:) Pink Lady Maynard (:

Christmas has been in the air since Halloween. It seems as though stores were shoveling out Christmas decorations and playing holiday music much earlier than years before. The family life has inspired tons of warm and fuzzy feelings about the holidays. Pre-Noah, I used to find the holidays rather annoying and stressful. I am still not one for hitting the crazy, packed malls for gift shopping and becoming a target for a mugger. However, I will admit that I am a bit more cheery and cheesy about decorating and creating memories for that sweet child of mine. On another note, it is official. My mini ninja is now officially a toddler. I am  still amazed at just how fast an entire year of motherhood, marriage, and life has passed. Noah's first year has been such an amazing journey. Every single moment (even those occasional tantrums) spent with my sweet little one makes me realize just how precious life is. He is the epitome of my genuine happiness. I can only hope and pray that we are bl...

There was a chill in the air. I even saw some snow flurries the other day. However, this morning I woke up to rain showers and 70 degrees by 6AM. I used to love autumn. Although, when living in Florida, it was never a very dramatic weather change. I remember looking forward to coming home for the holidays and seeing the gorgeous fall leaves. My "free" time home from college/grad school would often be spent snuggled up on my parents' couch with warm pjs, a good book (or boring journal articles), and old TV shows on DVD playing in the background - Dawson's Creek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Gilmore Girls. As a new mom, I have learned that Daylight Savings time is almost a cruel joke. The thrill of gaining an extra hour of sleep no longer exists. Instead, you have a baby who wants to wake up at 5AM instead of 6. Also, you have a baby who decides that 6:30 PM is the new time to be cranky and throw temper tantrums. Bath time always puts him in a great mood, followed b...

I have a feeling Noah's shark baby Halloween costume will stay on for a total of 5 minutes this evening. Last night was yet another sleepless night filled with a snoring husband, whining baby, Candy Crush, WTE Hot Topics forum, Twitter & KiKi La'Rue online boutique shopping. Oh, and I did finally setup Noah's Toys'R Us birthday wish list. Today, Halloween, has been a Hart of Dixie on Netflix marathon + strong coffee kind of day. I'm sure Vampire Diaries or something supernatural would be a bit more appropriate. However, I'm addicted to this twangy southern accent, Alabama meets female Doc Hollywood inspired show. Plus, I adore Rachel Bilson. She was always my favorite on the O.C. So, instead of attending the mommy group's baby time at the Williamsburg library, I am indulging in this sappy CW/WB romantic comedy-drama while baby Noah snoozes in my arms. On another note, motherhood has definitely left me with this newfound unflattering hormonal emotional st...

September 5, 2013 = Noah took his 1st unassisted steps October 11,2013 = Noah's 1st tooth October 23, 2013 = today = Noah is 11 months old Time flies! Seriously, my mini ninja is going to 1 next month! It still feels like just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital. I cannot believe how fast he is growing up. I have this running list of Noah's milestones on my phone. However, since I'm not one of those so-called "perfect moms", I've noticed some missing data & gaps. This has made me contemplate all of the things I wish I would have done, purchased, not purchased, etc. over these past 11 months. For example, I wish I would have taken monthly photos with some sort of indicator or sign, to make it easier to sort & organize photos. Also, I wish I would have invested in just one good stroller, like a BOB, verses the multiple strollers (yes, multiple) we've purchased.  During my pregnancy, we discovered this cute consignment boutique called ...

Mini ninja Noah is already 10 months old! He will be 11 months old before Halloween! Crazy. I'm so amazed at just how fast time is flying by. The dog days of summer are gone & it's now the season of cinnamon apple scented candles, pumpkins, autumn leaves, Halloween-ween, cider, Christmas shopping, Turkey Day, football & now my sweet son's birthday. With regards to Noah's 1st birthday, we still can't decide on whether to throw a party or just go out to dinner with family. I was originally thinking abou making it a huge shin-dig with family & friends. Of course, trying to stay within a budget + the idea of entertaining several people seemed a bit overwhelming. A nice pre-Turkey day lunch party sounded like a good idea. However, his birthday falls on a Saturday & my parents refuse to close their store for the day. So...now I am leaning towards the idea of going to one of our favorite seafood restaurants with just family & bringing a small "smas...

I did my undergraduate college internship at NAVAIR Orlando & distinctly recall thinking that someday I would want to work at the DC office - NAVSEA. When I quit graduate school, I never thought that my not-so-little-cousin, who is like a little brother to me, would be the one to land a job at NAVSEA.  Today, he's at work, on lockdown, while shooters have attacked innocent people. It happened in a different building & he joked about not getting his morning coffee, but I'm on high alert, filled with worry. His mother, my aunt, flew to Korea this morning & has no idea that her son is stuck at work during such a terrifying situation.  Why would someone do something so horrific? This seems to be a question that I find myself asking fairly frequently these days. Mass shootings, bombings, chemical attacks & terrorism occurring too often. What the hell is going on? Why are people with death wishes resorting to such violence?  My thoughts & prayers go out to a...

My 9 month old baby stood up unassisted the other morning. He enthusiastically took a few wobbly steps towards the momma. It was pretty damn cute & amazing. (: Noah is now 28 inches tall & weighs 17.8 lbs. We've come a long way from the mere 4lbs he weighed on 11/23/12. I can't believe my tiny mini ninja will be turning 1 soon. Where did the time go? This past weekend was long & semi-exhausting. Saturday was filled with tears, baby vomit, laundry, sleep deprivation, worries, 24/7 nurse line, spousal spats & sighs of relief. Sunday was filled with errands, groceries, more laundry & Grandparents' Day dinner al la Korean-style. Yeah, Sunday won in the "better day" ranking. Sunday night & Monday morning was one of those insomnia-filled moments. My tired eyes were still wide awake after an early morning feeding. Rather than force sleep, Iregrettably stayed up to read Huffington Post articles via Twitter & viewed fellow WTE mamas & babies...

Green Day lyrics in my head. Not sure why. Maybe it's the ever changing weather & pending crisp autumn air just on the horizon. Or perhaps it's the rocky start to the month. More about that later.... Last weekend was a teaser for the fall. This weekend we're pushing 90 degrees, hot summer sunshine & chances of t-storms. Noah & I only walked for 15-20 minutes the other morning because of the heat. That same morning, we had planned to attend a play date at a park/sports complex in Williamsburg. However, Noah was rebelling against everything. He did not want to eat or wear clothes or take a nap or get in the carseat. However, he did comply with the new stroller. The walk must have worn him out a bit. We came home & he chugged a bottle + fell asleep in my arms. I feel like this baby has been teething for several months, but still no teeth. He keeps flashing that giant gummy grin though. :D On another note, my gut-spidey-senses have been on overdrive the past 24 ...

Busy days. Busy nights. I feel like the Energizer Bunny, minus the energy. I just keep going & going & going... Noah loves pulling himself up to standing while on our bed. He holds onto my fingers & then jumps/bounces as mama exclaims, "Go ninja, go ninja, go! Go Noah, go Noah, go!" It's exhausting, but very cute. (: Last week sucked a little. It was a week of the husband working 10+ hour days. Overtime extra money is great, but this mama's sanity was been pushed to the max. I honestly did not think I would survive the week. Hormones raging + the uncertainty of other worries + a teething/growing/mobile baby + sleep deprivation pushed me to the brink of madness. It's new week & so far we're trying to "just keep swimming...just keep swimming..." Last Thursday, I RSVPed for an afternoon playdate in a Williamsburg neighborhood park. Noah & I were 20 minutes into our drive when I realized that iPhone Apple maps was no longer talking to...

A 5K? Did I really commit to doing a 5K? Ah! Peer pressure + sleep deprived state of mind = crazy talk. Well, at least I now have yet another excuse to get healthy & in shape....? The local new moms group threw the idea out for a bunch of us to attempt this Sparkle Me Wild 5K event. Groupon had a deal going on for registration. Of course, I forgot about it & still have not officially registered. However, I did commit to attending the event via the mom's group website. What was I thinking? This is what my mom had to say about it, "Why you pay money for walking? Walking free. Silly girl! No pay money for walking. What? They throw paint on you?!? Oh, you crazy! No pay money for walking & paint! What about baby stroller? Silly girl!" On another note, last weekend's Twitter feed headlines included a sad story about a dying 2 year old participating in his parents' upcoming wedding as the best man before he passes away. Heartbreakingly beautiful & ruined ...

7/23/13 Dear baby Noah, I am not a mountain. I am the mama. I am not a trampoline. I am the mama.  I am not your spit rag.  I am the mama. I am not a punching bag.  I am the mama.  I am not a wrestler.  I am the mama.  I am not the potty.  I am the mama.  I am not your servant.  I am the mama. I am not a horsey. I am the mama. I am not the enemy.  I am the mama.  And because I am the mama...  ... I will be your snuggle bunny.  I will be your climbing wall.  I will be your shoulder to cry on. I will be your rocking chair. I will be your comforting soother.  I will be your security blanket.  I will be your source of nourishment.  I will be your protector & guardian.  I will be your safety net.  I will be your caregiver.  I will be your teacher.  I will be your boo boo kisser.  I will be your boogie cleaner. I will be your diaper changer. I will be your entertainer. I will be y...

Who is Johnnyswin? Creative name for a band. The VH1 You Oughta Know artists' 1st single has been playing in my head. I believe the female singer mentioned that the song Heart Beats was inspired by her mother (the late Donna Summer). It is a hauntingly beautiful song. Her singer/songwriter partner is her husband. Perfect situation? Maybe. I always felt it would be tough to partner up with someone who works in the same field. However, in grad school, I watched a number I/O psych students pair up with HF psych students, etc. My former boss/advisor said having a spouse who is able to understand the world of academic + bounce research ideas off of + review your work is rather convenient. I still wonder how diverse their conversations/interests truly are. Seems like one would get bored with such limited differences.... July is coming to an end. August used to be one of my all-time favorite months. The hustle & bustle of classes starting. Shopping for supplies, signing up for classes...

#ThrowBackThursday #tbt ... I see this splashed all over Instagram & Twitter. Yep, I did indeed turn into a sheep & created accounts for both social media sites. The hipsters say both are "way cooler than the Facebook". Ha. I say it's a matter of just picking your poison, but it definitely helps pass the time when Noah naps in my arms. Any ways, memories of my yesteryears reminds me of my so-called Florida roots (although, technically I was born in Virginia). I miss my music friends, college friends, grad school friends & work friends. I feel like I have more in common with my friends down there since many have followed similar timelines. Age-wise, most of us waited until our late 20's & early 30's before getting married & having kids. Many of my Virginia buddies either were married & popping out kids right out of high school or college. I only feel connected to a small handful of my VA friends & it makes me a little sad. As I watched F...