Sandy.

I'm just a kid from Ocean County. Toms River, Seaside, Point Pleasant. I spent countless hours of my youth there. My family still lives in Ocean County.

I spent my college years and early 20's in Cape May County.

My heart is heavy today, though I'm incredibly thankful that my family is ok, I have many friends who have lost so much.

Jersey isn't just a state, it's a state of mind. It's an attitude. It's a little conceited and a whole lotta pride. Jersey might look different, but it'll be alright. We'll all be alright.

Yeah, buddy!

I'm from the Jersey Shore, I'm allowed to use that line.

Aubrey learned to REALLY crawl today! She has been army crawling and doing this cute roll/sit-up/roll/sit-up move, so I didn't think she was going to crawl like "normal."

She did it, though! I may have (totally did) cry I was so proud! Woohoo!

Wordless Wednesday

Pure Joy.

When a moment that you've waited for...scratch that....

When that exact moment that you have longed for finally materializes in such a way that you literally feel joy inside your bones, can see it radiating from deep within, and know that somehow it is exceeding every desire and expectation you had for that wanted, longed for, needed moment that you've talked about, and cried about for a year...

It looks just like this.

Wordless Wednesday

Love Bug

How cute was my little miss?! We spent a few days at the campground for Halloween weekend. We had an awesome time!

Cutest lady bug ever!

Hot diggity dog.

Yesterday I saw a man. Tall, hulk like, huge.

He had a dog. Miniature, in a man purse, dyed pink.

He also had a wife.

And no dignity, one would assume.

Fleece blanket. Poncho.

Yup, I made that.

Oh yeah!

Oh hi! That's right, I totally forgot I love running!

After crappy runs in NJ, and bad weather once I was back home in NYC, today was our first day back on the program. I repeated w5d1 since my last go-round with it was pretty terrible.

I really didn't feel like it. I had every excuse in the book. Bree is sleepy. It's the warmest day of the week. (Yeah, I tried to convince myself 78 was too hot!) We'll go tomorrow.

My internal monologue was pretty weak. I decided to follow a tip:

Lace up your sneakers and get outside. If you still don't want to, don't.

For me, the running is easy. The commitment is the hard part.

When we finished I felt really good. Proud of myself.

Proud that I'm being a good role model to the most adorable, smart, curious baby I know.

Really, it doesn't get better than that!

No lie.

Today, I put the lazy in the lazy novice SAHM.

One load of laundry. One phone call. One meal.

It was overcast, miserable and dark. We went to the closest grocery store for lemons (69 cents, holla!) and right home. Baby was a little cranky, mostly sleepy.

We read books, practiced standing (and falling), napped and showered.

That's it.

It's 827 and I'm ready for bed.

Hearts times a million.

Bree has made my whole life better. I love that the relationship with my family is so open and honest now. I love that we can actually talk, and that they're getting to know me as a real person, and me, them.

I love that they adore this baby with every ounce of themselves. That they want to see her as often as possible, that they're just as amazed by her perfection as I am. I love that they want to video chat and watch her do nothing but give kisses for like 20 minutes.

I love that she loves and trusts them, too.

Here she is with Grandpa, this tells the story that I can't find all the right words to say.