Sometimes I feel I look like this old lady.

I used to wonder why people wanted to spend good money on all those expensive lotions and cosmetics that you can get at department stores or on QVC or infomercials. I always said I would “age gracefully”. Well, I think I have changed my mind. GIVE ME THE EXPENSIVE COSMETICS! I don’t know what has happened in the last few years, but my skin has certainly changed. Was it moving to North Carolina? Was it turning 30? Was it spending all summer in the pool during my childhood? Was it part of the general falling apart after having kids?

I will never know. But I want to get some of that elasticity back in my skin. I don’t think I will ever go as far as plastic surgery or spend hundred of dollars for a few ozs of a miracle lotion. But if I find something that seems to keep the wrinkles a little more hidden for a fairly decent price… It WILL be mine.

You hear many things as you grow older, about being a parent. Some of them you just don’t agree with or completely “get” until you have children of your own.

1. They are born with their own personality.

  This is definitely true for our girls. Cambria was always very predictable and was “easy”. In fact, she was so easy that we debated whether having another one would be a good idea because they would inevitably be a hell-raiser.  Well, Lucy isn’t exactly a hell-raiser. But she certainly isn’t as “easy” as Cambria was as a baby. Even though I have been at work for 2 months, she will not take a bottle. She would rather just be hungry until I get home. This does not make it easy for Ryan. Cambria took the bottle right away, from the first try and could go back and forth from nursing to the bottle with no problems, EVER.

Lucy also does not like to lay down. She likes to sit or stand. Laying her down will automatically make her cry. And you can’t leave her sitting for too long by herself (more than 30 seconds). Cambria would have sat in a chair all day and loved playing in her little “gym”. So much for tummy-time for Lucy.

We don’t really parent them differently. Obviously, Cambria had more of our undivided attention. But for the most part, I can’t say we have done much different. But they require different things from us.

2.  You love them just as much.

   I don’t love Cambria any less now that Lucy came along. I just love Lucy too, and for different reasons. I was really worried about not loving the new baby as much as I did Cambria in the weeks before Lucy was born. But, I love Lucy AND Cambria.

3. Your children WILL scream in the grocery store.

   I SWORE that I would never have a child that would scream in the store. I thought that if my child did that, I would just leave. Well, two weeks ago, Cambria was that screaming child in Target. We didn’t leave. I just shopped while she screamed. (She didn’t want to be in the cart, but she had been acting up outside of the cart, and she was warned.) I almost decided to just leave. But what would I do if the things I needed were urgent? She needed to learn her lesson. Unfortunately for the other shoppers, they got an earful too. Hopefully, at least those that were parents themselves, didn’t judge me TOO much.

4. You will let your child eat candy/watch tv, etc.

  You know all those things that you used to judge other parents for? Letting their child drink CHOCOLATE MILK!?!?! Letting their children watch a PG movie!??!?! Well, we haven’t shown Cambria a PG movie yet. But I kind of can’t wait until she will sit through some of my old childhood favorites with me. Even if they ARE PG.

  And yes, she is only 2 and we have given her chocolate milk. She basically asks for it every time now. Which is more of a reason to not start offering chocolate milk, than to worry about how healthy it is.

Yeah…

It has been over a year since I last blogged.

What can I say? I was busy? Let’s go with that.

In the last year a lot has changed.

My baby went from this…

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to this!

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Yup! We had a baby!

Cambria now has a sister named Lucy. She was nearly 10 lbs. when she was born on 11/11/11. (I think her lucky number will be 11. What do you think?)

Cambria has been a fairly good big sister. She loves Lucy A LOT, and tries to kiss her and hug her a little too often and too hard. Most of the time she is begging me to put Lucy down to play with her.

We also bought a house 2 weeks before Lucy was born. It was not the BEST timing. But we have our house now and we aren’t divorced, so in the end it worked out!

I really do love books in my home. I think that they make a room feel homey and comfortable. When friends take pictures in their homes, and a bookcase is visible, I sneak a peek at what is there.  (hehehe)

I really love this book wall. Unfortunately, neither me nor any kid would be able to access the books on the upper levels. So, while I love the front facing bookshelves, they really aren’t very practical.

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I love that she leaves all the little unique details in the blanket and doesn’t just use the fabric.

To see more how this quilt was made – GO HERE.