Sunday, July 29, 2012

pregnant

it was this day last year that i pee'd on this, and two minutes later...read this. bahh! weird to believe that the word "pregnant" meant a little tiny baby, and that teeny tiny baby, the size of a poppyseed, had always been the girl that i know now.  crazy.


Saturday, July 28, 2012

new 'do

for the past couple of days Willow's hair has been acting something special. every night after her bath and her hair dries, there is a bit on top that just sticks right up! I love it. but is it a sign of things to come? will she have hair as unruly as her mothers? I sure don't wish that upon her!! anyway, here is a picture of it, and a face that sums up her personality just perfectly.


(ps. the black stuff in the background is a tree on our wall...not her hair)

Friday, July 27, 2012

willow meets a willow

we went to dundalk for a couple days so little miss willow could meet her extended family up there. it was SO sweet. i just love all those people, and i love my daughter, so to see them all together was special.

on the way back down we had to make a stop in a town called mullingar, where clay had a barista training appointment for a pub thats gonna start using badger & dodo. it was a two hour session, so willow and i were on our own. we made a beeline for the park! well, actually it was a pleasant discovery on our part, but we made no previous stops! it was a fine day. certainly not one to be spent driving all throughout it! (which is precisely what we did buuuuut...) anyway! we found a park and planted ourselves under the willow tree by the pond. it was the first time she had ever seen a willow tree up close and personal before. and i think she liked it! how could she not? i am her mother and they are her namesake after all...




here are some more pictures of our time at the park. good luck containing yourself over the cuteness of my baby girl. (or is that just me?)

drooooool for days



do you see that behind us? SUN!

Friday, July 20, 2012

on losing my hair (and sometimes my mind)

while i was pregnant my hair was so amazingly amazing (am i allowed to say that about myself?). i mean, compared to its usual non-pregnant regular annoyingness, it was full and wavy and healthy and no split ends! and it grew like a ...a...(what grows really fast? weed? no, thats not very nice sounding...i digress.)  anyway, it was probably like the second best perk about being pregnant (you can probably guess what the first one is. hint: it rhymes with schmigger schmoobs).
but now it seems like its coming out by the handful! not joking, it really does. sometimes its so much i have to stop myself and check that there isn't a patch of bald on my head (again, not exaggerating). i wash my hair every few days, and i DREAD hair washing day because that means i have two handfuls of lost hair to deal with that i don't want going down the drain. and guys, i am BRUSHING it nowadays too. and if you know me, you know thats a big step. my hair brush was collecting cobwebs practically.
now its on the days that i wear my hair down that i start to lose my mind. i find my ridiculously long hairs ALL over the place, floor, counter, arms, shirt, pants, SHOWER, all over the car. i dare not cook or bake with it down (yes, i've had that accident before. very embarrassing). and you should see the vacuums roller brush thingy! its INSANE! guys, I'm about to have an accident with the kitchen scissors. not joking.
how do i still have hair on my head? why don't i just take those kitchen scissors and cut to the chase? (no pun intended) if I'm balding anyway???!! ok ok, i know I'm just being dramatic and I'm not really balding. i know that this is normal and so many women experience it. but is it worth it? is that why so many women make drastic changes to their hair shortly after giving birth? and what do i do? do i just leave it up for awhile? and how crazy will i look when those hairs start growing? they'll be sticking out all over my head! ill look like i just stuck my finger in a socket! (maybe that'll be a trend in those days, if I'm lucky. the 80's are coming back again right?)

anyway, any suggestions from you moms out there?

Thursday, July 19, 2012

backyard garden

i've gotten a sort of green thumb ever since we started this new diet/lifestyle. so i decided to have a little garden in our (already tiny) backyard. so we went and bought some seeds and little germinating trays, and some wood and soil. we've got onions, spring onions, carrots, parsnips, cucumbers, courgettes, beetroot, radishes, cauliflower, butternut squash, and lettuce! basically the only things that can really grow in this climate. notice all the root vegetables?


my good man, working in the rain.

germinator-ing!!

finished! (kinda underestimated on how much soil we needed)


2 weeks later!: 


ready for planting!

my little helper.

done! heres to hoping they continue to grow! 

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

rolly poly

oh dear sweet willow ever worrell! how do i love thee?! let me count the rolls!

no literally, let me...she has 17 of them! 17 glorious scrumptious squishy (etc.) rolls! and thats lying down, mind you. legs extended, arms raised! the number of rolls are undoubtedly endless if she is sitting up. i don't even dare start counting. rubber banded rolls for miles!

there are some pretty amazing extras too, like what about the one giant roll around her waistline? does that count as one? capital O-N-E? and what about her chipmunk cheeks? storing away for winter? how amazing are they? and her multiple chins/neckless head? come on! and should i even get started on her dimply bottom? not joking people, it is not a baby's bottom. its an overweight, unexercised, saggy old lady bum. its nutso! (but SOOO lovable) and those non-knuckles/elbows?! give me a break, I'm gonna die!

i count her rolls almost daily, and give them kisses all over! how can you not love such a chubby babe? she is perfectly edible!
now, i would post a photo or two of her rolliness without a nappy on (frontside), but i fear it would be too much for the untrained eye. not to mention, life scarring when this girl grows up and finds out the whole internet world saw her glorious nudes. (seriously though email me if you do want to see. it is an opportunity that should not be missed!)

now here are some photos that show off her rolls/amazing extras stupendously!







and last but not least...

my all-time favorite one...

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

teething/boredom

willow gets bored pretty easily, and sometimes its when I'm busy and making dinner. and when all her toys are in the other room (or she is bored with her current one) i grab whats closest, usually its some kind of fruit or vegetable. this day she happened to be extra bored/frustrated with her lack of coordination skills, so she went through a few options before falling completely head over heels for an aubergine.

maybe its the lovely purpley color? or the fact that it large enough to not be dropped despite her clumsy hands?

she also had a lovely time with the red bell pepper. maybe too lovely of a time, the edge of the pepper fit perfectly into her tiny mouth and she proceeding to give it a proper slobbering.

she is kind of skeptical towards bananas though. she didn't really know how to feel, or what to do. which is kind of a bummer for me, because i love them. especially their lovely yellow color.


anyway, if you have a teething baby, i recommend fruit and vegetables! that is, if they don't have any teeth yet. i wouldn't recommend giving a pepper to a small child with a few front teeth. not a fun idea. BUT they can learn colors, smells, shapes, and even names all whilst soothing sore gums! (or at least i like to think so...)

Friday, July 06, 2012

on being willow worrell's mother: month 2 & 3

being willow worrell's mother means making sure to wind up the music box or sing her a song while i try to change her nappy because i know that she just needs a little music to relax.

being willow worrell's mother means knowing just the right time to feed her because i know that she is just like her daddy, and her hungry/happy window is pretty much non existent.

being willow worrell's mother means having a dark place prepared for her to take a nap in because i know that its absurd to try to let her fall asleep on her own in any hint of light.

being willow worrell's mother means singing to her loud and often because i know that she loves to sing loud right back. she is a soprano, you know.

being willow worrell's mother means always being prepared to do just about everything with one hand because i know that most of the time, she needs the other one.

being willow worrell's mother means making sure to ask her many important questions about her day because i know that she has a lot to say, and would like to say it very dramatically.

being willow worrell's mother means showing her the girl in the mirror when she is upset or bored because i know that she can never be upset or bored when she looks at the girl in the mirror. she can only laugh.

being willow worrell's mother means knowing that if the girl in the mirror is upset then it must be a very serious matter because i know that she is never as happy as when she sees the girl in the mirror.

being willow worrell's mother means counting every single one of her rolls and praising their plentifulness because i know that one day they will disappear and i will regret it very much if they are not appropriately admired.

(month 1)


Thursday, July 05, 2012

"i love you"




ok, i love my daughter, and i sure don't hold back saying it! so much so, that i think her first words are going to be "i love you" (wouldn't that be sweet?).  i mean, if there was a contest to see how many times someone could say "i love you" in one day, i would win first prize. i guess i just physically have to tell her that so many times a day, because i just might implode if i didn't!
now in all seriousness, I am so glad that my daughter will be (is being) raised in a loving home. surrounded not only by parents that love her dearly, but also by so many other people in her life that love her too. she is off to such a great start already.