Accomplished...

A walking 11-month-old.
Freshly cleaned carpets.

Sweatpants, movies, and wine with friends.
Sparkling windows cleaned inside and out.
Dinner and two pitchers of margaritas with friends.

This weekend was about feeling accomplished.

It's been a crazy busy couple of weeks, and this weekend I was hoping for some time to catch up on my supermom duties --- tasks that even the best Mr. Mom wouldn't think of, nonetheless accomplish. So, I scrubbed every. single. window. of our house on the inside and the outside -- making sure to get every ounce of dirt off. I finished every load of laundry. And, I shampooed the carpet. It was nice to have time to take care of some of these not-so-often done tasks.

Spur-of-the-moment plans filled our weekend with friends -- my ideal way to make plans. Last minute. If we plan it in advance, you better believe I'll find a way out of it :). Plan it last minute, and I'm there! I don't know why...and I know that's weird. But, it's me!

As I was running around our house dusting off air vents and vacuuming out bugs out of light fixtures, I glanced down and saw Jack walking around the living room! No Eric, no walker, and no Mommy holding his hands -- just an 11-month-old on a mini-mission. It was adorable. Crazy adorable.

Today it hit me -- we're parents. I glanced down while getting ready for the day and saw the wipes case I bought before Jack was even here. {The best $2 we spent on him, since we still use it today!} I realized that for almost a year I've been in charge of this little guy...he's all ours. We're parents. And, not new parents, but veteran parents with an almost-toddler walking around our house.

Isn't it crazy how much can change in a year?

I'm thankful for weekends of accomplishment.

I am loving watching my little walk around for the first time.

I am needing ideas for downsizing a not-so-much-needed diaper bag?!?!?!

I love our cozy, perfect house.

I love having my new camera to snap the cutest little pictures of Jack.

I'm glad it's almost Christmas...early, I know.

A one-sock, no pants, happy little Jack

Cupboards? Yes, please. And, I'll take out all of mom's stuff one by one.

Here he comes...

Hi-ya! Kung fu baby

There he goes!

Jack's First Halloween

An adorable little chicken costume, neighborhood full of little kids, Jack's first little pair of mittens, and a bowl full of candy describe our first Halloween as a family.

Most people know that I absolutely hate Halloween. I never understood the point...and I just don't like costumes. Or, people in costumes. Or, people who wear slutty-almost-no costumes. Or, handing out candy to teenagers who shouldn't be trick-or-treating. I could keep going...

Halloween with a little guy, however, makes it kind of enjoyable. While we sat on our freezing porch with our bowl full of the last-on-the-shelf candy bars, we got to watch an adorable fleece chicken crawl around our little block. {We were so busy with everything else that we didn't even realize we'd be home in time for "Beggars Night", so Eric rushed to the store last minute} Why in DSM do they call it beggar's night, anyway?

It was nice to chat with our neighbors.

It was fun to watch our little boys together.

It was fun playing with my camera.

It was nice to be home.

Jack aka Chicken --- all ready for costume day at daycare!

It was cold! Cute little mittens!

A few of Jack's future buddies :)

Who opened the barn doors? A cow and a chicken on the loose...

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Oh, and today is Jack's 11 month birthday. One more month and our little baby Jack is ONE! Wow...

Pumpkin Farm!

We found this cute little pumpkin farm in the heart of Urbandale. It was perfect. We picked out pumpkins for all three of us, snuggled in hay bales, and people watched. Oh, and I took over a hundred pictures :) Our first family tradition.

He loved standing up to this thing!

Hey, what's in here?

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!!

Thank you, Kleenex

It has been a snot-filled, kleenex-as-our-best-friend, snuggly kind of week in the Krieger household.

Crud.

That's what I call it. On Sunday night, our little sleep-through-the-nighter was up two or three times just screaming. I snuggled, cuddled, and dreamed about my sub plans for Monday. Sure enough, I stayed home to snuggle with my boogs. At noon, a sick daddy also came home sick from work. Sick babes. Sick hubby. Sick mom.

Crud.

The worst part? It's gone on ALL week! As soon as one of us feels better, then one of us gets sicker! Finally, today we decided to take Jack to the doctor. We were blaming most of his symptoms on - the I don't know - eight teeth he's working on. Nope. Ear infections.

Dear Baby Medicine:

Make my big man feel better. We're ready to watch him walk all over again. We're read for our happy-go-lucky dude who will peruse around the house aimlessly for hours humming and cooing. Please continue to convince him that the cutesy, pink, bubble gum flavored goo is yummy and delicious. Please, please help us to become our happy, healthy family once again.

I know, that's a big line-up. But, baby medicine, I believe in you.

Sincerely,
Mommy

PS - YOU HAVE to check out the NEW Kleenex -- Cool Touch. AAAAAAmaazing. Cool to the touch on a snotty, runny nose. Perfection, pure perfection.

My dream came true...

...not the knight-in-shining-armor dream or anything, but, one of my 'dreams' did come true today.

Before Eric and I even decided on what house we would build and where, there was one thing I was sure of: I would have a cute metal sign hanging from my wreath hook on my brick red front door. No matter which neighborhood we passed through, I always saw these adorable flip-flop, flower, or welcome signs that were made of painted metal. I never knew where to find them or how much they would cost, but, I was sure I'd have one.

I dreamed about having one of these signs.

Sad. I know. =)

Fast forward seven months later...

Eric and I stopped by Valley Junction - which used to be so close to our old apartment in WDM and now is 20+ minutes away - to look for halloween costume ideas. My secret plan was to drag Eric into Wicker and the Works, a small-town crafty decor store that I found out awhile ago carries massive amounts of these to-die-for metal signs. Well, it worked. After six blocks of walking, searching, and finally stopping into some random "Paris" themed store (that smelled more like goodwill than french anything) to ask for directions, we found it!

In we went...

I was like a kid in a candy store. Quirky home decor; crafty, yet clever. Classy, but definitely not cookie-cutter. Oh man I should have never searched for this place! We walked through some of the coolest house decor I've ever seen without noticing any cutesy metal signs. I was disheartened. All that searching and for nothing!? Sure enough, tucked in the back corner was a metal sign explosion! I picked out my very first 'Screenings by Peri Woltjer' and we were off! Success!

Take a look at my dream come true...




I see many more of these in my future. Eric, here's my Christmas, Birthday, Valentine's, and Anniversary wish list for years to come =)

Motherhood...

318 days.

'Motherhood' before actually becoming a mom seemed scary, overwhelming, and unexplainably out of my reach. Now, 47 days until my little is one, and I'm feeling more and more like a mother.

I love being a mom. I love being Jack's mom.

Tonight, for the first time in many, many months, Jack was screaming - wide awake in his crib around 10:00. I, often missing my little boogie dude late at night since his bedtime is 7 pm, was excited. Snuggles and kisses for mommy and Jack. I wiggled and pulled out the dusty corduroy rocking chair in Jack's nursery, grabbed our very favorite chamois baby blanket, and sank in with my not-so-tiny 10-month-old for a good old-fashioned snuggle. Everything flashed back into my memory: burp rags, nursing covers, tiny diapers, terrible late-at-night tv shows, and nursery rhymes. Just a rock in the ol' rocking chair brought me back to the first days of becoming a mom. I can remember those first days like it was just yesterday...

318 days later and I'm still so much in love with being a mom. I love when I smile at Jack he smiles right back -- with a grin that seems to be ear to ear. I love having something to look forward to every single day. From his first little winces as he wakes up in the morning to his grunt-and-scoot he does after he spots me in the corner of his eye when I walk in the door of daycare. I love stripping Jack down to just his diaper so he can devour an entire meal of rotini noodles, turkey spaghetti, and peas all by himself. And, I love sitting down in a pile of toys on the living room floor and grabbing a book to read with Jack {who, by the way, is really into turning pages already! =)}

I still love folding Jack's little clothes. I want to hug and kiss every genius that went into designing the scents of Johnson's baby wash and lotion. I still have a "Jack cupboard", except instead of just bottles and Gerber puffs, it's filled with plates with separate compartments, raisins, and sippy cup upon sippy cup.

Every little sigh, every little laugh-out-loud squeal, and even every cry make me love being Jack's mom even more. Every day brings us closer to Jack's first birthday. It's crazy and surreal to think Eric and I have survived and succeeded for almost one whole year as parents. Now, it seems effortless, simple. As if we've done this our whole lives...

I am beyond thankful for my little man.
Motherhood has indefinitely changed my life in more ways than I could ever imagine.
I love you, Jackson Charles Krieger, and I always will.

Love,
Mom

More camera fun...

A little hair gel to calm a crazy after-nap hair-do. A cute H&M gray crewneck. A brand new pair of big boy jeans, and a beautiful display of weeds next door. Who knew these few items, along with a new Nikon camera in hand, would make for the world's cutest pictures of Jack?

I'm SO new at all of this. But, I have to say I love my new camera. The photos I can take on just an average day turn out outstanding! Granted, it takes me 100 shots to get a few good ones, but hey, that's what the delete button is for. =)

There are so many buttons, options, and zooms that it can get very complicated, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. I research, tinker, and practice, practice, practice. Someday I'll be good at it.

For now, I apologize for my beginners photos.

“It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.” – Paul Caponigro

Falling for fall...

It's funny how much life can change in just the blink of an eye. Last year, I was counting the days until November, re-washing baby outfits in Dreft for the second time (just to make sure the baby smell was still there), and was cleaning, organizing, and scrubbing every single inch of our apartment. This year, I'm running around after a very mobile 10-month-old, focusing much of my time on teaching and grad school, and I haven't scrubbed every inch of this house since this summer. Man, how things change...for the good =)

There is NOTHING like Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin wallflowers from Bath and Body Works to get me in the mood for fall. As soon as September rolled around, I changed out the Coconut Lime Verbena air fresheners for Apple Crumb and Creamy Pumpkin. My favorite scents of the whole year!
Last year, my fall decor was out before my calendar's pages turned to October. This year, I finally got around to digging out my rubbermaid tote labeled 'fall' last weekend. And, it took me a total of 1o minutes to finish the whole house! I guess with a little baby moving about you get more efficient?! I was proud....I didn't feel the urge to over-clutter my house with fall...

Just a few little touches of orange are sprinkled around our house. A crafty pumpkin centerpiece replaced the orchid on our dining room table. A pumpkin hangs where the star once was on our front door. And, the scent of cinnamon, pumpkins, and apple fill every nook-and-cranny of our house.


I love Fall. Here are a few reasons why:

• Apples, pumpkins, and cinnamon. Enough said.
• Hooded sweatshirts and chilly night cuddles with my family.
• Jack's birthday falls at the very tail end -- a baby BBQ is soon-to-come!
• Football Saturdays -- complete with food, wine, and friends.
• Breezes from the empty field across from our house with windows wide open.
• Scarves, cardigans, and layers.
• It's one season closer to my very favorite day of the year: Christmas

Fall has arrived. Behold the changing leaves, and enjoy the crisp breeze. Let your eyes take in the bursts of color. Transformation is afoot and hope is in the air.

Wordless Wednesday

Busy, busy, busy!

On an average day I...

...teach 140 13 and 14 year-olds about science {currently the rock cycle, you're excited I know. Me, too}.

...attend what seems to be near one hundred committee meetings.

...counsel students on boyfriends, hair-dos, and volleyball.

...snuggle, cook, clean, snap photos of, change diapers of, play toys with, and give baths to Jack {my favorite part, by far!!!}

...do laundry, pick-up, clean, and organize a house with 3 - count them - yes, three toilets.

...write paper, after paper, after paper for grad school. Oh, and I sit through class on Wednesday nights and some Saturdays.

...chat and snuggle with my hubby.

...hang out with friends and family when possible.

I. AM. BUSY! :)

I feel like a deflated supermom. I miss Jack. I miss Eric. I miss my couch. I miss empty planning periods where I kick my feet up and love my life as a teacher. Any of you out there feel the same?! Make me feel normal!

I LOVE being a mom. Jack is the cutest, adorable-est, smartest {we like to think; maybe the Your Baby Can Read series is paying off}, funniest little man I've ever met.

I love being a teacher.

I love being married to Eric. He's the best dad in the world.

Life is busy.

Life is good.

Life will only get less busy, right? =)

Hello, my name is trouble =)

Leaves crunch...so that means I can eat them?

OOOOOooooo what's this?

Yummy! I can eat rocks, too..