This Amazing Day

April 23, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:41:00 +0000

My baby was born on a Spring day. The very earth a celebration of her. The April sun shines longer for her. He hurries to rise, making preparations and lighting her day before she rises. Blooming into the open morning, he kisses her eyelashes, her nose, and spreads warm over her day. Then lingers into the evening, carefully putting away, ray by ray, her cherished light.

The ground swells for her. Thick, sweet stalks of newly greened grass rise up for her. Flowers in every shade of her favorite color bend toward her, competing for her smile. Heavy tulips and gentle daisies dreamily dance to the song of her laughter. And just above and from all around young birds flutter and coo. Warble and whistle. Streaks of red wings in the sky while clouds drift by like creamy white balloons.

And I marvel, once again, that this is all for her.

My baby was born on a Spring day.

XOXO

The Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 21:55:00 +0000

How in the world is it already almost February? I feel like I just started planning our wedding, and here we are, less than two months away. I still have so much left to do, but things are starting to come together. I have so much I want to share here, and a few sneak peeks before the big day. For starters, the invitations! I wanted to wait until we got them all sent off before posting anything here. Hopefully they've all found their recipients by now.

I am so in love with how they turned out. We ordered from a company I found on Etsy called Shi Chi Jiro, who also made our matching save the date cards. I cannot recommend this small business enough. One of the things I've tried to do while wedding planning is buy as much as possible from small companies. The artist who hand designed our invitations did a beautiful job and worked with us to customize the colors to match our wedding. The printing is exquisite and the paper is thick and high quality. Plus, the pricing was very affordable.

We also ordered a handmade stamp from sweet paperie with our address on it to make that part of the process a little bit easier. I love the extra touch it gave the envelopes.

Only 43 days to go!

XOXO

Sicky Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:39:00 +0000

Hannah woke up this morning and wasn't quite herself. She spent the morning cuddling with her daddy on the couch and around mid morning she finally drank some water and threw it all up. But we've since tossed all the cushions off the couch and put on our comfiest pajamas. Hannah's got her favorite blankets and stuffed friends to keep her company, and we're watching Tinker Bell movies and eating ice chips. She just got off the couch to sit in her toy box, so I'm hoping it's just a little bug that's already working it's way out of her system.

As for me, I've been quite busy with wedding planning this week. I think I'm going to put together a little update post for later this week to share some of the latest bits and pieces with you all. We're in the home stretch now...less than two months!

Happy Sunday!

XOXO

Pregnancy and Birth, According to Hannah

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 02:54:00 +0000

I found the above photo in my facebook photos tonight. I showed Hannah and the following conversation happened:

Me: "Hannah look, that's you in mama's tummy!"
Hannah: "What? Letti in there?"
Me: "Yes. Do you remember being in my tummy?"
Hannah: "Uhhh yeah. Dark in there. How I get in there? You eat me?"
Me: "Um..."
Hannah: "Den you poop me out?"
Me: "Kind of, yeah."
Hannah: "I scared."
Me: "What? Why?"
Hannah: "You gonna eat me again? It dark in there."

Then she proceeded to shove my mouth open, peer inside and tremble while saying, "Oh, no. Too dark in there." Poor girl, hopefully she's not scarred for life.

XOXO

January Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:24:00 +0000

January and I are not friends. I think January is a good month for a lot of people; a return to normal after the holidays and a big dose of motivational newness. But for me, January has always been a return to work after time off with my family. To me, January is the coldest, darkest, gloomiest month of the year. Everyone falls victim to colds and flus, and I start counting down the days until Spring.

That being said, I'm doing my best to keep a positive attitude this year. This week marked the return of work as normal after the holidays and I think I handled it better than I have in the past. Sure, I'm missing Hannah like crazy, but I know she's having fun and learning a lot in a school that she loves. I think it gets easier to be a working mom as your babies start to get older. At least that has been my experience.

Also this month Wytmer and I are busy busy busy with the wedding. Can you believe that it's just two months away? I sure can't. I feel like every spare minute I have is spent setting up appointments, and planning out decor. We're meeting with the cake baker in the next couple of weeks, and I've got to get things squared away with my hair and make-up plans. Then there's the hotels and the flights, and the alterations, and Hannah's dress, and oh my gosh will we ever get this done? I remember thinking wedding planning was a breeze when we first started. It's a bit more intense than I originally thought.

But of course, tomorrow is Friday. I've got a relaxing pizza/pajama/movie party with my loves to look forward to after school, and a quiet reprieve before a new work week begins.

Happiest of Fridays to you all!

XOXO

The Princess and Her Dinosaurs

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:45:00 +0000

Did you know that dinosaurs like pink cupcakes? And that princesses aren't scared to ride on a triceratops (at least real princesses, anyway)? And that little girls like to wear John Deer tractor shirts with their pink stripped leggings?

You guys, my daughter is so cool. For Christmas this year she asked for dinosaurs. For months Wytmer and I had been picking out pink princess everything for her gifts because that's typically what Hannah wants most of all. If we walk through the toy aisles at Target she gets certifiably giddy when we look at the doll section. So it was a real surprise when she asked Santa for "some mean dinosaurs, and some nice ones, too." I found the perfect set of 12 plastic dinosaur figures on Amazon for $11 and she's been in love since she unwrapped them.

Hannah's dinosaurs go on lots of adventures. Sometimes they leave mysterious tracks in her play-doh, and other times they all go for a swim in the ocean (bath tub). But more than anything, they just love to play castle. They've made pretty good friends with the prince and the princess, and even the horses will share their drawbridge with a lone raptor or brachiosaurus.

This girl at this age is such a treat to watch. The silly little stories she comes up with, and the way her personality shines in everything she does. She never stops surprising me, and I'm more and more enamored by her each day.

XOXO

A Good, Quiet Day

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 05:25:00 +0000

Today was a pretty fantastic day. I'm still on vacation until Monday and Wytmer had his first day off since Christmas. There were quite a few errands on our to-do list, but the weather was dreary and our pajamas were comfortable. After a breakfast of toast with various toppings, Hannah took a morning bubble bath and we got bundled up for a short trip to the library. I try to take Hannah to the library at least every two weeks and she always has the best time picking out her books and playing with all the games and toys. Our library has an amazing kids section and there are always new things for her to do.

Afterwards we spent a quiet day at home, playing with puzzles and coloring pages, snacking on popcorn and watching Charlie Brown episodes on Netflix. The to-do lists were pushed aside for the day and we just focused on resting and being together. It was a good, quiet day and just the kind that I know I will be craving in a week or so when school is back in full swing.

XOXO

New Year's Non-Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:47:00 +0000

This afternoon I read through last year's resolutions, reflecting on how well I achieved my goals. Yeah...not so well (except for the part about reading more books. I rocked that resolution). And then I felt all crappy and guilty. But then I thought that really, 2012 was a hard year for our family in a lot of ways, and sometimes just getting through it together is enough to be proud of. I've thought about this a lot these last few days, and I think I'm going to skip the "let's become a perfect human this year" idea and just make some easy and fun resolutions that I will want to keep.

1. Laugh more. For my birthday this year I went out with my two best girls to a comedy club and had an amazing time. It really made me think about how little space I give myself for laughter. Seriously, when was the last time that I laughed so hard that tears came out of my eyes? 2013, I'm bound and determined to make you a hilarious year. I had a head start by reading Jenny Lawson's (The Bloggess) "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" because the e-book was on sale for $1.99. Hilarious and fabulous.

2. Continue to read more. Like I said, this was the only resolution I kept last year. I love escaping into different worlds when I read and I love how inspired I become. I literally do not watch any TV anymore because I get more enjoyment from books (except for Downton Abbey which OHMYGOD STARTS NEXT WEEK!). A typical night at our home includes Wytmer watching basketball and me reading The Hobbit. This year I'd like to keep reading lots of fun books, but also seek out a few that are a bit more intellectual as well. Suggestions are always welcome.

3. Spend time with friends more often. I'm so bad about this because I just get into a routine and the days go by. I always make a point to catch up with girlfriends when I get time off work, but I want to schedule in more time for that, even when I'm busy with life.

I think that's going to be it. Short, sweet, and pain-free. Happiest of New Years to you all! I hope we all have a wonderful 2013!

XOXO

Engagement/Family Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:47:00 +0000

I am so incredibly excited to share these photos with you all! This was our first time taking professional photos as a family, and I love love love how they turned out. It was a bright and chilly morning in November when we met our photographer at our favorite park (the same one Wytmer proposed to me at). Our noses started turning a little red toward the end because the cold wind, but Hannah and Wytmer were good sports and we were able to get lots of photos that I will cherish for a very long time.

I hope you all in enjoy. I'm posting more than half of the photos here, so sorry for the rather extreme length of this post.

[photo credit goes to Sophia Danielle Photography. If you are in the Houston area, I highly recommend her. She'll be taking our wedding photos this March and I know they will be fantastic as well!]

XOXO

Blogging in the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 03:50:00 +0000

Doesn't that photo just make you smile? We got our engagement photos back yesterday and I am obsessed with them. Right away I shared them on facebook and Instagram, and I knew I had to bring them to this space as well.

It's been awhile, my friends. I took an abrupt and unannounced break from blogging at the beginning of this month and I shamelessly enjoyed the silence. To be completely honest, I lost the desire to share my life here. Stress and a general sense of "oh my god, I can't handle all of this" took over my life and I had to admit that I wasn't doing anything worthwhile when I did write. I didn't feel proud of anything I put into this blog and dreaded obligations that I had made. It took me awhile to be honest with myself, and just step back.

But then photos like this come, along with Christmas mornings, and joyful gatherings with family and friends. And life stills long enough for me to catch my breath and settle my eyes on what is happening around me. The words spin around in my head again and I crave the satisfying click-click-click of the keyboard; that steady beat that grows something concrete and solidifies in time the moments I fear I'd forget otherwise. I remember that I am a writer, not just a mother, fiancee, homemaker, and teacher. And that urge to get it down before it's gone overwhelms me to the point of waking in the night to write eyeliner scratched sentences on a paper towel. And then I find myself again.

This is the time of year for resolutions and change. A time to make promises to be better and try harder. Instead of promising that I will be writing more regularly again, I choose to be honest and let myself have the space to come and go. But a promise I will make is that I will once again refocus my writing here into something that truly reflects who I am. I will attempt to be a bit more genuine, and a little more selfish with my priorities.

XOXO

p.s. Expect a massive photo dump tomorrow of all our engagement photos!

Currently | v.30

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:44:00 +0000

Currently I am...

Making time to rest. Our family is getting over a nasty stomach virus that had us out of service from last Thursday to Tuesday of this week. Hannah and I had it the worst. We could barely keep anything down all weekend and it was a constant battle to avoid dehydration. I lost 6 pounds in one day. Awful stuff, my friends. My body is still pretty weak and I'm trying to build up my strength slowly. My stomach feels queasy easily, but it's a lot better than it has been.

Thinking about how sad and neglected my blog has been this year. I just don't have my heart in it lately. I think there's a lot behind that. Life is hard right now in a lot of ways and that's not always something that I want to share with the world. And sometimes I feel like this is just another source of anxiety and stress. I do want to keep writing though. I think some changes are going to have to be made.

Loving our Christmas tree. I feel like our home is so cozy and warm with the Christmas decorations up.

Cooking nothing. Everything sounds disgusting to me, so I haven't cooked in a week. I made the mistake of cooking beef stew in the crock pot on the day I was the sickest because the meat was in the fridge and it would go bad if I didn't cook it. The smell alone made me so sick I was angry. I threw it all away the next day anyway. Fail.

Dreaming of Christmas vacation. I just want to clean my apartment, sit in my pajamas, and do Christmas things with Hannah. Only a couple more weeks left!

What about you? What are you currently up to? Share your own Currently post in the link up below! You can use our topics or choose your own. The link-up will stay active all week so you have plenty of time to participate. Please use the button below, or link back in some way. And don't forget to visit my lovely co-host Randalin over at Harvesting Kale!

[Next week's themes: reading, listening to, hating, laughing, ignoring]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

Currently | v.29

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:06:00 +0000

[Sorry this is coming a little later than normal. Hannah was up all night with a stomach virus/food poisoning/I don't know but she's puking. We're a mess today, but here we are.]

Currently I am...

Watching a few Christmas movies. My favorites are Elf and A Christmas Story. I also like all those old claymation movies. And one of my dirty little secrets is that I'm a sucker for those cheesy Hallmark and Lifetime movies. They have a ton of Christmas specials and I love 'em.

Wishing for more quiet time. But aren't we all? Sometimes I hide in the bathroom after work just so I can be still and alone for a few minutes.

Waiting for our photos from last week's family/engagement session to come in. I am so excited to see how they came out. Our photographer was so easy and fun to work with. She said she will mail us a flash drive of photos in the next couple weeks, just in time for Christmas gifting for the grandparents.

Wondering lots of random things. What does California's three strikes law really means? What animal class are birds? Is that singing girl in the Disney Sophia the First commercial really the same girl from Modern Family? How many times can Hannah throw up in a 4 hour window before we need to go to the hospital? How to get vomit out of an area rug? These are all things I've googled this morning.

Worrying about Hannah. Stomach bugs are not my favorite thing. There's literally vomit everywhere. She's gone 30 minutes now without getting sick, so I think we're heading into a better place. All she wants to do is lay in my lap and watch aforementioned Christmas movies. I'll take it. Just don't miss the puke bucket again, Kid.

[Next week's themes: making, thinking, loving, cooking, dreaming]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

Currently | v.28

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 03:48:00 +0000

Currently I am...

Hoping that our family photo shoot goes well this Saturday. We are doing an engagement/family session in the morning and I am really looking forward to it. This will be our first time getting professional photos done as a family. I've been busy getting our outfits together and everything will be ready. I really hope they turn out well, especially since we are using the photographer who is shooting our wedding in March.

Enjoying the time at home with my girl this week. How is it already Thursday? My goodness, this week has flown by. We've both been a little under the weather, but I've still loved the mama/daughter time we've spent.

Inspired by all the lovely blogs that I read on regularly. There are just too many to keep up with, but right now I am loving Okay, BA! Black and White and Loved All Over and Mrs. Priss. So many others as well.

Listening to a beer commercial, the dishwasher, and Hannah snoring.

Craving Thanksgiving yummies. This will be my first year cooking dinner since my parents will be out of town. It's just going to be me, Wytmer, and Hannah, but that sounds perfect to me. I picked up a pre-cooked turkey breast from the grocery store today (because I don't think 2.5 people can eat a whole bird, and I'm lazy) so it's mostly just the sides I'm working with. Thanksgiving to me is all about eating the foods your mama made for you when you were a kid, and that's what this year is all about. I've got the crescent roll tube and the cranberry jelly sliced from the can. It's going to be amazing.

[Next week's themes: Watching, Wishing, Waiting, Wondering, Worrying]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

Currently | v.27

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Currently I am...

Reading Sula by Toni Morrison. I wrote about it a couple days ago in my last Mama Reads/Baby Reads post. Such a good book.

Wishing for more time with Wytmer. He went out of town this weekend for a work thing, and I've barely seen him since. I'm hoping for some quality family time during Thanksgiving break next week.

Cooking taco soup. I made a big batch of it while Wytmer was out of town, because he doesn't love it quite like I do. This week things have been hectic, so not much other cooking has gone on. Tonight we had Chinese take-out. We're fancy like that.

Thankful for the problems that I have. Sometimes I have to stop myself and acknowledge that the things that stress me out so much are the things that I am most grateful for in life. My job, Hannah, Wytmer, my home. Things aren't always easy, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

Loving the colder weather we have been having. It really makes me feel like the holiday season is starting when I can finally go outside with a sweater on and not get crazy hot.

[Next week's themes: Hoping, enjoying, inspired by, listening to, craving]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

Mama Reads. Baby Reads. | v.6

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This past Saturday Hannah and I stopped by the library to pick up some new books. Lately she has been stuck on this set of nursery rhyme board books and I am so incredibly sick of singing Hickory Dickory Dock. An intervention was definitely needed, and the best way to do that is with a stack of shinny new books. Funds are tight, so we loaded up at the library. Hannah goes through books so fast anyway, so I think we will make this a weekly tradition so that her reading stash stays fresh. I also took a few minutes to pick up a book for myself, which I think is so important for her to see. That's basically the idea behind all of these posts I do; encouraging Hannah to become a lifetime reader by being an example myself. I brought her with me to the adult section first so I could get my own books, then we walked back down to the children's section and I said she could pick out 6 books to take home. She dutifully went around finding all the pink books on the shelf to stack up high in my arms. Then we played for a little while with the puzzles and puppets before heading home with our treasures.

Here's what I got for myself, and my favorite of what Hannah picked out:

Mama Reads...

From Amazon:

Two girls who grow up to become women. Two friends who become something worse than enemies. In this brilliantly imagined novel, Toni Morrison tells the story of Nel Wright and Sula Peace, who meet as children in the small town of Medallion, Ohio. Their devotion is fierce enough to withstand bullies and the burden of a dreadful secret. It endures even after Nel has grown up to be a pillar of the black community and Sula has become a pariah. But their friendship ends in an unforgivable betrayal—or does it end? Terrifying, comic, ribald and tragic, Sula is a work that overflows with life.

If you have never read Toni Morrison you have no idea what you are missing. It's the kind of writing that changes the way your minds speaks. It's poetry from cover to cover. Sometimes while I'm reading her books I have to go back and reread paragraphs because the sentence structure is so different from other books. It takes awhile to get used to, but it grows inside of you. Once you get half way through you uncover the complexities of the style and start to hear the music of her language. It's gorgeous. The stories weave in and out, and the characters tear your heart to pieces. Sula is a story that I have read before, and will read again.

Baby Reads...

From Amazon:

After a fire destroys their home and possessions, Rosa, her mother, and grandmother save and save until they can afford to buy one big, comfortable chair that all three of them can enjoy.After their home is destroyed by a fire, Rosa, her mother and grandmother save their coins to buy a really comfortable chair for all to enjoy. "A superbly conceived picture book expressing the joyful spirit of a loving family."

This is such a sweet story. I love the messages it sends; that goodness can still come from devastation; that there is a true sense of satisfaction and pride that comes from working hard and saving for the things you want; that your community and friends will be there to hold you up when you need support. These are all things that I want Hannah to be sure of one day.

XOXO

Just a little silly for your Monday morning

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

XOXO

Currently | v.26

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:51:00 +0000

Currently I am...

anticipating Thanksgiving holiday. I love that transition to Christmas that happens after Thanksgiving. It's kind of like a kick-off party to get you in the holiday spirit. It's a good time of year right now.

buying new soap. I tried Kiss My Face olive oil bar soap for the first time and I kind of love it. Sometimes I get this nostalgic urge to use bar soap instead of standard shower gels. Some of them leave a yucky film on my skin, but this one rinses clean. And the ingredients are all natural, which I love because Hannah uses it, too.

needing to start my Christmas shopping soon. I absolutely despise the last minute mall shoppers, but I usually end up a part of it every year. Last year I did most of my shopping online, but this year I'm not as on the ball. I see a few stressful shopping trips in my near future.

thinking about the election last night and some of the reactions I've seen (in social media and real life). I expected things to get ugly, because it's been that way since the beginning, but seeing my friends be so horrible is disheartening. The worst part of all of this is seeing how quickly people can fight about things that they haven't even bothered to understand. So you think a candidate is going to ruin America? WHY? If you can't answer that question, then why say anything in the first place? Why are so many people quick to become passionate about something they are so ignorant about? I have respect for you if you have done your research, and made educated, thoughtful choices in this election. Otherwise, just be quiet.

ignoring the laundry while I write this post. Wytmer and I are trying to work together to wash, dry, fold, and put away one load of laundry each day. We've kept up with it so far, but we're both tired tonight. Laundry is one of my least favorite chores.

[Next week's themes: Reading, Wishing, Cooking, Thankful, Loving]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

My Baterina

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:54:00 +0000

This year's Halloween was so much fun. Hannah had a busy day with her school party and trick or treating in the evening. She woke up Wednesday morning asking, "It Halloween Day?" She didn't get to wear her costume to school, but she did wear a cute skeleton shirt and had a party with her friends. They ate cookies and juice and Hannah said they played with sticks (I'm not sure what that means, but she was pumped up about it). After work I picked up my giddy girl and we came home for a little while before heading over to my parents' house. Hannah put on her costume when we got there, a purple and black baterina (bat/ballerina) that she picked out herself. My parents ordered mexican take-out and Wytmer and I took Hannah trick or treating with my step brother, his fiancee, and her son Brayden. Hannah was so fearless when it came to walking up to the doors and saying "trick or treat!" She walked in front of her daddy and me and kept saying, "I do it by myself."

After trick or treating, we headed back to have dinner and a few pieces of candy. Hannah sucked on a tootsie pop and threw a massive tantrum when it was time to leave. Despite the rocky ending, we had a great time.

XOXO

p.s. I'm joining in with Mama Mandolin's Halloween Link Up. You should too!

Currently | v.25

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:25:00 +0000

My two favorites napping in the big bed this past weekend.

Currently I am...

Loving Halloween. Hannah had the best time tonight. We went to my parents house to trick or treat with my step brother, his fiancee, and her little boy who is Hannah's age. Hannah dressed as a ballerina bat (I let her pick it out), and she did an awesome job trick or treating. We went all up and down the block and she remembered to say "trick or treat" and "thank you" at almost every door. There was a monstrous meltdown all the way home, through her bath, and into bed, but we still had a great time. I'll hopefully get a post together for tomorrow so you all can see her cute little costume.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving break. The first semester of the school year is always the toughest because there aren't many breaks in between. A week at home with Hannah sounds heavenly, and I'm counting down the days.

Cooking steaks. Lately I've been on a mission to perfect my steak cooking technique. I really enjoy that aspect of cooking; that gradual progression into something perfect. It's frustrating in the beginning when everything you make tastes like burnt cardboard, but persistence pays off. So far my method of steak cooking includes a 30 minutes salt bath, followed by a dry rub with lots of cracked black pepper, and a super hot cast iron skillet. We like our steaks well done, so I'm working on timing it so that it's still as tender as possible without any pink.

Catching...I seriously cannot think of anything that I am catching. I've never been good at physically catching things (please don't ever toss me anything. It is panic inducing). I'm also, luckily, not catching any colds at the moment (I hope). And I sure as heck am not catching up, or catching zzz's, or catching a break. Perhaps instead I could talk about things I am dropping. That is a much more common occurrence.

Missing any opportunity for quiet me-time. I'm really an introverted person and enjoy being alone. My sanity requires that time to just be still. It's so hard to get that time and sometimes I find myself getting upset with people (like my family) who seem to constantly need my attention. This is another reason why I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break.

[Next week's themes: anticipating, buying, needing, thinking, ignoring]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

Currently | v.24

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:23:00 +0000

Currently I am...

Worrying about money. Planning a wedding and paying for Hannah's Montessori school at the same time is pretty draining. We have what we need, but it's still quite a bit stressful thinking about everything that needs to be paid for right now.

Listening to Hannah snoring next to me in bed, a fan whirring in the corner, a load of laundry tumbling in the dryer, and Wytmer watching some sport thing on TV in the living room. It's the nightly sounds of our home and the calm predictability of it sets my body at ease.

Wishing for time. I'm always wishing for time these days. Time to get the chores done, time to grade the growing stack of papers, time to sit with Wytmer, time to hold Hannah, time to rest. I wish I could pause the world just for a little while so I could play catch up, and then just be forever in the moment once I press play again.

Observing that living in Texas during this election is more than a little upsetting. I'll leave it at that because I don't want to start on the touchy topic of politics in this space.

Considering doing a family photo shoot next month. I wanted to get some photos done before the wedding, but I wasn't very interested in traditional engagement photos or even a bridal session. I talked to my photographer and she's going to be doing a shoot of our whole family in the next few weeks. I'm pretty excited already.

[Next week's themes: loving, looking, cooking, catching, missing]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

Mama Reads. Baby Reads.| v. 5

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We may be super busy in our home lately, but we are still finding time to read a few good books. It's been awhile since I last posted about what Hannah and I have on our bookshelves, so I thought I might share a little today.

Mama Reads

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Three) by Rick Riordan

From Amazon:

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it’s up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared—a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

I'm enjoying this series quite a bit. The Greek mythology aspect of it is really neat because everything plays together well. I don't love the voice of the narrator very much though. The narrator tells the story very much like a teenage boy, which makes sense since that is the target audience, but I sometimes feel like it holds the story back. Still, the series is fun and quite exciting.

Baby Reads

Mouse's First Halloween by Laura Thompson

This is a cute little book about a mouse who keeps getting frightened by various Halloween type things. He finally gets to the end of the book and realizes that sometimes it's fun to be a little scared, especially on Halloween.

I like this book because it has a lot of descriptive language and it's very repetitive, which Hannah likes. Plus, it's about Halloween, and that's a pretty big deal in our home right now.

What books are you all reading? Feel free to do your own Mama Reads/Baby Reads post and leave a link in the comments. I'm always looking for new books for me and Hannah.

XOXO

Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 19:47:00 +0000

I've always loved the slowness of a weekend breakfast. It's such a luxurious feeling to linger at the table with my family, waking up over a cup of hot coffee. This weekend Wytmer is working, so Hannah and I had a girls only morning. I made her favorite--buttered toast with a side or strawberries and milk--and marveled at the way she can now sit in a chair without a booster seat and still reach her food. We sat for a good part of an hour and whispered about the day, enjoying the stillness of our home. She noticed her shadow on the floor and asked me when the sun woke up. I checked the weather and wiped strawberry juice from her hands.

More and more these days I am finding that the biggest moments in my life are most often the smallest ones.

XOXO

Currently | v. 23

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Some recent art that Hannah did at school.

Currently I am...

Feeling stressed and worn out. I'm trying to find a way to explain that so I don't sound like I'm whining. Because really, I'm also always feeling extremely blessed and I realize that the things that are stressing me out are good things (my job, wedding planning, etc.). But right at this moment I'm feeling more than a little like I've spread myself too thin.

Drinking Target brand spiced apple cider. I accidentally grabbed this instead of apple juice last week and I'm loving my mistake. It's got orange and clove mixed in with the cider and it's oh so yummy. I want to fill a travel mug up with it and go on a hay ride. So Fall.

Looking for the perfect address stamp to make sending wedding invitations just a little easier. Etsy has some great options. Also I'm looking for the cheapest place to buy small bottles for our centerpieces. Suggestions are welcome.

Dreaming of having a day just to be by myself. Just the idea sounds so luxurious. I think I would probably just read a book and take a bath by myself. Maybe go for a walk or shop without anyone rushing me. Just a day to slow down.

Making breakfast more often. Lately I have been getting up just a bit early so I can grab some food to go with my morning coffee. My favorite is an egg and cheese sandwich on a toasted English muffin.

[Next week's themes: worrying, listening, wishing, observing, considering]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"

Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This weekend was spent attempting to nurse Hannah back to health. She caught a nasty stomach bug that had her feeling really under the weather since Thursday. I took off work on Friday so I could keep Hannah at home. Lots of throwing up and not enough drinking fluids had me pretty worried, but happily she's on the mend now. Sunday she was feeling well enough to eat some crackers and keep down her pedialyte. She let me wash and comb her matted hair and we spent a sunny morning in, watching Little Einsteins, playing with her princess castle, and folding a lot of laundry.

Hopefully we can keep her healthy now that she isn't sick anymore. Being at school is always rough on her immune system. I'm thinking about getting her a multivitamin. Any mamas have any suggestions?

XOXO

Currently | v. 22

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Davitt) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 01:25:00 +0000

Currently I am...

Watching Hannah while she reads some books before bed. We're having a little quiet time while Wytmer is out at the driving range with my dad. I've always loved how Hannah can get so calm and wrapped up when I give her a stack of books. Her growing passion for reading is one of the things I am most proud of.

Reading Book 3 of the Percy Jackson series. I'm really enjoying the stories so far, even though the writing isn't anything special. The plot line is fun, and I'm a bit of a nerd for Greek mythology, due to the fact that I teach The Odyssey ever year.

Eating breakfast for dinner tonight. It's a favorite in our home. Tonight we feasted on scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and biscuits.

Inspired by Autumn. I just love this time of year. The weather here in Texas is finally starting to cool down a bit, and we're making plans to visit the pumpkin patch in the next couple weeks. There's just something so rejuvenating about the season changes. I love the chance to start fresh.

Thinking about the idea of moving in the next couple years. We want to start getting settled somewhere permanent before Hannah starts kindergarten. I want to live somewhere with good schools and a diverse community that is close enough to my job and our families. We have a little while to think about it, but I hope we are able to get there sooner than later. This mama is sick of renting apartments.

[Next week's themes: feeling, drinking, looking for, dreaming of, making]

XOXO

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thisamazingdayblog.com/"