let's catch up!

hi there!

 where have you been? 

okay but really, where have i been is more like it? absent...vacant...yes. i've been pretty MIA for no particular reason and when i looked back at my last post i couldn't believe it was in september! have i seriously not blogged since then? eek! before i get back on the blogging trail i thought i would take this post to catch up. a lot has happened since little mila turned one. she basically went from baby to toddler in one sleep. i swear she noticeably grows in a blink.

i went back to work at the end of august! i found the process to be somewhat of an emotional roller coaster where some days i couldn't wait to jump in and share my creativity again; and then there were days when i couldn't even get in the mindset, was so nervous, felt displaced and really timid about knowing anything outside of feeding and nap schedules. eventually i settled on not settling on any emotion and to just ride it out because there was no accurate way to feel about any of it. i plan to have a more official blog post on the matter but after a few months in the "new normal" this life feels pretty standard now. not only do i like being back but i love seeing mila in her school setting. her little individual is budding more and more every day and it's fun to see how she forms relationships with other kids and teachers on her own.

we celebrated a lot! the end of the year is always my favourite time because it's when the importance of family and friends is heightened a bit more then usual and i have always get reflective on the past year while feeling excited about the year to come. there is also jay's birthday and my favourite holidays in the mix. i'll admit i feel like i failed on this year's costumes for halloween. we went as three blind mice but everyone thought we were mickey mouse. must rectify for 2015!

this handsome guys and i snuck out for an anniversary date night to a movie theatre in our 'kind of new' hood. it was the sweetest two screen theatre that reminded me so much of northern california. it was really great to spend time with just the two of us too. those days come at a premium now so even if we are sitting silent next to each other in the theatre the post movie synopsis' we talk about always makes for a perfect date.

m and i flew out to colorado to surprise my mom before christmas. it was a really special trip because it was also the first time i got to meet my new baby niece and mila got to meet her new cousin- plus my mom's reaction when she saw us was priceless. i grew up with this side of our family and to reconnect with everyone, meet new babies and hug my grandma is just about the most wonderful way to end a year if you ask me. it's amazing how even after being removed for so long i can still come back and feel right at home there.

we experienced our first 'real' baby fever which ended us in the ER and a diagnosis of a double ear infection and upper respiratory viral infection. everything has worked itself out just fine, another three ear infections have come gone and we are currently battling a double ear infection now upping our count to five. i recently recovered from bronchitis so our house has been no stranger to antibiotics, rest and disney movies.

last but not least, in case any of you remember, i gave up chocolate for a year last valentines day and have stuck with it! more on that to come as well but for now, it's just a little update and i'm pretty proud for sticking to it!

hope you all had an amazing holiday season and happy 2015!

happy holidays

yesterday i posted a photo to instagram that jay emailed me of his fun afternoon with mila while i was at brunch with some friends. it was a pretty cute photo of m in a santa hat. simple, happy and sweet. i hadn't noticed the photo during breakfast so it wasn't until i got home to see m napping on jay and jay asking "did you see it?" not sure if it is just the holiday season, our new sweet babe, or the fluctuating hormones still kicking around but i started to tear up the moment i saw it. there is just so much joy behind that face and of course behind the dad taking it.

here is a shot of what our cloud looks like after their fun time together. i mean, nine times the photo equals nine times the cuteness right? 

i think so.

hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

xo

it's thanksgiving weekend here in canada and we are heading on a two hour car drive to celebrate with family...wish us luck!

i'm hoping miss m will just pass out but she has been pretty hit or miss when it comes to car rides. she hasn't quite decided what to make of them yet. it must be hard to be so little with all of these new experiences being thrown at you. but i have made sure to pack our bags with some good distracting toys, soothers (in case we drop one in the road, because that happened and wasn't too fun), and a bottle just in case we can't pull over right away.

somehow we managed to make something to bring with us too! more jay managed to make something while i sang little richard songs to mila this morning. or the parts of what little richard songs i knew. okay, it was pretty much tutti frutti on repeat. sometimes this girl gets burdened by whatever song pops in my head first, but at least we have a good time dancing around to them.

hope you have a great weekend! 

and you ask...why do i love this holiday so???

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

home.

{a pretty home i walk by every day- love passing by these two trees!}

handsome and i have been home for a little over a week now and i must say it's great to be home!  we came back to the most amazing fall colours i have seen in toronto.  the weather seems to be skipping ahead a bit because it pretty much feels like winter, but that's okay!  it just means bulky sweaters, knee high boots and cozy scarfs, and who doesn't like that right!?

plus halloween {a.k.a. my most favourite holiday} is just a few short weeks away, hooray!!  the other night, it was all i had in me to not parade costco's halloween and christmas aisles for hours.  i am pretty exited for our costume this year too!  we have had some pretty good ones over the years, but this year, our costume will be a bit more special.

 there are some pretty exciting things to look forward to in the next few months, halloween being just the start!

christmas 2011: one for the book

christmas 2011 was unlike any other 

this year we spent christmas day in the hospital where my mom has been for the past two weeks.  we knew she wouldn't be out by christmas, so we decided to make the best of pre-christmas build up and the best of christmas weekend just for her.

first up: decorate her room. 

the big sister and i bought up a lot of christmas decorations last week and slyly hung them all while my mom slept.  when she woke up she was greeted with colorful ornaments raining down from her window.  red and sliver snow flakes hung from the curtail rail {with medical tape of course}christmas cards and get well cards nicely propped up for her to see.  a tiny green tinsel tree and of course, cookies within reach.

next on the agenda: christmas eve.

it's a good thing my mom is on a regular hospital diet so we don't really need to 'sneak' in food, more just bring it to her.  so we thought it would be fun to throw a little pizza party.  we called in her favorite order {double sausage pizza with a vanilla coke} from our beloved family pizza place, frank's, and invited friends, family and nurse staff to stop by for a greasy slice and vanilla coke while a christmas story played on tv.

last: christmas day.

we had mom's present and stocking ready to go, cookies for the nurses baked and decorated, but the big sister and i were really excited about a surprise we had decided on a few days prior.  hideous pajamas for christmas morning.  to really embarrass ourselves further we decided to cut up a christmas ribbon, fashion it as an over the top bow and place it on top of our ridiculously braided hair.  the embarrassment was well worth the laughter we got the moment mom saw us.

a new tradition?

i hope everyone had a very merry christmas, ate and laughed as much as we did, but most of all, appreciated the time spent with your family and loved ones.  it just goes to show, location is no match for good company.

a very merry christmas

a red nose, a dentist & my dream of a 1960's christmas

too soon? no? okay good!

christmas has arrived!  ...sort of.

though it will be a few weeks until we put up our decorations, it doesnt stop me from tearing through the box and pulling out everything like it's the first time i have ever seen it!

to be honest, i did actually forget about our new star for the tree (and maybe was the one pushing to get it last year...maybe.)  there is just something about picking out our tree and bringing it home.  something about our apartment that smells like pine for a month and the anxiety of all ornaments within cat's reach.  something about the last month of the year, celebrated every day that just feels like home, and i happen to love every minute of it!

 

{bruce was a big help, seriously!}