Elliana

Impromptu photoshoot at our house with Auntie Taryn :)  xoxo 

the perfect celebration...

my fabulous friend kate married her long-time love, jp, back in november...we had planned on attending the magical festivities but our sweet little bambina had arrived a few short weeks earlier and it just wasn't in our cards.  thankfully, one of my bff's taryn (joielala) was hired to capture all of the beautiful memories...and by beautiful, i mean totally absolutely completely unbelievably goooorgeous.  their wedding had such special personal touches, and i hear it was full of meaningful and extraordinary moments.  cheers to kate & jp - such a wonderful couple...xoxo

For more, check out Joielala...

http://joielala.com/blog/2013/04/29/kate-jp-indio-wedding-part-i/
http://joielala.com/blog/2013/04/30/kate-jp-indio-wedding-part-ii/

For today...

"Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

"My goal in life is not to be happy everyday, for that is unrealistic.  My goal is to be present everyday." 

I especially love the second quote.  I believe that if you are capable of being present, every day, you will never miss a moment; you will embrace all of your blessings and live a full and beautiful life.  You will feel connected, grounded and grateful.  This is a  gift that my sweet angel baby gave me...and now I have to do my part in maintaining it.  It takes practice, everyday.

We are so blessed...

I gaze at my baby's sweet round face; her eyes wide and bright, her gaze back at me so innocent and endearing.  I look at her and think of how blessed we are.  She has everything ahead of her, and her daddy and I are so fortunate to be able to provide a warm, safe home full of love - she will be encouraged, supported and adored - and she will always have a safe place in our arms.  

I look at my sweet angel, and I think of the millions of babies and children around the world who don't have what we are able to offer our little one.  A safe, warm home.  Food whenever they are hungry, clean water when they are thirsty.  Security, peace and unconditional love.  My heart aches when I think of all the children who suffer every day…from hunger, abuse, poverty…the tiny ones who walk for miles every night in Uganda to sleep in a "safe house" to avoid being kidnapped by the LRA.  The orphans in India…Russia…China…and so many here, in our own backyard.  Those who are not safe in the arms of their parents...who are never given a chance...

I think of the mothers who feel the same incredible love that I have for Ellie, for their little ones, but who cannot provide all of the simple luxuries that so many of us take for granted - being able to give our babies nurishment, safety, warmth.  I cannot even fathom the angst and sadness must fill their hearts, being unable to give what every mother should have the right and privilege to give.

My chest tightens and eyes well up every time I look at my angel girl, and think of all of the innocent little loves who deserve everything that Ellie has been given…but simply because of where they were born or who they were born to, every day is a struggle for them.

It is so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day…silly challenges, woes and emotions…but reflecting, daily, on all that we are so fortunate to have, and fully understanding that it is simply only because of where we were born and who we were born to that we have been given all of these incredible privileges helps put things in perspective.A constant reminder of how beautiful our life is, if we choose to embrace all that we have been so blessed with, and the importance of doing our part to help those who have not.  

To my girls who started Collectively for a Cause with me…it's time to get together again…as a new mom, I feel more compelled than ever to help sweet angels in need.  I will be in touch…

Our Sweet Angel

XXO

The perfect anytime cookie...

This recipe was recently shared with me, and, with all of my experimental "healthy" baking, I couldn't believe I had never thought of this one myself.  It's perfection.  Totally, completely healthy...and equally as yummy.  You can keep it as simple as 2 ingredients, or jazz it up a bit with whatever you'd like.  And I love that they will soon be nutritious and delicious snacks for my little one...

Banana Oat Cookies

2 ripe bananas (the riper, the better!)

1 cup of oats (old fashioned - not quick cook)

Mash oats into bananas in a large bowl

*Stir in dried cranberries...or raisins...walnuts...chocolate chips...cinnamon...or anything else that sounds yummy to you!  Or just keep it really simple and stick with bananas and oats.  Either way, I promise you will like!

Bake 350 degrees for 15 min (I do about 12-13 min because I like mine a little softer).  Enjoy!!!

Little booties...

A good friend gave us a darling pair of faux-fur booties when I was pregnant with Ellie, and she's finally big enough to wear 'em...and she finds them quite interesting!

First family vacation...

We had a wonderful time last weekend as we ventured up to Ojai for our first family vacation...it was such a beautiful weekend, and with easy travel to and from (minus one mini-meltdown each way), it really made it the perfect spot for our first little getaway with Ellie.  

We spent much of our time enjoying the gorgeous grounds of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, where we stayed...nestled in the middle of a breathtaking golf course, rolling hills, an herb garden and lavender throughout; it is truly stunning.  Definitely a place we plan to go again...especially when Ellie is more excited about pool activities (she wasn't really sure what to think this time around!), and when mama has time to enjoy the spa!  

Our usual spot for breakfast and dinner...overlooking the golf course.

Our little snuggle bug

BEST BREAKFAST EVER!!!!

Clearly, I loooooved this gorgeous tree.  

We also explored the darling little town full of funky shops, a fabulous ice cream parlor, and a restaurant, Ojai Cafe Emporium, where I had the absolute best waffle ever!!  I think I'd drive back up just for the breakfast!

xoxo

Our next chapter...

Time has gone by so quickly in recent months, I can't believe I am already returning back to work (after an almost 5-month long maternity leave, which I know I am incredibly lucky to have had).  I had become so good at ignoring the fact that I would "someday" have to go back to the real world...it always seemed so far out, which was wonderful because I was able to fully be present with our sweet little angel while the thought of work was always so distant.  And here we are.  Time to go back.  I am in such a haze now...it almost feels surreal that my leave is coming to an end, and our baby girl is already almost 5 months old.  

This beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime journey (first born) has proven to be soooo much more than I expected it could ever be.  I am beyond grateful for the time I've had to bond with our sweetie - all the moments snuggling on our couch, long mornings enjoying "smoothie time" as a family, going to baby classes, visiting with friends and their little ones, walks on the strand, many brunches at North End Cafe, strolling farmer's markets, sleeping with baby girl on my chest, and all of the wonderful visits with grandparents and aunties & uncles.  So much time spent just the three of us; watching daddy sing and play...and all of the beautiful and special moments in between.  

The middle-of-the-night feedings already seem so long ago...and for any mommy who is just starting their journey into parenthood, I would say enjoy every moment of snuggles you get during the wee hours of the night.  While it might be hard to realize now (when you're in the thick of it), those sweet moments when it's just you and baby and the moon are some of the most precious times that I will always remember.

When I reflect back on the time I've had, I see the sun shining cheerfully through our living room windows, flooding our home with a warm and happy light...I'm snuggled up on our couch with my little sweetheart...it's afternoon and we are enjoying a long lazy nap together.  This has so often been the setting for us.  One of my favorite memories was over the holidays...Ellie and I fell asleep on the couch together, while the sun was still shining brightly, and when I woke up the sun had set and our living room was beautifully lit up by twinkle lights on our Christmas tree; they created such a lovely, cozy glow.  It was a perfect moment that I will never forget.  

Everyone tells me it only gets better from here.  I can't imagine that it could get any better than this...but I look forward to what's next.

xxo

Love...

...this little munchkin!

Life is only just beginning...

It's been 3 months since our sweet angel joined us into this world and our new life began.  It's unbelievable how fast time is flying now (especially since it went soooo slow during pregnancy!)...and I can honestly say I'm loving mommy-hood even more than I could have ever imagined. 

With the amazing support of my incredible hubby, endless love and care from grandparents, and our wonderful friends (many who are in the same early stages of parenthood as well), our journey has already been so beautiful and fulfilling.

Yes, being a new parent has its challenges...you're on limited hours of sleep (even though our sweet baby has slept through the night for a while now, I still can't seem to get good zzz's...I swear I sleep with one eye open!), you're constantly catering to a helpless little one and just trying your best to keep it together (sometimes I can't believe what I look like when I go out in public but I just don't have the energy or time to care anymore!).  Oh, and getting out of the house to run a simple errand - yeeeaaah, add about 45 min of prep time before you actually make it to your car.  But, even amidst countless dirty diapers, endless loads of laundry, and the fact that going to the grocery store is now a full "mission," I can't even begin to express how amazing being a parent is.  For each challenge, there are a zillion beautiful moments that make it all worth it.  

I truly believe that our life has only just begun.  The never-ending love, adventures, travel, traditions...special memories...all still lie ahead.  We are trying to dive in as gracefully as possible as we begin our new chapter full of bubbles, giggles, coos, messes, dirty diapers, spontaneous smiles and sweet snuggles, and I'm trying to hold onto each moment as they so quickly pass by.  I look at the "busier" (aka "tough") days as good learning experiences, and try to soak in every moment on the easy days...either way they are both absolutely, totally, completely, utterly wonderful.

So happy.

xoxo