For the next 24 hours...

I will be shamelessly nostalgic and borderline in tears...

You see, 365 days ago, Philip and I were packing our bags getting ready for a sleepover at the hospital! 

Remember, before Lainey could be discharged, there were several things she/we had to accomplish:

1. Eat by herself
2. Weight 4 pounds 
3. Take CPR class
4. Pass a carseat test
5. The big sleepover - a night with just us - no monitors - no nursers - just us being parents - what?!

One by one we had checked things off our list. 

Celebrated each pound and each milliliter of breastmilk.

Sat through the CPR class - practiced on the doll. 

Rejoiced at the thought of her needing a car seat.

Then it came  - the call - "Hey Mrs. Venema, how do you feel about sleeping in tonight?" My response (in my high-pitched excited voice) "WHAT?! ALREADY?!? You betcha! We'll be there soon!!"

So we packed a bag, made sure the carseat base was installed and ready and looked at each other like kids on Christmas Even.  This was IT - by the same time the next day, we would be at home as a family of three. 

I can actually remember more of that night than I thought I would. I remember setting my alarm to pump milk and feed her, I remember watching countless hours of "Dance Moms" because I was just too excited to sleep. (Well, that, and those hospital beds aren't very comfy.)  Every once in a while a nurse would pop in "just to check" on us and there were a few farewell visits from our night shift NICU nurses angels.

It was hard to believe it when Lainey turned one, but I must admit, it is even harder to believe that this beautiful peanut has been filling our home with smiles and giggles for a year now. 

A day, that at some moments, we thought would never get here has come and gone and is now just another milestone.

Cheers to so many more milestones with 

this preemie princess!  

Beach Baby

Beach baby had a great time on vacation. We all did, actually!  She loved all of the attention... probably too much attention, if there is such a thing.  She loved being around her great aunts, her NeeNee, Auntie KK and all of her cousins!

Here's the beach bum baby at her finest...

It's been a little tricky getting Lainey back into a sleeping routine since we got home.  She wasn't a fan of sleeping in the pack-n-play which meant she got he luxury of night time snuggles in our bed. While I love those snuggles, they made the transition back to the crib a little hard.  Not to mention, we caught her trying to climb over the crib using the bumper as a step... so we lowered the crib and took out the bumper.

All of that coupled with teething.... YIKES! I have a very unhappy toddler on my hands.  But I caved and out the bumper back in her bed last night and Hallelujah, I think we are making progress! Went from every 90 minutes of waking Momma up to only getting up TWICE!! Thank you, Baby J!  I think she wiggles (well I know she wiggles a lot in her sleep... remember those night time snuggles?) and she wiggles enough to jossle herself awake or, worse, was hitting her head on the sides of the crib and that was a painful/abrupt wake up.  So fingers crossed, she wasn't having a one night stand with sleep last night.

The 4th of July holiday aka the dreaded end to the staycation was a wonderful holiday. We spent the last day of vacation doing some last minute laundry and generally, not too much. Headed to the McLaurin's house for a quick visit (and an awesome tie dye surprise).  Mrs. McLaurin also ended up taking the one and only family photo of the holiday. 

Hope ya'll are enjoying your Summer so far and keeping cool.  Mother Nature's fever in Richmond has finally broke for now...thank goodness!!

xoxo,
Linda

We took a little vacay...

We have been back from Corolla, NC for a few days... it was a lovely vacation, and I will share it with you later - probably next week.  But we got back and extended our vacation into a mini-staycation. So, I apologize for not posting last week.  But I am sure ya'll understand...

As promised, here are some highlights of Lainey's 1st birthday party. The pictures of her lack-luster cake smash are on my mom's computer, but that's ok. Just know - she was very dainty with her fancy cake...guess she want to take in all the beauty of it instead of smashing it all over her face! What a strange, strange girl.

Here's the skinny on how we put 

this shin-dig together!

Balloons - Shop Sweet LuLu - we had lots of polka dot balloons and a giant 36" balloon for the birthday girl!

Ruffle Cake - Homemade with love from Aunt Biggie

Cake Bunting - Inspired by Etsy - homemade by Momma Squirrel

Mason Jar Cakes - Instead of cupcakes we did little mason jar cupcakes - homemade with fresh strawberry icing.  (That Aunt Biggie is pretty awesome!)

Pinwheels - Bought a kit from Target and Nana put them all together

Milk Glass - I used milk glass as an accent throughout the party. The best pieces were the cake stand (an antique store find) and the tall vase that housed the pinwheels.  I inherited the vase, along with the rest of her collection, when my grandmother passed away.

Ginger Snaps - Oh, how Southern girls love their ginger snaps! I lucked upon these at Ukrops.  They were seriously the best ginger snaps I have ever had!

Stripey Straws - Shop Sweet LuLu

Birthday Candle - looked like a vintage swirl lollipop - Shop Sweet LuLu

The party was a huge success! Guess I should start pinning ideas for next year, huh?

xoxo,
Linda

Long gone...

Just about 2 years ago, I got an iPad from Santa.  My iPad lived in a gorgeous case from one of my favorite designers, Kate Spade.

It looked like this:

I love my iPad - I use it all the time.

But...

someone else loves my iPad too.

Her name is Lainey.

So now my iPad looks like this:

Yes, it even has that Fisher Price dog on it some times too!

Long gone are the days of that fancy Kate Spade cover.

Now, while it is a little out of control to think of my toddler playing with an iPad, I must admit something. I am impressed with her using it and I am impressed with the amount of free apps available for toddlers and preschoolers in the Apple App Store!  I have loaded it full of story books, a piano keyboard, a drawing board, and all of the Fisher Price apps that are available.

There's one app called "Giggle Gang" that Lainey absolutely adores to "play." Every time you touch the screen a little giggle buddy pops up and starts to giggle! Lainey gets so tickled every time she touches the screen and actually giggles with them! There's got to be some educational value in the action causes reactions realm some where in all of this, right?

And if the iPad is reading her a book, then at least it's a book and not a silly game with no value.

I think there is definitely some positives to technology and education in all of this.

And if there isn't, 

well...

at least my iPad is drool-proof now.

xoxo,

Linda

One Year Old

Photo by: Pyle Photography

Dear Lainey, 

It is absolutely bananas (queue The Fresh Beats) to think about how far you have come in the last 12 months. To quote your pediatrician, "this has been a phenomenal year for you."  Boy, is he right!

You have grown from a teeny, tiny, preemie princess into an inquisitive, giggly, toddler. Starting out at just under 3 pounds when you were born, you are now right at 16 pounds.  Now, to most, 16 pounds is not that big - and they are correct. But to compare your birth size to your size now, it is a HUGE accomplishment! 

Here's what you like these days:

- blueberries

- apples

- chicken nuggets (including my toddler trickery of veggie nuggets!)

- puffs of all flavors

- peas

- squash

- swimming and splashing

- climbing on stuff

- the fresh beat band

- chasing Nana around her house in your walker

- "your" iPad

- monster trucks

Here's what you do not like:

- being fed (you insist on feeding yourself!)

- getting dressed

- laying down for a diaper change

- teething

What are you saying:

- Momma

- Daddy

- NeeNee

- Dee Dee

- Nana

- dog

- buck

What are you are doing:

- crawling

- standing

- couch surfing

- giggling

- talking

- clapping

- dancing

- open mouth kisses (guhrossssss)

You are still on the low side of that silly growth chart. But hey, you are healthy and you are growing! You are learning new stuff all the time and it's incredible to see you change.  You have an uncanny need to touch everything around you... are you a texture girl? Or are you OCD, perhaps? Either way, you probably get those tendencies from your madre.  

Everything is so new to you and it's all such a breath of fresh air in my life.

I love you, baby errr... big girl!

Love always,
Momma

Is it time to say goodbye?

I have been thinking on this for a while.... I think it's time to say, "Goodbye." 

Tricked ya! I am definitely not saying "Goodbye" to ya'll!!! 

It's time to say, "Goodbye" to this thing...

Playtex Ventaire, I can not sing your praises enough! But it is almost "the big day."  You know... the big O-N-E!!! So I think it is time to phase you out.  Don't worry, I won't kick you to the curb cold turkey, but your days are dwindling.

Lainey is perfectly capable of drinking from a sippy cup... all be it, it has been a daunting adventure to find a sippy cup she likes, but we have accomplished that - finally!

But of course, it was a random find at Marshall's... that can not be found anywhere locally.  Never fear, diapers.com is always here!

So for Lainey's birthday, she is getting a plethora of these babies!

Don't worry... there will be plenty of fun gifts too! You didn't think I would only give her sippy cups did you?!

Check back next week for a birthday party recap!

xoxo,
Linda

A photo a day in June

My friend Blair, from The Ellwood Avenue Chronicles, posted over the weekend about a neat "Photo A Day" project.  Now I will admit, my previous attempts at these things have ended in failure. And I must also admit that I have already to double up on today's photos with yesterday's photo in order to stay on schedule!

But, really... I am going to try and stay caught up with this one!  I am posting each photo on Instagram @lindavenema, so feel free to follow me there!  At the end of the month, I will figure out a nice little post for you to see all of the images!

In the mean time... I leave you with a sneak peak of our one-year photo shoot.  For this shoot, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with the mother/daughter duo of Pyle Photography.  It was a pleasure working with them and I truly appreciate the fact that let my inner-stylist shine! Lainey and I loaded up the car with tons of props, a few outfit options, a cake and cupcakes, and a giant bouquet of balloons!!! Thank goodness my cousin, Jessica (the soon-to-be high school grad) had the day off and could come with us! She was such a big help!!

photo credit: Pyle Photography

xoxo,
Linda