A Peek at 2012's Christmas Festivities

Well, the wait for next year's Christmas season has begun all over again. So sad. I had big expectations to post updates of our Christmas happenings, but of course that didn't happen (who was I kidding?!). Now to play catch-up and show you all what Life in {the} Midle(s)' family was like this past month. Our Christmas Day will be another post soon. Warning: many photos ahead!

I put a ridiculous amount of lights on our Christmas trees...like seriously, sometimes I think I'm trying to one-up the Rockefeller Center tree (don't anyone worry, I'll get there someday)!

Beautiful flowers my hubby surprised me with: romantic AND festive...this is why I married him!

This fireplace drives me absolutely insane. I think fireplaces are the one of the greatest places in a house to decorate but how the heck are you supposed to decorate a 1980's wood stove with a giant pipe that covers the center of the mantle?! I'm still working on it but I did whitewash the brick a couple months ago which has toned it down a bit (possibly more on this later if anyone is interested). And just ignore the plethora of "baby gear" hanging around!

Stockings: Pottery Barn

Trying to display some of the adorable Christmas cards we received this year (well done, everyone!). I originally only had one string up but the hubby wanted more cards displayed, so I made another one. In an effort to not take over all our walls with cards, I put the rest in a basket. Please ignore the poor lighting of the photos!

I'm totally in love with this little hutch (no idea what it officially is called) from Target (where else?!).

Oh What Fun printable is from jandpaper

We drove around one night to look at all the lights in our neighborhood. Zack humored me as I crisscrossed all over the place and we listened to Christmas music (I'm obsessed!). And look what we found!! Clark Griswold would have been so proud!!!

Audrey and I tried to make cinnamon handprint ornaments. After experimenting with two different recipes and trying to get an overtired 5 month old to put her handprint on about a dozen ornaments, we gave up. The finished product isn't even worth showing...maybe next year. Side note: my mother-in-law was over at our house watching Audrey and preheated the oven, unaware that I had left some of the ornaments inside. Before she knew it, the house was filled with the overwhelming scent of cinnamon from a mystery source. I got a confused text while I was at work. I'm still cracking up about this.

Halfway through cookie making. I got waaay too excited and made 5 different kinds of cookies. After giving them to family and friends and a huge plate to my husband's coworkers, we still have a ton left over. Anyone want to help me get rid of them?

Audrey's 1st snow just a couple weeks before Christmas! I'm loving this adorable snowsuit but she was pretty immobile in it and totally reminded me of little Randy from A Christmas Story ("Ralphie! I can't get up!"). She was absolutely perplexed by the snow.

Opening an early Christmas gift from her Aunt Kenzie (it was an adorable outfit which I'm sure you will see in later posts!). Audrey seemed to think wrapping paper was always some sort of super delicious snack.

Can't forget that at the very beginning of the Christmas season, Audrey turned 5 months old (let's all please ignore the fact that she will be 6 months in two days and I'm super late on posting this photo!).

SANTA!! I know him!!! Actually, Audrey acted like she did know him and didn't even do a double take when we put her on the lap of a stranger in a giant red suit. This girl seriously loves the camera, such a ham! I found it funny that I was super excited and felt the same anticipation I had as a kid when I was about to visit Santa. I guess the Big Guy never loses his magic.

Dress: Target, Headband: Custom order from Jameson Monroe

And after bombarding you with pictures of our lives the past few weeks...I'll leave you with this festive little baby butt under the tree...

Merry Christmas!

'Tis the Season

Every year, without fail, I can be found at the local mall on December 23rd. I frantically criss-cross the whole mall at least twice and fight through crowds of shoppers as I try to finish start my Christmas shopping. You would think after years of doing this, I would have learned my lesson. So this year I've decided to be a rebel and start early (aka mid-December). Smart? Yes...just ignore the fact that I decided to take my almost 6 month old on a Friday evening during rush hour to start my Christmas shopping expedition.

 Just look at that face...I think Audrey had better insight into my poor shopping decision than I did. (of course, Sophie was in tow!)

It didn't take long for Audrey to warm up to the Christmas shopping experience (a girl after her momma's heart!). 

Here she is showing off a gift for her Uncle/Godfather. Look at the pride in her face at finding this deal!

Turns out Audrey seems to really enjoy shopping, just like her mom. She was patient with me while I walked Macy's floor plan at least 3 times and even took an interest in the merchandise tried to put everything she could get her little hands on in her mouth. 

She fell asleep while holding on for dear life on the ride home...get used to it kiddo!

Welcome to your 1st Christmas Season, little Sweet Pea! I hope it is a time always filled with magic, love, and the true meaning of the season!

Be Merry!

Every day we spend with Audrey takes us one day further from the life we had before she came along. Don't get me wrong, life gets better every day with our sweetheart. But sometimes memories of a simpler time are impossible to ignore, especially when you're trying to make a bottle. Try measuring formula, pouring water, putting all 4 pieces (yes, 4!) together, shake and test the temperature with one hand while two tiny ones reach frantically for it. It should be some sort of Olympic sport!

One of these flashbacks haunted me while Audrey I was getting some much needed caffeine at Starbucks. Let me just say, I absolutely love this time of year for so many reasons but the Starbucks holiday drinks are hard to beat. I was looking forward to my hot peppermint mocha before the munchkin and I did a little Christmas shopping. We had already been out running errands for a while and Audrey was starting to get hungry. I ordered my drink, grabbed a table, and fed Audrey as I eagerly anticipated that first sip of Christmas in a cup.

disclaimer: if you don't have children, are never around children, or don't care to know about what those children can do in their diapers...stop reading.

Mid-bottle, Audrey started grunting, loudly. While a few people around us thought it was funny, I watched (while still chugging her bottle) as her little face got red and her eyes started watering. I knew what was happening. I let her finished her meal and then off we went to the bathroom. Someone needs to rethink the diaper changing stations in these bathrooms, but that's another issue.

I learned very quickly after Audrey was born to pack one multiple extra outfits in her diaper bag for occasions like this. Slipping a very dirty onesie over a squirming baby's head while not making the situation messier is a skill in itself. Anyways, Audrey was successfully cleaned and changed (after running out of wipes and having to use wet paper towels on her poor little tush = mom-fail). Excited the ordeal was over, I picked Audrey up and she spit up all down the front of my shirt. Maybe she wanted me to change my clothes too?

Needless to say, my coffee was completely cold and I was in a less festive mood than when I had started. Long gone are the days of quietly sipping hot coffee and people watching. Good thing she's cute! :-)

Audrey's Birth Story

I feel like I have to recap so much and I'm kicking myself for not starting this blog earlier. It's kind of like the feeling you got when you were starting a paper the night before it was due. I'll do my best to tell the story of our lives these last four or five months in a non-boring simple and quick fashion.

The Birth of Little Miss Audrey

My official due date was June 16th. From the beginning of my pregnancy I had a feeling Audrey would arrive late. I also knew due dates weren't exact and most first time moms deliver after their due date...no big deal right? Wrong! Audrey was exactly 2 weeks late and let me tell you, those 2 weeks were a big deal to me. I had reached my goal of working full time up to June 16th and then came the 2 weeks of clock watching, excitement, and major anxiety over labor starting at any moment. My day would consist of waking up, eat breakfast, sit on the couch, nap, eat lunch, sit on the couch, nap, go for a walk, sadly tell all inquiring friends and family there were no signs of baby yet, make dinner for my husband, fall asleep on the couch, drag my butt to bed, roll around a lot trying to get comfortable. Oh and throw about twenty trips to the bathroom in there! I was so bored and large uncomfortable!

It was decided that I would be induced and on a Thursday evening, Zack and I drove excitedly to the hospital. I was still scared but oh so ready to meet our baby girl. I was given labor inducing meds all night long without too much response. I wasn't dilated at all when I was admitted. The hospital bed was so uncomfortable and my back was so sore that I didn't sleep a wink all night. I was also trying not to move too much because every adjustment I made, the monitors I was hooked up to would need to be adjusted (and I would need to go to the bathroom)...Zack slept great!

4AM rolled around and I'm pretty sure I was just staring at Zack as he slept, totally jealous and mad that he was getting the sleep I needed when my nurse came in and wanted to give me some sleep medication. I was super reluctant but took it anyways because I was so desperate. Apparently taking Ambien for me means getting 30 minutes of sleep (I have some words for the drug company about this!). The pitocin was increased every hour and it didn't really start working for about another 4 hours...dang stubborn cervix!

The abdominal labor was totally tolerable but the back labor was no joke! Baby was sunny-side up and pushing on my spine and coccyx with every contraction...after a few hours of this I tearfully admitted I needed the epidural (so not in my birth plan).

One of Zack's favorite memories was when I was in the tub trying to get comfortable, just minutes before sobbing, "I need the drugs." Our nurse was trying to talk me through a contraction but somehow she and Zack became tabloid reporters, talking about how Katie Holmes had just announced she was divorcing Tom Cruise. News to me! I stopped mid-contraction to get the scoop. Forget Lamaze or deep breathing, just hand me a People Magazine next time!

Another 12 hours of labor, 1 hour of off-and-on sleep, half an hour of pushing, the most intense feeling of simultaneous thirst and nausea later (one of the worst parts of labor), Audrey made her debut! Zack and I had never felt so much love, joy, and relief. She was perfect. The most precious part of the whole experience was Zack singing to our crying little girl and she immediately stopped crying and stared up at him.

I didn't get much sleep that night again. I was so overwhelmed and I couldn't stop looking at Audrey in the crib next to me (making sure she was breathing and not suffocating in the intense swaddle), but I was utterly exhausted...Zack slept great!

I know I promised a brief birth story but when I start thinking of Audrey's birthday I get carried away recapping the events of the day that turned into the best day of my life. I told Zack after it was all over..."That was fun! Let's do it again!"

Now 5 months has gone by in a flash and my sleep deprivation heart has grown so much watching our little Sweet Pea grow and learn new things every day. She is so curious, happy, and VERY energetic (I may be in trouble for the next 18 years). 

Life in the Midle(s)

After many months of umming and ahhing, coming up with hypothetical blog posts while stuck in traffic, wondering if I would even get a single reader, and becoming inspired by some pretty amazing (and comical) "mom-bloggers" out there, I've decided to start my own. I'll start with a few disclaimers.

I'm writing for myself and my family. I want to record our family life so later on we can look back at all of our adventures. It took me a while to get over the fact that I may never have any followers other than maybe my mom (gotta get your support somewhere!) but that's ok! If I happen to catch someone's eye with a post then yay me!

I am not a fashion blog. You won't find any "outfits of the day" here. I'm lucky if I can put on two matching socks some mornings. I envy admire all those out there who look absolutely adorable every day, but I think I put more effort into dressing my daughter than myself.

I don't have any specific talents. Sure, I'm good at a handful of things (especially loving my family), but I was not born with any insane athletic ability or artistic skills. I won't be able to produce some Martha Stewart worthy tutorial but I do enjoy the occasional (aka daily) browse on pinterest and trip to the craft store. 

It's pronounced "Mid(d)les". As in "middle of the road" or "stuck in the middle with you." In just our first year of marriage, I've heard so many different pronunciations for our last name it's ridiculous.

So there you have it. This is basically a place where I can document all the daily details that can be so easily forgotten and share pictures of my beautiful daughter and handsome husband.

(and with sheer terror, I click the 'publish' button...)