The Big One

One year ago today I delivered our little bundle of cute. We named her Ella.

Ella means “bright light” in Greek.

If you're thinking Wow, you really did a lot of homework on names! 

I would say yes because it sounds like we put a lot of work into the naming process, which automatically makes you a better parent, right?

But in reality, I had loved the name before there was a tiny little shrimp expanding in my belly.  

I could not have been more amazingly on target.  

Her bright light has quickly and seamlessly filled our world.

Ella has her Daddy’s scientific demeanor - calm, thoughtful and inquisitive. And his eyelashes. Praise God. (She’ll never be stuck in the bathroom at an embarrassingly old age trying to figure out the art of gluing little lashes to your eyelids. With the end result being your lid is now glued to your brow. Moving on…)

She got my blue eyes and my I’ll-Rip-Your-Face-Off-I’m-So-Hungry moods.  Unluckily, enough, she also blessed with my I’m-So-Tired-I-Can-Cry-If-I-Want-To moods.  But she's got my independent streak and my love of cheese.  Oh, and my love of sleeping (Thank God). 

We have been blessed with a very bright light.  

Wordless Wednesday (Sort of)

Someone's having a very big birthday next week. 

 11 months going on 21...and that wasn't a typo.  She is seriously going on 21 years old.  

She is HER OWN person.   

And I love it.  

Happy Birthday To Me

**yawn** Someone, I won’t name names, had us up for 3 hours last night. Apparently, two teeth are not enough for Ella…er… I mean someone and she’s adamant she needs more. She’s staunchly anti-hillbilly.

We might be in for a long ride.

In other news, I turned 32 yesterday!

Maybe it’s the narcissist in me but I love birthdays! And before you get all “it’s just because you get presents”. Well, duh. Who doesn’t love some gifts? No one. That’s who.

But it’s more than just presents, I love the whole introspection aspect. Looking at the last year and evaluating what went right and what went wrong. And the best part, looking forward to what’s coming up!

31 was a pretty awesome year but 32 is going to be AH-MAZING. I can feel it.

Celebrating life is a good thing. Maybe if we celebrated life a little more, we’d all be a little happier, a little more content, a little more loving towards everyone around us. Maybe that is what we should wish for when we blow out those candles.

Since Mark had navy reserve duty this weekend we celebrated on Friday with dinner at one our favorite restaurants, Trulucks. Those of you in the Houston area I highly recommend it! They have exceptional seafood, most flown in fresh from Maine and Florida daily.

We started out with Jonah crab claws, fresh from Florida.

I had the heirloom tomato salad with buttermilk dressing, bacon crumbles and shaved parmesan. I could have licked the plate. So freaking good.

This was what I had been waiting for...a ginormous king crab leg. Heaven!

Last but not least, chocolate bread pudding with chocolate ganache frosting.

 

Saturday and Sunday were spent running errands with my little teeth-er.

Grocery shopping.

We walked down to the pool.

Drying off after our swim!

 

Post swim nap! She was worn out...at least for a little while.

While she napped, I made my birthday treat... Strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream icing.



 

Finished product...that one needed to be tested. Happy birthday to me indeed!