First Trip Without Our Baby

Having a child has forced my husband and I to experience all kinds of firsts, which usually center around our baby boy. Seems the whole world centers around our little bundle now. This weekend we experienced another first- our first trip away together without our baby. I must be honest; it wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. Granted, he stayed with his adoring grandma so I didn't need to worry. I've always heard stories of moms who leave their babies overnight for the first time, crying because it's so hard to be away.  Come on, you know you've heard them too. I did not experience this. In fact, I was looking forward to some time away with my Mr. Right. I was looking forward to sleeping a whole night through without having to get up for a feeding. I was looking forward to waking up well after 5:30 a.m. and actually feeling rested. And you know what? I don't feel guilty about it.

It's tough caring for a little one around the clock. Truth be told, we get exhausted! Now, I love being a mother with every ounce of my being, but I also love having a healthy marriage. That's why I don't feel guilty for letting Grandma have some bonding time with our baby while we rest and re-group. Some of the best advice we've been given since becoming parents is to keep our marriage strong, our friendship close, and our love alive. That's why we go on a date every month and it's the reason we decided to spend our first weekend away together, finally!

Don't be mistaken, I missed my boy (we both did). Sure, I called to check on him a couple of times each day. Yes, I took some pictures of him along to look at...and I looked at them several times. I missed his sweet snuggles. You guessed it, we checked out of the hotel a little early...even eating lunch in the car to shave a few minutes off the drive to pick him up from Grandma's.

But that's healthy!

Despite the pressures of our mixed-up world, our marriage actually is a higher priority than our son. If we keep that strong, we'll be better parents in the long run. What's most important is that we had time to focus on being Mr. and Mrs. for a couple of days instead of Mom and Dad around the clock. I suspect we won't regret it when our kids (present and future) are all grown up and move away. After all, we'll be stuck with each other. We might as well enjoy each other's company!

God first. Marriage second. Children third.

And as for Grandma...judging from the plethora of new baby gear at her house, I'm guessing she is up for the challenge again. :-)

So if you're a new mom and nervous about leaving your baby overnight, rest assured. As long as you've got a trusted caregiver who loves your baby, you will survive.  You might not cry. You might even have fun! And I'll bet you won't feel guilty when you wake up from that glorious, restful night of sleep!

Tea, anyone?

Naturally, after spending several years of my childhood in England, I developed a love of fine china, true antiques, and tea cups. Sometimes I have the worst craving for a proper scone topped with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Sigh. Today is one of those days.

Anyway, I've been collecting teacups since I got married (they remind me of England).

On the tray you can see three different teacup styles. The blue one is your standard English size, the white one is French, and the little pink one is Japanese. The teapot is American made and also happens to be part of my wedding china.

Here is my newest addition:

The blue goes perfectly with subtle blue accents in my dining room. So pretty!

And I absolutely love this little display rack. When I need a bit of a change, I just switch out the teacups for a new look.

Here's a fun way that my mom added to my collection: 

Measuring cups! Fun, right? 

Even more fun than displaying the pretty china is using them with friends who enjoy a good cup of English tea. :-) 

Have a great day!

Sweet Baby Feet

Sometimes it's the small things in life that I find most lovely. 

You may wonder why there are so many references to my baby's feet on this blog...  

Well, I'll share about that. 

We are so blessed to live in a day and age where 3D ultrasounds are available and affordable. This is one of the first pictures that I saw clearly of my sweet baby boy. Oh, this picture made me realize how real this whole about-to-be-a-mom thing was. I loved those little feet instantly! I marveled at how perfectly God made him. I still do. So beautiful. 

After he was born, my sister got this sweet shot. What a dream come true. His perfect little wrinkly feet, right there for me to see and touch. Wait. He hated having his feet touched. Bummer. But still adorable! Just a few hours after this picture was taken, his little feet were pricked and bandaged again and again in the NICU, 

so I treasure this because it reminds me of the few hours of normality that I had with him 

before our hospital stay turned into a nightmare. 

Now this picture is special because it's taken just a few weeks after our baby came home. Healthy, happy and plump, his feet are precious. There are no scars from his hospital stay, thank goodness! He loves to squeal and giggle when I tickle them. He smiles when I give them kisses. And he thinks they are a snack, as he's figured out how to put them in his mouth. 

I love being this little boy's mommy. What a precious gift.