Week in the life: Monday

This week I am joining scrapbooker extraordinaire, Ali Edwards, in chronicling a week in my life. This year has brought many changes to my routine, my marriage, my body, my commitments, and the things I value as important. I am hoping this week will help me journal the little everyday moments that are worth remembering 2, 5, or 10 years from now.

Remember This: I want to remember the early morning hours Piper and I share. I get her all to myself during those early morning feedings and she is so smiley, cuddly, and sweet. She coos softly and snuggles into my chest. Her eyes focus solely on mine. She smells of baby shampoo and lavender lotion. I could drink that scent in forever. In these moments I thank God she is here, that she is healthy and that she is mine.

Observations: The family bed. Jeff and I have shared our bed with the pups since we adopted them 5 years ago. This afternoon Piper joined our bed for some tummy time and the pups wanted in on the action. I love how they are all interacting with each other.

Favorite Moments: I am blessed to have a husband who knows I need to workout daily. Today I ran three miles, the best stress reliever in the world. Running is still INCREDIBLY hard for me, my speed and pacing are still off, but I feel I am getting stronger everyday.

Best: I am currently wearing a pair of jean shorts (jorts!) that I once wore pre-marriage and pre-baby. Fitting into old clothes is such a confidence booster.

Worst: Piper would not go down for her afternoon nap without a BIG fight. She is so afraid of missing something that she fights sleep at all costs. This usually results in 10 minutes of pitiful crying on her part, lots of swaddling rocking and walking on my part, and a few prayers and whispers of "please, please please, GO TO SLEEP!"

I want to remember: Sitting on the porch with Piper enjoying the cool air that swept in after our crazy afternoon thunderstorm. She reclined in her stroller while I read a few chapters of my book club book. I love how everything smells after a hard rain.

Love this story: I love my iphone. Facetime allows me to skype my Mom. Facebook keeps me in my social loop. And the camera lets me capture images instantly. Piper and I have a new game called "Who's that baby?" I use the reverse camera function to show Piper her reflection and she loves it. She loves to look at herself!

Recipe: Mango Pineapple Lawnmower: 1 banana, 5 frozen mango chunks, 5 frozen pineapple chunks, 1/4 cup of orange juice, 1 cup of spinach, 1/2 cup of water. Blend well.