after i saw the picture below i ran upstairs to grab an old candy tin that i use to save buttons in.  i had to laugh at the resemblance!

yesterday i made homemade fish sticks for lucy.  they were fun to make.  i bought fresh cod and cut them into little strips and battered and pan fried them for a minute before sticking them in the oven to finish.  while making them i kept thinking if lucy does not eat these i'm going to cry.  because there has been times when i've taken the time to make her something other then what we're eating only to have her refuse it completely.  its like a stab in the heart after all your time and effort.  but luckily she ate them up.  nate and i snuck in a few pieces ourselves. 

after cooking for lucy and nate i went out with my girlfriends for a fun birthday dinner.  i love my little group of friends we go out almost every month for someones birthday and its just a great time for us girls to catch up and have fun.  i got a bunch of gifts that were all so thoughtful and sweet because each and every single one of them was something that i loved and couldn't wait to use.  thats when you know you've got some good friends!

lucy couldn't get enough of our neighbors puppy.  completely adorable and cuter then lucy.  she wanted to give it kisses the whole time.

life has finally settled back into a nice comfy routine.  most mornings lucy and i are out doing something with our mommy friends or at the library.  we wake up at 9 and usually are out the door to play by 10.  i signed lucy up for the little gym on wednesdays and i think she's going to like that.

there was about a week there where i thought i was never going to survive.  my parents had just left, lucy was transitioning to one nap, and clung to me like velcro all day.  i finally figured out her little "velcro phase" was probably due to my parents leaving.  i think she was freaked out that i was going to leave and not come back.  poor lucy must've been hard wondering where her "ah ma" and "ah gon" went.  but yes life has resumed to a nice normal pace and we're looking forward to some pumpkins, warm apple cider and candy!

                          

                              

first sleep over

lucy had her first sleepover saturday night.  she spent the night at haddies house.  i was not worried at all.  she was in good hands.  little haddie loves playing with lucy, she's going to be a great big sister this coming february. 

i texted joy right after we left asking if lucy cried when we left.  the reply was nope playing happily, after that i was completely at ease.  not that we would've turned around if she was crying but it just makes you feel better.  at least for me.

later when we got home that night it was kinda odd not having lucy asleep upstairs.  the house seemed extra empty.  i did miss going up to her room and peeking in on her.  if i come home late i always like to go up and watch her sleeping peacefully before i head to bed myself. 

baby girl you did great on your first sleepover!  i'm sure there will be many more in your future.

turks and caicos replay...

here are the pics, it took me a minute to go through them.  there's just so many, there's still too many so just scroll on through if your over them.  who wants to look at other peoples vacation pictures right???

we had a great time, so glad my parents also got to experience it.  i think the best part for me was watching my parents snorkel.  they loved it and snorkeled everyday!  i wished that lucy was old enough to see all the fish that were swimming around just below her dangling toes.

if i could i would live there.  we met this beautiful family on the beach that had just moved there from london.  they had the awesome accent and chicness of europeans.  when i asked how long they've been there her reply was "we just moved here sunday." oh i was so jealous!  to be able to just pick up and move to a carribean island!  and they seemed like the kind of family that didn't mull over it forever and just did it on a whim.

nate says i must've been some kind of sea animal in a past life.  i could swim in the ocean all day and not get out.  i feel so comfortable and at ease in the ocean.  it washes all my stress away.  it has that effect on me.  maybe thats why i'm always looking to get to the ocean somewhere.

we were hoping lucy was going to start walking on vacation.  it would've been a great story to tell her someday.  she only took a few steps from one furniture to the next.  we did a lot of cooking for her on this trip.  last time was much easier when she was on bottles and baby food.

things that i don't want to forget:

lucy giggling in the back seat of the car with the wind blowing in her hair and nothing but a diaper on.

my parents snorkeling and feeding the fish.

nate rocking his long hair and tan like a local.

the beautiful sunset we shared on leeward beach.

our first sea turtle experience

lucy pointing at boats and signing boat.

our 10hr, let me correct that 12hr layover in miami. (lucy fared the best out of all of us on this one)

hanging out as a family with my parents on a island in the carribean. ♥ 

i just remembered another one, i want to remember the completely freeing and beautiful weightless feeling i felt as i was suspended beneath the water staring at the fish and coral when it started raining.  the light changed and made the water crystal gin clear.  i looked up at the surface of the water and it was like a million diamonds were being dropped from the sky.

i wanted to stay out there forever, i popped my head up out of the water and saw that everyone had gotten out.  a little rain was not going to hurt, we were in the ocean?? so i slowly sank back under into my little beautiful water world.

see the line of rocks, where we snorkeled daily.  saw a blowfish one day!

i love this picture of my parents

one day were going to get down there and kayak through those islands

what a spot for a nap. lucy's little napping tent.

12hr layover

the markings on his shell blends in with the seagrass

these are my yoga poses

doras galore!

already missing my mom's cooking so i actually "cooked" myself lunch yesterday.  lunch usually consists of whatever leftovers i can scrounge up or some fruit.

my egg/tomato dish didn't turn out as great as my moms.  i should've paid more attention when she was here!

houston, we have take-off

lucy is officially walking! it literally happened overnight.  friday night she took six or seven steps then saturday my parents practiced with her a little and she started walking longer and longer distances.  today she is all over the house walking by herself!  i'm hanging out in the kitchen and she's just taking laps around the kitchen bar.  i can hear her feet pitter patter when she disappears from view.  i guess since it took her till now to walk she didn't need any practice.  i feel like she's walking like a pro already.  so weird to see her go from completely not walking one day to full on all day walking.

i've been trying to post some video of her walking but for some reason it's not working. grrrrr!

also i need to go buy some baby gates now she's more mobile, we don't want her tumbling down the stairs.  although she knows how to go up and downstairs already.  i think my saving grace is she's a super cautious and careful type of baby.  i mean look at how long it took her to walk, she wanted to make sure she GOT IT.

hmmm, i also need to reevaluate our babyproofing.  now that shes walking everywhere i think there's more things for her to get into.  ie a fake flower pot on our end table that she's never tried to pull down even when she was standing by the end table.  today she showed interest in it.  we haven't really "babyproofed" our house that much.  i think we covered up a few plugs and used rubber bands to keep a few cabinet doors shut and thats about it.  she doesn't get into much, it must be her personality.

anyways my parents also left to go back home today.  they were here for 2 months and it was really great.  it's really going to start sinking in the next few weeks that it's back to me and lucy everyday by ourselves.  i've got to get myself back on a good schedule.  no more free for all.

have a safe flight mom and dad.  lucy's missing you guys already.

r