct people to the print shop HERE. Purchase the print for your own mom, a friend or yourself.

Some of the details:

Prints are $30 with free US shipping. They will ship in 3-5 business days of order and will arrive before Mother's Day, May 12th.

Half of all proceeds will be donated to the Edna Adan University Hospital.

It's so hard for us to even imagine the circumstances, conditions and care most women around the world receive during their pregnancy and delivery that we take so for granted. The fact that during my own pregnancy I was able to be so closely monitored most of the third trimester because they spotted a small issue with the umbilical cord at my 30 week ultra sound was such a blessing. I was induced at 38 weeks because they saw Ru stopped gaining weight from weeks 36-38, and when they realized her heart rate was dipping during my labor I was in a place where a safe c section was available to me. When I think about my experience compared to most women's around the the world I am beyond blessed by the technology, skilled doctors, clean hospital, and caring nurses. This is just one more (major) thing our society takes for granted. We are so lucky and pure luck shouldn't mean other women should be deprived of the exact same type of care. So hop on over and purchase this beautiful print to help the women of Somaliland receive the same care you and I receive.

BITS OF OUR MORNING

2013-04-19T08:58:00.002-07:00

Despite the Boston news coverage that I hear and see in the background, Im thankful for this day. Like anything it's always easier to nit pick at the negative and overlook the positive even when more often than not the positive greatly outweighs the negative - I needed this reminder and am grateful for some e-friends who reminded me. It's hard not to feel completely discouraged but i'm remembering how much good there is in the world and counting my blessings that in my own personal world most of my mornings look just like this one and that I am surrounded by people with kind, honest, happy hearts. I'll be praying for humanity and Boston like heck this weekend and I'm thankful I am able to celebrate love with my best friend today and tomorrow as she marry's her best friend.

ps. I'm leaving Ru with her grandparents tomorrow night for 10 hours! I'm a bit anxious about being away so long (I know she'll be fine- it's me who needs the encouragement :) Any words of advice?

pps. Ru is wearing her favorite little crossover top from B Nature organic.

BOOKS FOR BABY

2013-04-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do with Ru is sit in her rocking chair and read stories. She has no idea what I'm reading but it's so magical to watch her little eyes get so wide at all the pictures. I can't wait until she's able to choose the books for our little story times. These are just a few that I think she loves- the pictures are high contrast and she's able to focus on them really well. / Look Look / Colors / I am a Bunny (this one is just plain sweet) / Hello World

I could absolutely get lost in the book store and hope to share many afternoons with Ruthie there over the years. What are some of your favorite children's books?

PRAYING FOR GOODNESS

2013-04-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

It seems like I just wrote a post like this one yet here I am again writing out my thoughts about us as a people desperately needing to find goodness and happiness in our hearts. There's too much hate, there's too much pain, there's too much evil, there's too much loss and quiet frankly I don't know how long these types of senseless, selfish, heartbreaking crimes can continue without causing us total self destruction. Yesterday I turned the news coverage on while my baby girl lay next to me smiling and kicking under her play gym, happy and innocent as can be, and it just crushed me. These sorts of horrific acts have always left me feeling desperate for change and a weight heavy on my heart but this time was different for me. I have a child now- a child who was brought into a world where no matter how I might try, I can't protect her from. This world is not nice and her innocence will not last long and that thought breaks my heart into a billion pieces. We try every day to be kind, generous, empathetic people and as much as we hope to instill these same values in Ruthie, she will still be exposed to the horrors and reality of the society we live in. I just can not understand why it is so hard for people to do the right thing- I really can't. What angers me the most is that I know I will be writing another post just like this one in another few months and all there is to do in the meantime is try to live normally and happily.

The power of prayer is strong and maybe, just maybe if we are all able to find hope in something, anything, no matter who your God may be or if you believe in no God at all we have to find the beauty and hope. And so I pray. I pray for goodness and change. I pray that the ones who are in pain find a way to deal with their pain in a way that does not hurt others. I pray that those who struggle making moral choices are able to feel a lightness in their hearts and see the difference between right and wrong and I pray like heck for our kids. That one day they will live in a world where pain is not all around and their innocence really can last beyond just a few years, because really, what else is there to do?