what momma writes

every monday i come into work and  our small staff gathers for a few to have our own weekend update  (not as good as seth meyers of course). it's very common for me to find myself brainstorming "what in the world did i do this weekend?" while i always feel like our weekends are full, and i'm simultaneously making less set commitments, i can't remember anything that's share worthy of 'what i did this weekend' ... and perhaps it's because what we do now is usually drama-free and in-home togetherness (i know, puke. sorry i couldn't think of the right word). and it got me thinking, how did i manage to fill every ounce of time before bird even entered our lives. while i'm sure it wasn't all meaningless errands, it's still mind boggling to me that i was so busy when i didn't have a toddler to chase.  our time is spent working as a team to manage a home and care for this little gal. it's really forced us into cultivating ...

i started a similar post quite some time ago and never followed up. after months of chatting and reading about new motherhood i felt the urge to finish it.  when i was pregnant i knew my baby was safe. i was doing all i could to protect this little being and i consider myself an all around healthy person. i looked forward to the day i would meet my child and then we would be this family and life would be right. right? ok, i'm not that naive and i don't think most mothers are. at all. my intent is not to ruin a parental experience or scare any parents to be either. my reason for writing and reflecting is to share my experience on that whole 'babymoon' thing-a-ma-jig and let folks know that it's not all roses . there are definitely roses- really, really beautiful rosey moments that make up for the what-am-i-doing-who-am-i-is-this-baby-okay kind of moments.  parenthood is, by far the hardest job out there. i mean, every hour of every day we pretty much do o...

sometimes i receive grief for being "skinny" post baby. i should probably spend more time reminding people that  i have worked hard to lose my baby weight,  with a lot of help from breastfeeding calorie burning.   it certainly makes it easier to lose weight burning an extra 500 cals a day...  the first day dr B gave the green lite to exercise i jogged around the neighborhood - slowly. but i did it. and please recall this post early on... i've been down to my pre pregnancy weight when bird reached 5.5 months. i even went below pre pregs around 10-11 months post partum.  tell me why in the world this equation doesn't add up? regardless of what weight you get down to, the body has changed post pregnancy/birth. Pre Pregs lbs = Pre Pregs clothes. seems like there is a glitch in the system, but there's not.  i talked with friends and family members about this glitch and it seems to be universal. that is the simple truth.  i'm...

i'm a sucker for old clothes. within reason of course. i don't need stains. i don't need tears. i don't need hideous. but there is something special about getting the most out of clothes. not sure if it makes it feel vintage or what, but uh, i love, love, love when stella wears my old guys. here is proof that i have reason to question whether she is my child... (and yes, we both look a little like boys here) but i do love that some of my old romper outfits are still going strong.

dear collection of thongs, this is a little over due. i'm sorry to report that we won't be seeing each other any time soon, or ever for that matter. you were there for me in all those tight pants, skinny jeans and of course numerous dresses i wore daily especially in new york.  you saved my ass (literally) of my underwear line being spotted. i appreciate all the times we had. i was able to befriend so many of you due to my part time employment at victoria's secret, which quickly led to my addiction to buying matching panties  (yes i did just type panties) and bras that, at the time, i thought were "oh so sexy." but, old friend, times have changed and well, i apologize, but you and all your friends have been replaced.  your services are no longer needed or appreciated thanks to pregnancy and after birth's gift of hemorrhoid flare ups, one of the things no one tells you as a mama . i have new priorities now: like first and foremost: not subjecting my ass t...

no - we are not having twins  (although they run on john's side...) BUT i'll have you know i started this draft back in april,  but took me a minute to get it together gathering pics. and by a minute i mean i also forgot about it. and then i found it and other posts took precendence. i lose. BUT it was still fun to look back on all these shots and memories  so i am posting anyway. i know bloggie rules say don't post things late,  but i am breaking the rules. whatever. better with 2 means preggie friend who is less than 2 weeks apart EDD! duh, it's my photographer we've done a lot of fun, random, meaningful things together like: dressing up. sewing pj pants. doing service projects. mission trips. doing art projects. putting on pageants in art class. playing soccer. pumpkin carvers. birth junkie talk. and now weekly yoga. and now we are going to have littlans about the same age. mini mel and mini brenda's running around er, a mini turt...

my first court hearing. and i did have to swear to tell the whole truth so help me god. and i did have to raise my right hand. bye bye Karen  and helllooooo Caren. i opted to get a new last name while i was at it too. that's it. love, the new and improved, legal me.

by my photographer. duh. i think most of you saw these bad boys, but just in case.  click here to see mel's captures. thanks loft ! we heart you.

sometimes i still can't wrap my head around it being september already i can't believe a year of marriage flew by... when i look at all the pics and think about our wedding  i just want to thank everyone  all over again and again and again ... here's just a few. all photography via thank you to the golden pipes of cousin sally and buddy anthony. thank you to my ladies. i'm so very blessed. thank you to my dad, sister and brother-in-law. i don't know if i've heard better toasts. (perhaps i'm partial?) thank you to our ever amazing photographers. lucky to have such talented friends. thanks to uncle dave. his trolley sandwiches were a hit. thank you to my moma. she got my vision and it all came together. thank you friends and family for traveling supporting  and celebrating us. cheers.

september 9th O-six. i won't forget this day. and this is no shot to what we all feel for 9.11... every 9.9 i celebrate a little to myself and let myself drift back. 5 years ago today i moved to nyc. full of excitement. nerves. actually i admit, a little hung over (thanks kathy for the "special martinis" you made on my last night) since around age 16 i always wanted to move to new york city. i hadn't even been there until age 18, but there was a draw. perhaps it was me becoming more involved in music/broadway/singing- who knows. my first visit i fell in love. i lucked out getting a roommate in college who's hometown was 1 hour from the city. so uh, every summer i visited her and the apple. it was quite the nice set up. i worked a year after college and decided job or not i was going. money saved. roommates did the dirty work and found the apartment for 3. one way ticket booked. even now when i think about it i get excited all over again. i cried when i ...

i really love being pregnant. i do. ok at least the II trimester and a portion of the first... i wonder if the III will be ok too. it started a few days ago and uh, i took a nap 2 days in a row. i wonder if the napping trend will come back to haunt me. i may as well take advantage though as i will be haunted by lack of sleep soon enough. even tho i love being pregnant i still miss certain things. not a lot, just a little. i was talking to sis.in.law (also pregs) and we were discussing the things we miss. i mentioned to her that i am now far enough along to not remember what it feels like to be unpregnant. what it feels like to move normal. run normal. dress normal. not have a baby move in my belly. right now it just would feel weird not to have these things, but i have a part of me that longs for feeling "normal" just for a day. just to remember what that feels like. i miss: 1. laying on my tummy. 2. beer and wine-  not the act of drinking, but a nice cold beer or a hear...

these are "my" kids. i have referred to them as "my" kids since college  and well, one of them wasn't even born at that point. my friends prolly thought i had issues talking about "my" kids,  but they all knew what kids i was talking about. i have watched these precious' grow up and it has been quite the joy. i met anthony when he was idk, 8m or so and instantly fell in love. i watched him in high school in the summers and on the weekends. we have some roots. it is so hard to believe he is 14. not just double digits, not just a teen, but capital ONE, capital FOUR! i met nicholas day 2 he was home from the hospital.  he was such a little peanut, the lil preemie, but you'd never know! noodle man was the perfect addition. i adored watching 2 boys and we had oh, so much fun. i went off to college and along came annie. we all swore she would be a danny. met this lil dove about 20 minutes into the world! who'd a thought a girl... and i r...