The Eyes Have It

Let's talk lashes. I'm a total lash lover. If stranded on a desert island one of my three items would definitely be mascara. (Only half joking.) Sometimes it's hard for me to feel truly awake until my eyes have "popped". My lashes are long, but thin, and makeup free they're basically non-existent. But a swipe of YSL's Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara and I'm ready for my close up. With a non-clumpy, voluminous and pro-vitamin formula, I'm sold.

What are your favorite mascara's?

Jonesborough Day

On a pretty spring day, we spent a bit of the afternoon in Tennessee's oldest town, historic Jonesborough. Strolling these streets is as close to stepping back in time as one can get in 2015.

Quaint cafe's and one of a kind shops scattered among 18th century homes converted into bed and breakfasts, museums, and more, fill Main Street with a sweet southern spirit of yesteryear.

Rich in history from the travels of Daniel Boone, the American Revolution, and the Civil War, to more modern claims to fame such as the National Storytelling Festival and Jonesborough Days, an annual three-day celebration centered around Independence Day, a visit is sure to spark your inner history buff.

As a kid, my mom worked on Main Street, and looking back it was probably my first exposure to a "city" environment. That is, lots of stuff in a little space. I loved visiting her at the office, having lunch at a grown up spot and browsing the nearby gift shop for mementos of our day. Being back felt oddly familiar, but with a new appreciation for the vast history these streets hold.

Watermelon Cutie

Maybe because it was the first really warm day, and it felt like summer. And we call her juicy, and her watermelon romper was begging to be worn. But we couldn't help ourselves from shunning the to do list and taking 500 pictures of this gloriousness. Raise your hand if you could just take a bite right out of her! 

So happy for spring!

Feeling Lucky

St. Patrick's Day was a little different this year, but that's quite alright, because we've got the cutest little leprechaun in our lives! Before Evelina was even born, my cousin, Britt, bought all kinds of theme-y outfits (that's kind of our thing) for her first year. And it's been a blast watching her grow into them with the passing of each holiday. I'm a celebrator by nature, so I couldn't have asked for a sweeter gift for me, or E.

St. Patrick's Day is a huge deal in Chicago. Last year, Britt was visiting with us and we did the usual shenanigans. St. Pat's in Tennessee is a little less intense but we still dressed up for a few photo's and my mom kept E while Alex and I hung out a local brewery for a bit. I certainly missed the green river and our friends awesome costumes but baby's first experience of going green pretty darn swell. So glad she tolerates me.

100 Days

When I was pregnant I heard about the 100 days celebration, which is meaningful in Korean culture, and loved how the custom has developed through time. Years ago, lots of babies wouldn't survive past 100 days so if they reached that milestone it was considered something to celebrate. Now days, Korean families still observe the occasion, inviting lots of friends and family and sharing special food for good luck. Even though we don't have Korean ties in our bloodlines, I loved the idea of adopting it, albeit on a much smaller scale.  Alex, myself, and my mom had dinner together, and mainly talked about how awesome E is, how much she's grown, and oogled at her adorableness.

Saying 100 days feels big and small. It's a small chunk of an entire life, but for 100 days she's been my entire life. And I am loving this new world with her.

100 days of watching her grow. 

And watching us grow into parents. 

100 days of being grateful. 

Of being amazed by it all. 

100 sweet mornings. 

(And 99 sometimes sleepless nights.) 

100 days of a new kind of love. 

Happy 100th day my sweetest squish!

The Greatest Luxury

I've always been in a race against time. I've ruined plenty a memory by not living in the moment. And I've lived a life feeling rushed, sometimes even when there's no such reason. Blame it on the way I navigated the fast pace of city life, or my planner/preparer personality. But if there's one thing I've learned over the past few months, it's that time is life's greatest luxury.

Time to appreciate a foggy morning.

And to gaze at the lights at night.

Time to catch a kiss on camera. 

To study the color of their eyes.

Time to swing with my baby girl on a spring day until we've had our fill.

To waste our minutes wisely.
Making memories, not do to lists.

Time is free, but it's priceless.

And this is the best time.

Evelina - Three Months

You guys, I have a three month old. How? How?

This month has been equal parts amazing and adjusting. Her personality is developing more every minute, which is incredible to watch, but it also means she's figured out some of what she like/doesn't like and has learned how to demand it! :)

Stats:

• Weight: (coming soon)
• Length: (coming soon)
• Eyes: blue, a little less gray now. 
• Hair: Brown. It's growing back in where she lost it in front and the hair that never left is super long. 
• Size: Finally graduated to size one diapers. Still in some newborn clothes, mostly bottoms, and wearing mostly 0-3 in tops. I see newborn items now, especially shoes. and they look so tiny. It's hard to imagine that she was ever that small. My three month old feels huge compared to that, even though lots of folks say she's pretty tiny. 
• Looks: Like Dad from the front, but a little more like me from certain angles. I still want to nibble the heck out of her chin.
• Personality: Still mine. 
• Nicknames:  E, E Baby, Squish, Juicy, Sweet Juice, Baby Girl, Juice Juice
• Feeding/Sleeping: Four hour feeding stretches and six hour sleeping, I'll take it! 

Likes:

• Baths - she learned how to kick those legs and splishy splash!

• The night dance with Dad. I cannot, for the life of me, put my child to sleep at night. Even if she's full, it's like she smells me and gets all milk crazy. So I hand her off to Alex and he does this little be-bop routine around the house until she's out like a light. Win! 

• She's still pretty cool with strangers/people she doesn't see that often.

• Wiggling. I really don't know how to convey how much this child wiggles. We affectionately call it "swatting bee's" because it's every extremity flailing at once but she's as happy as can be!

Dislikes:

• Naps! 

Other highlights and happenings this month:

• Everything changed with growth spurt between week eight and nine. At week seven we could take her anywhere. By week ten we were kind of like, OMG can we ever eat in public again? She doesn't sleep as much, and she needs more entertainment. Of course at the time of typing (week thirteen) we've sort of figured out her new-ish needs/routine, but every time she takes a little fit, I'm reminded of the quote I saw once on this blog and just keep repeating it - "Babies be babies". Meaning, sometimes they're just going to act like babies so don't lose your mind over it. It really helps! 

• That said, she hardly ever wails or cries insanely, (unless she's in pain, more on that in a minute) it's more like she's fretful and can't get comfortable. She doesn't really like to be held in a sitting position, she much prefers "standing". Sometimes it take several tries of shifting with her giving us, "aaah, aaah, aaah's" as feedback until we figure it out. Her preferences change by the day...

• She discovered her hands! On the 18th Alex and I both separately noticed that she was holding out her right hand and staring at it. Even though she's had a funny arm thing since birth the way she was doing it was definitely more intentional. By the next morning, playing on her activity mat, she was grabbing and holding on to her toys and pulling them towards her mouth. It's like we literally get to watch her grow and it's the most amazing thing! 

• The lowlight this month was a major case of diaper rash. Major. (Ring the bad mom alarm.) It got out of hand and fast. Within a day it was so raw I couldn't bear to put a diaper on her so we spent the day shifting out old blankets and towels underneath her and reapplying creme and trying not to feel like complete jerks for letting it get so bad. That painful cry she had will haunt me for the rest of my days. Completely heartbreaking. But luckily she healed quickly and within 24 hours we were a much happier family.

• She snores. Like full on tiny baby snores. It's pretty adorable. 

• Teething. Well, more like gumming. We're cruising through at least 3 bibs a day from drool and her gnawing on them. She won't take a pacifier and so far I can't get her to understand teethers, she just licks them and smiles. :)

• So. Many. Smiles. A few almost giggles, too!