13/52 & 14/52.

"A portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2013."

Yes, I am posting a grainy front facing iPhone photo, but I just love this sweet moment I was able to capture. 

Felix had her six month wellness check-up where the doctor gave us the go on starting solids. My boobs and I were pretty excited about this! We've decided to do a week of rice cereal to get her used to eating from a spoon. Then for a month, we'll introduce her to a green vegetable each new week. 

Fe weighed 16 lbs 1 oz, 25 inches. My growing perfect little girl.

Felix, 28 weeks. 

Felix decked out in her Texas Rangers gear for Opening Day!

Her first food was green peas (understandably, she was more excited about the game).

How I still kissed that green smeared mouth of hers.

Felix, 29 weeks. 

Felix's pal.

We spent all of yesterday traveling. I can now say I've been on a plane that has been struck by lightening. I know it happens more often then you (I) think, but it has never happened to me and I'm already a nervous flyer. I was glad to have husband's hand to hold. Thanks be to God for keeping our Felix girl safe.

Our few days with family in Virginia was just that-- TOO FEW. It went by incredibly fast and I wasn't ready to leave.

I'll share a few photos from our trip next time but today I want to relax with my teething baby (she cut her first tooth!!! at least now we know the reason for the extra fussiness) and attempt at unpacking our bags.

But! I had to share Felix's new pal that came home with us from our trip to my in-laws. My husband's cabbage patch doll when he was a baby!


I think Felix and Bobby Humphries are going to be the best of friends, just like her Papa and him. 

(this is totally random but two things I loved at the airport : family restrooms are so much cleaner! & those quick spa places. I spent $50 for a 30 minute back/shoulder/neck chair massage and it was quite possibly the best massage I have EVER had. My poor back needed to be popped in so many different places and when he did me that favor, it felt so good I wanted to cry and hug him at the same time)

VA is for Lovers.

Tomorrow will be the first time I fly with my husband. Crazy right?

We are taking our baby Maxham to visit her Grandparents over Easter weekend and staying until the third. We'll also spend some time with Chip's sister and her family. We're really excited for Felix to meet her cousins! My mother-in-law bought Felix and cousin Nora (who is three) matching Easter dresses.  :)

So excited to be with family in a beautiful part of the country. I really miss living in Virginia. I'm crossing my fingers that it rains while we're there. Oh how I've missed the rain.

See you when I get back xoxo

(photos taken on a disposable camera while we lived in Lynchburg)

Toys of my childhood.

Now that I have a daughter, I'm always in search of toys of my childhood. How I wish we hadn't moved around a lot when we were younger (our dad was in the Air Force) because we probably would have kept all of our toys. Along with my Jem, She-Ra, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears and Poochie (ooh and the water ring toss game!) toys, I wish so much I could pass along these childhood favorites to Felix:

Marianne and I had all the Rainbow Brite dolls 

Lite Brite 

Remember the stickers that came with the My Little Pony Dream Castle? And all the different kind of My Little Ponies like the twinkle eyed pony and the petite pony collection.

The original Polly Pocket

Fashion Plates 

Remember these? Its symbol and nails disappear with water. 

Cupcake dolls! Didn't they smell good? 

Wow. Seeing these, brought back so many memories! 

What were some of your favorites? 

A Pretty You & Me bracelet for Felix.

My really good friend Sarah makes beautiful bracelets for her jewelry line, Pretty You & Me. The other day while on a lunch date at our favorite brick oven pizza place, my heart exploded when she handed me a little PY&M bracelet she made just for Felix. 

Just to give you an idea of the mini cuteness, Fe's bracelet is on the left and one of mine is on the right. Sarah even put a sweet deer charm on Felix's. Swoon!

(The sandals she's wearing? How we announced we were having a girl!)

I asked Fe to pose for me and she went Blue Steel. Oh Felix Zoolander, you crack me up.

Sarah, thank-you for the cutest bracelet ever! We are in love with it. I'm thinking you need to definitely start a Pretty You & Me tot line. Felix is already a fan. XO 

12/52.

"A portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2013."

When Felix and I are out and about, perfect strangers stop to sweetly comment that she looks just like a doll. I can't get over it either.

Felix, 27 weeks.

My Last Five.

If you asked me to take down the last five books I've read, these are the ones I'd grab for you from my bookshelf. 

Made me love her even more. I love what she wrote about marriage and being on the same team. 

I've had this one sitting on my shelf for awhile and finally picked it up. This exchange from the beginning sunk me in:

You looked as if you didn't need anyone, she said. 

But those are the ones who need the most, he said. Don't you know that? 

The book is so much better than the movie (though it's beautifully cast). 

I want to hug Anne Lamott. She got me through the trenches of the first weeks of motherhood with her honesty and tenderness. I just passed this one along to a dear friend who might need her now for different reasons, and I hope she feels as I do about this book. 

Hands down, one of my absolute favorites. I could not put this book down. I read it while nursing Felix and I actually looked forward to nursing her because of this book. If you haven't read it yet, READ IT NOW. I will send you my dog eared copy. 

(This is one of those rare gems where the movie is actually as great as the book. They couldn't have picked a better Charlie or Patrick. Please do yourself a favor and read the book, see the movie. I wish I could watch it with you)

“And if the man who once upon a time had been a boy who promised he'd never fall in love with another girl as long as he lived kept his promise, it wasn't because he was stubborn or even loyal. He couldn't help it.”
― Nicole Krauss, The History of Love

I have wanted to read this for so long and finally decided to as a Valentine's treat to myself. I wanted to love it because I waited so long and because I love her husband's novels. And yet. If you've read this, I would love to discuss it with you (because I hate spoilers and fear I would give too much away saying what I didn't like about this book). 

I'm in need of a new read. Any suggestions? What were the last five books you've read?

(another last five post)