What Momma Really Wants for Christmas.

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My "I Want" Christmas list is probably a mile long.  It includes unnecessary things such as but not limited to: Christian Dior So Real Sunglasses, the Louis Vuitton Pallas bag, and Valentino pumps (Actually, I think I do really need these).  My "I need" list, well, pretty much goes something like this, new underwear (Yes, you've read that right).  Seriously, I haven't gone underwear shopping in what feels like years.  Momma needs some underpants, ya'll.  However, if Santa were to really grant my momma wishes this is what he'd place underneath the Christmas tree (well, not literally, if you know what I mean).

1.> A full-time house cleaner.  I may be wrong (which I rarely am) but this is probably every.single.mothers.dream.  Can you even imagine the wonderful life it would be?  Santa, can you read this?  Do you accept Christmas emails?

2.> A personal chef; specifically one that cooks breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.  Okay, okay six days a week.  The thought of this makes my heart go pitter-patter.  Home-made Belgian waffles on a Tuesday morning?  Coming right up!

3.> One year's worth of full-body massages.  Enough said.

4.> One year's worth of manicures and pedicures.  There is just something about a freshly made manicure and pedicure that does wonders to my psyche.  Having the perfect nails all year round, well, hot damn.

5.> A personal stylist, a personal hairstylist, and a personal make-up artist. On-call, twenty four hours a day.  Kidding, I sleep for at least seven of those hours.

6.> And last but certainly not least, a lifetime supply of wine.  Red, white, whatever.  Just wrap it and put a bow on it.

My favorite Christmas song as a child was "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"; If you see me Santa, you know what's up.

xx

I'll never be #instafamous.

Hand me a box of tissues!  Truth: I have spent the last .0893475 seconds enjoying a good cry.  Apparently, I have been misusing Instagram all this time.  ALL THOSE YEARS.  ALL THOSE PHOTOS.  ALL THAT INSTANT GOODNESS.  Ya'll if you didn't know, Instagram is NOT for snapshots.  Oh-no-it-is-not.  Apparently, Instagram is the place where you a.) Share super staged photos taken with your DSLR, b.) Share super staged photos taken by professional photographers, or c.) Share super staged photos under only the most perfect of natural light, duh.  Can't do any one of those?  Well, then you my friend, have zero chance of becoming #instafamous.  I KNOW, turn on the waterworks.

I can't speak for all instagram users of the world, however, I am almost certain that this popular social media outlet was created to be used with your phone.  Um, I don't know about you, but when I hear "instagram" the word instant comes to mind.  Taking your DSLR out, arranging people and things just right, well, that doesn't sound "instant" to me.  Does it to you?  Am I guilty of posting photos taken with my DSLR?  Yes, yes I am.  Do I do it on an everyday basis?  No, no I don't.  I'm probably just hating on the person that has the time, and the patience to do this.  Staging photographs with a little toddler that demands your attention, well, that shit just isn't going to happen.

Are you a professional photographer?  Do you have friend that is a professional photographer?  Are you financially capable of having a photographer take hundreds of photographs of you, your family, your house & all the knick-knacks you've got lying around?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, well, I don't like you and we can't be friends.  Just kidding.  However, you must be capable of answering yes to at least ONE of these questions if you want to be the bees knees of the instaworld.  Not kidding.  

Feeling bitter?  Don't ya worry, if you have the opportunity to spend the majority of the daylight hours in the comfort of your home, you still have a chance.  Seize the natural lighting!  Me?  Well, I can kiss that "#instalife goodbye.  I am a full-time working momma; and I am pretty certain that the head of my department would not approve of the whole, "bring your DSLR & Tripod" to work thing.  Unless fluorescent lighting is your jam, I ain't your #instamodel.  Yellow tinge is my name, crappy instafeed is my game. Holla!

Follow me @leaveittoren if you're in the mood for a B-List instafeed, where crappy lighting and bathroom selfies are always in style ;)

xo

Ren

Oh, wait...

Hello, October...

Oh, wait, it isn't October.  Basically this has been my life for the last three weeks.  Wait, what day is it?  Are you SURE it isn't October?  I've been living in a whirlwind of crazy being fueled by copious amounts of coffee, hashtag mommafuel.   Why I thought I would keep up with blogging while  moving/working/wifing/mothering/friending is beyond me (you knew it wasn't going to happen, didn't you?) .  I had so many things to ramble about.  However, every night when the day was over and the house was quiet I was passed out before the laptop even turned on.  True story.

There have been so many changes in the last three weeks.  Yet, we have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to sit and reflect (I fall asleep before my head even hits the pillow).  We moved, we celebrated my future sister-in-law's bridal shower, we had a first birthday party to attend, and we get to shower one of our favorite people and her future baby next Saturday.  We've dealt with melt-downs, tantrums, and teething (will the teething EVER end?).  I've cried, and laughed, and chopped off all my hair (I did!); and I stayed up till three in the morning this past Saturday (insert wide-eyed emoji here).  September, you have kept me on my toes, I have the dark circles to prove it.  Now, all I need is a day in pajamas; scratch that, a week in pajamas.

We are mostly settled in and normalcy is slowly creeping in (at a snail's pace).  And even though Fall is nonexistent in South Florida, I find myself giddy at the thought of temperatures below 100 degrees fahrenheit.

The kitchen is clean, the babe is in bed (she's been asleep since before eight), and it is only ten o'clock.  I've eaten about a dozen cookie butter cups and don't even feel bad about it.  It is officially the last day of summer and I can say without a doubt that this summer was one for the books.  Now let me get my tush in bed (I think I may get more than seven hours and I am ECSTATIC, #momlife).

peace out.

Ren

You Know You're a Momma When...

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You Know You're a Momma When...

Welcome to the second installment of "You Know You're a Momma When..."   Should you feel inclined, you may read the first installment here.  Think about a day where you were really exhausted, now multiply that by a bajillion and three, plus two.  That is motherhood.  

This mom thing, well, it ain't for the faint-of-heart.  But when I think about the days before jumping on the crazy train, I feel a massive void.  This little girl has filled my life with so much happiness, so much joy, so much love (and so much crazy) that I could not fathom life without her. It has also provided for quite the entertainment.  When I start to think that things cannot get any wonkier, they do.

Without further ado, you know you're a momma when...

(1)  You can carry on a serious conversation about poop, boogers, and vomit without batting an eye.  In the course of a year I have been exposed to more bodily fluids than my almost 30 years of life on Earth.  Pooped on?  Yes.  Peed on?  Yes.  Puked on?  Yes.  I've also picked my daughter's boogers while eating spaghetti (No shame).  Needless to say, n-o-t-h-i-n-g grosses you out.  

(2)  You have bruises up and down your legs from bumping into furniture in the middle of the night.  For some reason I think I can navigate in pitch-dark with my eyes closed.  For the record, I can't.  I've got the bruise(s) to prove it.  Still, I do this every morning around 5 AM when Liv wakes up to nurse.  I-just-don't-learn.

(3)  Your idea of a wild Friday night is pizza, wine, clean pajamas, and sleeping past midnight.  Actually, who the 'eff am I kidding I can't make it past ten.  And, honestly, I'm not complaining.  (I also wrote about this before, but #mombrain)

(4)  What you really want for your birthday is to sleep past 8 AM in a blacked out room, with the air conditioner set at 74 degrees fahrenheit, and someone to bring you waffles and coffee around the clock at the snap of your finger (or the ring of a bell, or a scream,whatever works).  

(5)  Your toddler looks like she could have jumped out of a Baby Gap catalog when you haven't brushed your hair in three days because #priorities. 

(6) You sit down and think, "Finally, relaxation!" only to remember that you haven't emptied out your daughter's lunchbox, and you've already turned on the dishwasher, and you're too tired to hand wash them.  Oh-em-gee.

You know you're a momma when you are a permanent passenger of the 'Hot Mess Express' and all you've got to say about it is, "Choo! Choo!"

Come back next week for the next installment of "You Know You're a Momma When..." and if you have your own crazy story, please share!

xx

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday, first day of September, and the day where I hopefully get this blog back on track (That was a mouthful!).

So, let's catch up on the last few months, shall we?  If I were to fill you in on all the nitty-gritty details, we'd be here for a few hours (With the way I explain things, maybe a few days).  You don't want that, I don't have the time for that, so the the short version it is. And, here-we-go...

In June we smothered our favorite guy with lots of love. We flew to St. Thomas to celebrate his 30th birthday. It was our first big family trip and the first time our munchkin was on a plane (More on that later). We had way too much fun, but we were definitely ready to come home towards the end. 

In July we celebrated a certain little munchkin's first birthday.   Yes, you read that right, FIRST BIRTHDAY!  How we went from infant to toddler in the blink of an eye is absolutely beyond me.  It was a small, quaint, lovely celebration.  We surrounded our little girl with wonderful friends and showered her with love.  I'll share some photos later.

We also made it (Successfully, in my humble opinion) through our first year of parenting. It was both the hardest and the most wonderful 365 days of my life. I am not the mother I expected to be and that is perfectly fine. There are days where I struggle but I just keep on going. I love being a mother, it humbles me and inspires me. Becoming a mother has made me stronger, better, and more grateful than ever.

We sold our house and bought a new house.  Yes, in the midst of planning a first birthday we bought a house.  Even though there is a part of me that tears up at the thought of leaving our old home, our new home is perfect for us.  I hope that the new owners of our old house love it as much as we do.  It will forever hold a special place in my heart.  It was the first house we lived in as a married couple and the home we welcomed our daughter.  Liv's first room and many of her firsts were all celebrated in the old house.  Yet, I know that the new house is going to bring us more happiness, more laughter, and more joy.  We are so excited for this new adventure (Except for moving, I am dreading the moving).

There has been of course, many, many other occurrences. But, for the sake of your attention, we will finish it here. This weekend is the big move.  Labor Day weekend four years ago was when we moved into our first house. It's funny how it worked out this way. I sense that it means lots of good things. 

See you tomorrow? Yes and yes!

xx

The Girl in the Red Shoes: The Breastfeeding Diaries.

Hey, I know, I know, where have I been? Worry not, things will soon be cranking up. But, if you missed me, head on over to Julie's blog The Girl in The Red Shoes. I'm guest posting all about my experience with breastfeeding Liv.  

I hope that maybe, just maybe, I may be the glimmer of hope to some momma in need. Our journey's are unique and our own; however, knowing that I wasn't alone in my struggles made all the difference. 

xx and see you soon!

This Beautiful Life.

Life with my people keeps getting better and better.  Whenever I pause and think of all that has changed in the last year I can't help but get a little choked up. So many wonderful memories have been made and so many more are awaiting us.   This is a beautiful life we have, indeed.

Wonderful weekends make it hard to get in the groove of things come Monday.  On Sunday night I begin to doubt my decision of being a working momma.  A part of me will always want to be home with my munchkin.  Yet, even as I type that I know that I have made the right decision. I love my daughter and because of this love I know that I must do everything in my power to provide her with the best possible start.  For us that means two working parents, c'est la vie.

So, on Mondays like today, where all my heart can think of is holding my sweet little love I pause.  I pause and reflect on how very blessed I am. My days may not be spent at home but they are spent making a difference.  Fortunately, it is easier for me knowing that I work for an amazing organization that blesses the lives of many all across the globe.  Together we work to better the lives of those individuals whose lives are not as fortunate. One day my daughter will learn of this, one day she will understand; because on Mondays like today where dropping her off felt like I was ripping a part a piece of my heart, it's what I hold on to.

So, here we are, just five days away from the two most desired days of the week. If you are feeling just a little down, don't. Our children will know of our sacrifices and know that everything was always done in their best interest.  I know this because my mother and father worked. They worked hard for their family and there is not a day that goes by that I am not grateful for that. 

Happy Monday!

xo

Renata

Cinco on Friday.

I'm not even going to lie.  These Five on Friday posts are a life saver for this working momma.  Throughout the week I jot down things I'd like to talk about and then on Friday, boom!  Easy, peasy, ya know what I mean?  Exactly.

So, here I am again, linking up with Christina, April, Natasha, and Darci for Five on Friday. I am also linking up with Karli for "Oh, Hey Friday?".  Any other Friday links?  I'll join those too ;)

-One-

As promised, one new music video every week.  This week my friends I present to you one of my favorite songs by T. Swift.  I am so late to get on the T. Swift  bandwagon, but, here I am.  Jumping on the train with a smile and a kick in my step.  Liv and I boogie to this jam at least once a day.  Well, I boogie, Liv sits there and laughs at me.  She doesn't appreciate good dance moves just yet, my friends.  Sometimes she does a little fist pump and returns to thinking I am hilarious.  It is all quite entertaining.

-Two-

You don't watch Pretty Little Liars?  Oh, we can't be friends, #sorrynotsorry.  I KID!  I KID! Seriously, though, I am not one to curse but WTF! WTF! WTF!  I just can't take the suspense anymore, please, just tell us who A is.  Pretty please? During nap time this past Saturday I read an article that if you go back to season 3 and watch all the episodes from then on that you can find out who A is.  Of course I went back and started from the beginning of season 3. And, well, nada.  I pride myself in being a puzzle solver, but, this is just ridiculous.  After every episode I feel like I have more questions than answers.  If I were a nail biter, well, I'd have no more nails.  Do you guys have any theories as to who A might be?  Share!

Source

-Three-

I cannot explain why, but I am obsessed, OBSESSED with eyelet patterned clothing for Liv.  So obsessed that her crib skirt from Pottery Barn is eyelet patterned.  This dress from Gap is begging me to buy it.  It is saying, "Aren't I pretty?  Wouldn't I look so adorably scrumptious on Liv?"  I mean, it is way, way, way too cute.  Do you think I could find it in an adult size?  

-Four- 

I cannot stress enough how much the saying, "Breast is Best" irritates me.  What I think is best is a happy mom and a happy, healthy baby.  If you choose to breastfeed, great!  If you choose to formula feed, great!  You must do what works for you and for your family, end of story.  So, when I talk about breastfeeding, I do not want it to seem as though I look down on the mother who doesn't. Being a momma is hard enough, we do not need to make it more difficult.  PSA over.  Now, what that being said, this article kinda made me laugh, because, so true.  

-Five-

My sweet little munchkin is becoming such a big girl.  This Sunday will be a whole eight months since she made me a momma. I still find myself thinking of how amazing that is; will that surreal feeling ever go away? I hope not. My people, they make this life worth the black circles forming under my eyes. Heart eyes for days, folks.

I truly hope your weekend is enjoyable, refreshing, and relaxing (And may you sleep more than me).  Till next time.

xo

Renata

You know You're a Momma When....

Being a momma comes with a whole slew  of things I never thought possible.  For example:

You know you're a momma when....

.1. Privacy no longer exists in your world. You pee, you poop, and you shower with an audience.  All.the.time. Oh, and let's not forget that you must entertain said audience at all times, no matter the circumstance.  It doesn't matter that the avocado chicken quesadilla didn't sit well with your stomach.  You HAVE to sing "The Wheels on the Bus" for the 1,000th time unless you are prepared for tears.

.2. A really nice present isn't a Tory Burch  tote, but 8 hours of consecutive, uninterrupted sleep.  Sleeping in till 8:30? Well, that's a bonus!

.3. You cry every time you see a Rogaine commercial, because you know that postpartum hair loss is real.  You've lost so much hair that you fear your scalp won't ever recover. Bald isn't a good look for you, so, you cry some more.

.4. You've left the house only to realize you didn't put on deodorant and your hair looks more like a birds nest than a chic, effortlessly done, messy bun.  You do  this on more than one occasion, in the same week.

.5. You walk around wondering what that awful, terrible, sour, no-good smell is only to realize it's you.  The little one spit up on you five hours ago and you still haven't changed. You realize it's in your hair, and you cry.

.6. You spend an hour at Target, fill up your cart, get to the cashier, pull out the diaper bag and realize your wallet isn't there. It is at home, on the kitchen counter, waiting for you to place it in said diaper bag.  You apologize profusely, blame it on mommy brain, and skidaddle.   You've done this twice; you just don't learn.

.7. You take off your socks before your shower and throw them in the trash can instead of the hamper (yes, this really happened).

.8.  You cannot remember what you had for lunch, three hours ago, but if asked about your child's last bowel movement you can recall the time, color, texture, and approximate amount; you don't even flinch when asked.

.9. You get a manicure on Tuesday only to have your nails chip on Wednesday. Bottle washing will be the death of my cuticles. 

.10. A wild night NOW consists of staying up past midnight, watching Empire on demand with your husband, all while folding five hundred loads of laundry.

You know you're a momma when you have the most chaotic of days and miss your little one while they sleep.  You sit there and stare at their angelic face and wonder how you've made it this far in life without feeling this kind of love.  You have no idea how you made it through the day, yet, you'd do it all over again, without hesitation.  Because being a mother is more wonderful than you could ever have fathomed.  You are exactly where you are meant to be.

xo

Renata

Lesson Number 1,435.

I am going to be honest.  I have learned more in the seven months I've been a mother than I have my entire life (!!!).  Yeah, I know, crazy.  Here is the thing, I was one of those women that would look at parents and think, "Oh, I will NEVER, EVER, EVER do that, EVER."  Yikes, that is embarrassing to admit.  It is almost more embarrassing to have it written down for all to see.  I, Renata, suffered from "foot in mouth" syndrome.  Don't ya worry, I am in recovery mode.

As much as I would like to say I do not judge, I have.  As much as I would like to say that I have never done one of those things I said I'd never do, I did.  It is just a matter of time that you my friend, will too.  Don't believe me?  

Lesson number 1,435: YOUR BABY WILL MAKE YOU EAT YOUR WORDS.  Not literally, I mean if it were physically possible than yes.  You'd be served a slice of "I would never, ever, humble pie".  I'm sure you are dying to hear an example (and there are plenty). So, let me get started with the most recent one.

I was absolutely adamant that I would never, ever, ever cut Liv's nails while she was sleeping. She would be an obedient babe, she would sit still and let me clip her nails.  Come on, she would be MY child. She would not throw a tantrum.  I refused to give in to clipping her nails while she was sleeping; I didn't want to create a habit.  Yeah, palm in face. 

Sure it worked when she was a newborn and was completely content at staring at my unmade eyebrows.  Now, well, it is a different story.  Clipping her nails turned into a game of wrangle the babe, sing a song, hold on to her hand tightly, and don't snip her finger.  Did that make you tired?  Because I find it exhausting and frightening.  My biggest fear was to clip her finger while cutting her nails.  So, when she was a peach about it as a newborn, I thought, "we are golden."

Fast forward to a curious, non stop, don't hold my hand down baby and I do what I said I would never do. Yes, I clip her nails while she naps.  Not any nap, mind you.  But the car nap, where she is sitting upright in her car seat, and strapped down with nowhere to go.  A girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do. I have to clip, clip, clip before she realizes that I'm holding her hand.  Thus far it has worked.  You can't really negotiate with a 7 month old; chocolate chip cookies don't work as bribery just yet.  So, momma has to be creative. 

Navigating through this parenting world is nothing short of crazy.  I stopped making judgements; because nine times out of ten there is usually a valid reason for a parents crazy antics.  I was also the person that said I would never, ever let my munchkin sleep in bed with me, and I did.  Once, okay, twice, okay, okay three times.  You see you don't know what kind of parent you will be or what kinda of things you will succumb to doing till you actually become a parent.  

Now when I see a parent doing something that I don't necessarily agree with, I say a prayer sending them grace and hope that tomorrow it's not me in her shoes.

What sorts of things have you done as a momma that you said you'd never, ever do?

xx

Renata

This is Monday.

With 24 minutes left of Monday I felt like I needed to get this in, quickly.  I mean, what is a Monday story on a Tuesday?  Exactly.  I've always considered myself a semi-organized person, semi-put together, semi-planner.  I make sure that every Sunday night my bag, Liv's bag, and my nursing bag are replenished.  EVERY-SUNDAY-NIGHT.  Exciting, I know.

Well, when you hear stories about "mommy brain" and think to yourself, "Pshh, that will never happen to me."  I am here to burst your sweet, sweet bubble.  It will happen to you.  Trust me, ladies.  I was one of those women that refused to believe I would ever be affected by "mommy brain".  Boy was I wrong.  

Let me tell ya about today.  Today was absolutely perfect.  A perfect disaster, that is.  I work up took a shower, got dressed, woke up Liv, got her dressed, nursed her, and brought her to bed with Felipe.  I went downstairs grabbed all the bags and proceeded to walk to the key holder.  That is when I realized that my keys were not in its usual location.  "No biggie, " I thought.  So, I grabbed my purse and looked in the ONLY pocket my keys could possibly be in.  Well, guess what?  THEY WERE NOT THERE!  So, I dug around some more.  Nothing.

I mildly began to panic.  I kept going over the events of the previous day over and over in my head.  Where had I last seen those keys?  I searched the kitchen, I went out to Felipe's car, I searched his trunk, I pulled out Liv's stroller to search the underneath basket, and NOTHING.  My keys, my life-line to humanity were gone.  Just like that, gone.  I came back inside and started to look under the couch.  Nothing.

I had finally resolved that I must have dropped my keys at the restaurant during dinner.  Perfect, how was I going to explain that I lost my keys.  I was about to sit on the floor and allow myself a good cry when I decided I should go through my bag one-more-time.  Yup, you guessed it.  There they were.  Just staring me in the face.  They were in the very pocket I had looked.  WHAT THE FUDGE!

There was no time for celebration. I did a quick little victory jump and got my tush out of the house.  I get in my car, turn it on and realize, I DON'T HAVE GAS. Ugh.  True story.  

These are the types of incidences that happen daily.  Blame it on the exhaustion, blame it on the lack of sleep, blame it on the mommy brain.

Good night!

xx

Renata

Little Lady O is Seven Months Old!

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"Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise"

andy stanley

Happy Seven Months, bug!

It is absolutely true what they say.  Every month that passes by is the MOST fun month.  When you think you can't fall in love any harder, you do.  When you think that your heart is so full it may just burst, it gets a little bit bigger.  Every once in awhile I tell your poppa that I cannot believe we made you.  You are perfect.  So perfect.  From those long eye lashes to your chubby thighs.  Every inch of you is, you guessed it, perfect.  I find myself imagining how your personality will be.  How much of your dad or me will you inherit.  You are definitely a strong-willed little girl.  Whenever you are not happy about something you let us know.  Every night before placing you in your crib I hold on to you a little tighter.  Time is unforgiving.  It does not care how much we'd like it to stand still.  Quicker than I would like these days will pass us by.  

Weight:  Well, we don't call her chunky monkey for no reason.  Liv is weighing in at 19 lbs 4 oz.  She gained two pound in less than a month (!!!).  I know, delicious.  I have to stop myself from biting her cheeks.  Oh, and those thighs?  They are much yummier than they look, promise.

Eating: We are still bottle feeding expressed breastmilk while at daycare and breastfeeding at home.  Oh, and of course we've now incorporated a meal of solids once a day.  This weekend we will try breakfast and dinner.  As of this moment Liv has tried the following foods:  avocados, zucchini, white sweet potato, bananas, broccoli, carrots with nutmeg, roasted blueberries with cinnamon, oatmeal, oatmeal with bananas, oatmeal with blueberries, quinoa with raspberries, apples with cinnamon, and pears with cinnamon.  If you read this post you know that we had a tiny hiccup.  I am pleased to say that things have gotten significantly better.  If you feed her blueberries, apples, and pears she will be happy as a clam.  I plan on adding some spinach to her fruit, I'll let you know how it goes.  Also, per my pediatrician we can feed Liv anything and everything (Keeping an eye out for allergies).  Recent research has shown that the longer you wait to introduce certain foods the higher the chance of developing an allergy.  

Wearing:  We are slowly putting away all of Liv's six month clothing.  She may not be very tall, however, rolls take up lots of space.  Her jammies are mostly size 9M and she can even fit into size 12M dresses.  Again, sizing is wonky.  It all depends on the brand.  So, recently I have just been pulling out random sized clothing to see if things fit, and, most of the time they do.  Her Valentine's day dress was size 18M (I told you, completely wonky).  

Doing:  Liv can now sit up completely unassisted for extended periods of time WITHOUT purposefully throwing herself back (Queen of the run-on, I know).  Last month she would sit up and after a minute think it was HILARIOUS to throw herself back (so-not-funny).  Her babbling has gotten even cuter (I didn't think that was possible); and I think it is safe to say that her first word is "ball".  Yeah, not mama, not dada, ball.  It is definitely the kids at daycare.  At first I thought it was an absolute fluke, however, after SEVERAL days and SEVERAL instances of hearing her say "ba, ba" when she holds a ball, I think she knows what it means.  I am not even jealous.  Hearing her little voice turns me into a pile of mush.  Of course we make her repeat it a thousand times a day.  Hey, practice makes perfect.

Sleep:  We are still waking anywhere between one to two times a night to nurse.  Of course there are nights where she won't wake up at all (Thank you Jesus!) and then there are nights she wakes up twice (Those are rough).  On average she wakes up once anywhere between 2:30-3:30, nurses and goes right back to bed.  On the weekdays I have to wake her up to get her ready for daycare.  The weekends she usually nurses around 6:30 AM and goes back to bed till 8:00 AM.  Last weekend she slept till 9:00 AM (HALLELUJAH!).  When I looked at the time I thought I was still dreaming.  

Highlights: This month's highlight definitely has to be the adorable face she made when she tried avocados for the first time.  Actually, the introduction of every new food was exciting.  The tantrums when she DIDN'T like something she ate, well, we could just forget about those.  

Proud Parent Moment: The other day Liv, Mr. Ziggles (Our maltese), and I were playing on the floor.  It was all fun and games until Ziggy scratched Liv's head.  Um, yeah, my poor bug, she was not happy.  Neither she nor Ziggy know how to play nice just yet; but, it's okay, we will get there one day.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Liv, being your mother is my biggest accomplishment.  I learn so much each and every day.  You are making me a better person, thank you.

xx

Momma

Five, Five, Five on Friday!

Hello and happy Friday!  These last four days went by excruciatingly slow.  It pretty much felt as though I was reliving Wednesday over, and over, and over again.  Can you imagine being stuck in a Wednesday, forever?  Always feeling like Friday was so close, but not really.  Not something I would ever, ever, ever like to experience, thank you very much.  You know the drill, five on friday with the lovely ladies Christina, April, Darci, and Natasha.  And here it goes...

-One-

Felipe and I are lovers of music.  There is always, and I mean always music playing in our house.  More than anything I want Olivia to be a well-rounded young woman.  I would like to expose her to all types of music, especially the classics.  Hopefully, she will appreciate art the way we do.  With that being said, have you heard the Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk" song?  Better yet, have you watched the video?  What are you waiting for?  I rarely say this these days, but, I am absolutely head over heels in love with this song.  When we come home in the afternoon I put it on and have a mini dance party in our kitchen with Liv.  She loves it (well, she laughs at me, mostly).  Watch it, you won't be disappointed, promise.  Oh, you're welcome ;)

-Two-

Remember when I said I was slowly getting rid of all my skincare products and replacing them with natural ones?  Well, I came across this Yes to Blueberries cleanser and thought, score!  Then I went to the Environmental Working Group and wanted to cry.  What the fudge man.  Seriously, apparently the Yes to products are not as "natural" as I was led to believe.  Total bummer.  So, my search continues.  Can you recommend an all natural, cruelty free face wash that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and does miracles to your skin (Queen of the run-on, don't care)?  Help!

-Three-

If you don't know I am a Florida girl.  That being said, it has been unusually cold in Florida these last few days.  Personally, I am loving it.  I was born for the cold weather.  My husband?  Not so much.  He is a bit of a drama queen and probably says 2934837 prayers a day that the weather returns to hot and humid (ew!).  Well, the chilly weather inspired me to make some soup.  However, with a  baby and a full-time job, the only recipes that work for me are "short, quick, and easy".  So, yesterday I went over to trusty ol' Pinterest.  Guys, I found a recipe for the most delicious Italian Orzo Spinach Soup.  It was the bomb diggity.  And, it was SUPER easy.  The only thing I did different was I added some rotisserie chicken.  The best part of it was that there was enough for leftovers tonight.  Do you know how happy it makes me to know that after a busy day I don't have to cook dinner?  SO HAPPY!

-Four-

Can we agree to stop using the word cute when referring to adults?  I don't know what it is, but, I really don't like to be described as "cute".  When I think of something that is cute I definitely do not think of an almost thirty year old woman.  What comes to mind is a chubby baby full of delicious rolls or a furry kitten.  I wore this outfit yesterday and apparently it made me look "cute".  Hmm, what does that even mean?  Do I look like a five-year old?  Actually, don't answer that.  I guess what I am trying to say is that when someone says, "Hey, you look so cute!" it makes me feel that a.)They see me as a child or b.) I really kinda look ugly and they feel bad and try to make it up by giving me a compliment.  I'll be thirty at the end of the year, stop calling me cute, please? And no, apparently I am not above bathroom selfies.  #noshameinmygame  This is probably why I'm cute, c'est la vie. 

-Five-

Look at that hair.  First of all I may be biased but she is yummy.  Second of all look at how determined she is to squeeze that bunny.  Being a working momma is not easy.  What makes it tolerable is the ludicrous amounts of photographs I have of this little munchkin on my telephone.  Thank you technology.  What would I do if I couldn't stare at these little moments and relive them in my head.  She is the best part of my day.  The peanut butter to my jelly.  The cherry to my sundae.  The Roo to my Kanga.  Gosh, I love her.  I was always a bit on the mushy-gushy side, becoming a momma has intensified that ten-fold.  I'm a hot pile of maple syrup.  So sweet I'd give you a tooth ache.

Friday, I heart you.  Can't get enough of me?  Follow me on Instagram, username RBarbie.  Oh, and you can follow us on Facebook (Though I don't update as often, I'll try better).  Have a fantabulous Friday.  

xx

Renata

One, Two, Three, Breathe...

Hi, my name is Renata and I am a recovering germaphobe.  It's been seven months, nine days, eleven hours, sixteen minutes since my last episode.  Okay, who am I kidding, recovery is a long, long, did I say long, road ahead. The weird thing about my antics is that I was not raised to be this way.  Helicopter parents? Nope, not I. I lived in a house where the motto was, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".  True story.

My parents not only allowed us to walk on the grass barefoot, but, they encouraged it. And, no one, certainly not my family can understand where I picked up this ,"oh, my gosh, are your hands clean" kinda attitude. Well, there goes nurture out the window. 

Somehow I was wired to be Little Miss No Germs.  Though, I must say, that I have surprised myself. Before becoming a mum I was certain that I'd live a life of paranoia. The battle against germs would be heavily fought in our household. I was determined to sanitize, disinfect, and boil anything and everything that would potentially come in contact with my child.

Then I had my Liv and as much as I wanted to sterilize the world, I realized I didn't live in a bubble, nor did I want to. Plus, as much as my type A personality wants to control everything, I just don't have the time. Oh, and my husband is the complete opposite of me which is a bit of a conundrum.  Rational and Irrational.   Case in point, one morning when Liv was about two months old I went out to get us coffee. I made sure that she was fed and changed before handing her over to poppa.  I came back after a 15 minute trip to find Felipe feeding our baby the milk I had pumped in case of emergencies.  Instead of savoring the sweet moment between father and daughter I screamed, "oh, my, where did you get that bottle from?"

Turns out Felipe had just found a bottle in. Liv's designated cabinet and poured the milk. No hot water, soap, and repeat. He saw I was visibly upset and asked what was wrong, and fighting back angry tears I said, "those bottles were never sterilized!" To which he calmly responded, "well, too late now, she'll be fine, it'll help build her immune system." And that was that.

I'm thankful for Mr. "I don't really care about germs".  He balances me out, keeps me grounded.  If you're wondering if I need an intervention, fear not.  My tendencies to be a little paranoid lie at the very low end of the spectrum.  Clearly, since I let me daughter sit in the grass where the neighborhood ducks convene. And, I let her swing in the neighborhood swing set. I didn't even wipe her hands immediately after (Though I wanted to disinfect the swing beforehand, I didn't).  I understand the world is hers to explore, freely and openly as a child should.  I may have gotten a little twitchy when she started digging in the leaves with her little fingers, but I counted one, two, three and took a deep breath.  

This little girl is teaching me so much about life and I am loving every minute of it.  Now, if I could only find a way to baby proof the world?  I'm kidding, bumps and bruises are a part of life as well.

xx

Renata

Tuesday-1, Renata-0.

Signs.  I should have taken my almost slip and fall at 6:00 AM this morning as a sign.  A sign that Tuesday was out to get me.  I should have listened to my exhausted Jiminy Cricket and gotten my tush back in bed.  I should have surrendered to Tuesday. I should have, I could have, but I didn't.  Instead I deemed it necessary to test my luck.

I should have known.  Let's do a little recap, shall we?  I barely made it through my shower (Showering and sleeping, not a good combo, ok?).  On my way to work, the orange trash can looking thing used where there is road construction jumped out and hit my passenger side mirror (That is my story and I am sticking to it).  Immediately I panicked and thought, "Felipe is going to kill me."  Good thing I was alone and all that was damaged (slightly) was the inside of my passenger side mirror.  Lucky me, I guess.

Later on in the day my husband happily (sarcasm at its best) informed me that our daughter's health insurance premium had gone up.  The increase was significant enough where we had to have our insurance agent find us a different provider.  No harm no foul, right?  WRONG.  Our new insurance provider isn't accepted at our daughter's pediatrician. Cue mopey, sad face with tears.  Finding a pediatrician that I liked was difficult the first time around.  Finding a second pediatrician that I like now that I've found one I love?  It makes me want to cry (I definitely did).

This past Saturday Liv decided she wasn't content with the one nightly waking.  Apparently, waking two times a night is so much more fun.  This momma is feeling a little loopy.  Oh, and let's not forget to mention that Florida has decided to return to her bi-polar ways.  One day it's cold and the next it's summer.  My poor lips have gotten so dry that they've cracked.  I have tried EVERY chapstick, EVERY lip balm, and coconut oil.  In case you are wondering, they are still cracked.  I did the unthinkable and lathered the Honest company's healing balm (I'll let you know how it goes).

If there were a button I could hit rewind, I'd do it in a heart beat.  If any day deserved a redo, today would be it.  Okay Tuesday, you win.

xx

Renata

My Funny Valentine.

Valentine's Day.

I know, I know, it is a Hallmark holiday.  Yes, I also know that we should show and shower our loved ones with affection EVERY day, not just on ONE day.  Yet, I cannot help but get a little giddy about hearts, and pink, and red, and glitter.  Valentine's Day for me has never been about solely romantic love.  It is about all kinds of love.  Mostly, it is just an excuse to be a little extra mushy-gushy with those that hold a little space in your heart.

This year we had an extra special little Valentine; our sweet Liv.  My heart skips a beat when I think of how much love there is between the three of us.  This will be the first of many Valentine's Day lunches with mummy and daddy.  We've started a tradition and there is no going back.  Do you think it will be acceptable for us to MAKE her have lunch with us every year till forever?  Yeah, I thought so, forever it is.  

We opted for lunch al fresco to savor the beautiful weather Florida gifted us.  And our little munchkin enjoyed people watching as we ate our meal (She is a thoughtful one that Liv).  Next year I'll let her eat some of my braised short rib tostada.  

After lunch was over we headed home to put our Valentine down for her nap.  And, instead of taking a much needed mommy nap, I baby meal prepped for the week.  Overall, our day was quiet, and peaceful, and perfect. Well, except that Felipe cracked his iPhone screen during our photo session.  Yeah, that really happened.  It can't all be smooth sailing, can it? I blame it on his tight jeans and his sudden love for creative photography (He needs practice, I know).

I hope that your day was just as fabulous.  I hope that no matter how you spent it or with whom that it was the icing on the cake.  

Oh, and of course, happy Monday.  

xx

Renata