Homework

Just finished my photo class (I had to bail early to get back to my lil man so I missed the practice shoot, so I did my own...)
Not bad for my dumpy lens! ;)

Shower Season

These days if I want to go shopping for gifts that's the one and only activity I get to do that day so I find myself leaning on Amazon.com's prime shipping (2 day is free!) quite a bit! Since so many of you are also busy bees I wanted to share some of the things I've found...

Here are a few great ideas for some creative (and online) gifts to get you through shower season...
Baby Showers:
I recently purchased this fold up baby tub for Jennifer b/c she lives in NYC and has limited space for storing the loads of baby stuff that she doesn't realize she will need. I saw this on Ellen's baby shower episode and I had wished I would have gone with this instead of my bulky blue whale tub. This one fits in ANY sink and stores flat. Perfect!
http://www.amazon.com/Puj-Tub-Soft-Foldable-White/dp/B002WWF4IM/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1280250883&sr=1-1-spell

Katie got me the It'z Been timer and it was a life saver so this is one of the gifts I sent to McKenna for baby Harlow. It's crucial for those early weeks when you aren't sleeping and nursing (or bottle feeding) round the clock... Comes in pink, blue and green...
http://www.amazon.com/Itzbeen-Baby-Care-Timer-Blue/dp/B000MEB3GE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1280250639&sr=8-1


Speaking of my friend Katie (It's in the details blog) posted about this ADORABLE custom alphabet art from HootsDesignCo. and I have already ordered one for Owen. Can't wait for it to arrive because I adore this! I could have designed the whole nursery around it!


Wedding or Housewarming:
Obviously, I have a thing for customization... Most of us already have the custom address stamper by three designing sisters but I'm going with this one for my friends Macy and John that tie the knot in October. It's custom calligraphy but still has a modern edge. I love it and I think they will too! You can pick up one for yourself at Etsy. If you're looking for something more whimsical, they also come with curls around the letters or custom flowers.

Dog Days of Summer

Good morning friends! Here we are halfway through summer and already wishing for fall! Owen and I are stuck indoors all day because if I'm a little warm then Owen is dripping in sweat b/c his carseat is a little heat box. So no more stroller walks these days. The dogs are also stuck indoors (or at least in the garage) I realize they are always indoor dogs but for some reason this summer it's really too much for me. They STINK. I used to enjoy cuddling with them on the couch and I always thought that Prada would be my little baby... But when people tell you that once you have children the dogs are no longer your "babies" ...believe them. It's gospel. If it weren't for my husband they'd probably never leave the garage. I know, it sounds awful! I do love them, it's just different now. I feel like they make everything dirty and I'm even more crazy about keeping things clean now that I have a little one that wants to roll around on the floor. So we worked it out by making Ben the primary caregiver for those neglected handbag sisters and I'm the primary caregiver for Owen. While this sounds like Ben got the raw end of the arrangement, it also means that Ben is "fun dad" and I'm "mean mom" already because I do all the sleep training, bath times, nap times, etc. And Ben gets the giggles and kicks. I'm still much happier with this than being responsible for the (now weekly) bath times of the THREE squirming yorkies! Sigh, how did we wind up with 3 dogs??
In other news, I recently celebrated the beginning of the last year of my 20s. Ben bought a suite at the Mayo for Amanda, Kelly and I to celebrate last Saturday night. Which, by the way, if you haven't been... you must go check out the Mayo. It's gorgeous and the restaurant/bar, Trula, is delish. They also have a really cool rooftop bar that currently doesn't serve dinner but you can take your own picnic on the roof and enjoy beverages from the Mayo. We had a great time. It was the first time I realized, that while I'm not really the same pre-baby Addie anymore, I can still go out with the girls and have fun. It's a new kind of fun, no more grape escapes for me and... why force it? I'm so happy with my life now and I love the time I get to share with the people I care about... even if it is earlier in the evenings these days! I had a great time with the girls and then I caved and went home to my baby at midnight. So I still haven't had a night away from the little guy, but there is plenty of time for that later.
Baby stuff-
Owen is rolling over, laughing, squealing, and almost sitting up without falling over. He is HUGE. It makes me so sad that he is growing up so quickly!