Casual Friday: August 3, 2018

The biggest thing that happened this week is our baby girl turned 1. The emotions hit me harder than I expected. The first birthday of our older two girls felt like a big celebration. A sigh of relief. We made it! We did it! She's alive! Polly's first birthday felt like a lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow away. She's our last baby and while we spend so many times celebrating firsts, it's sadder to celebrate lasts. She's walking so much, I'm on the lookout for her last crawl. The last time she'll fit in the sink for her bath. I'm hanging onto her bottle as long as possible. When she'll try to eat Willow's food for the last time. (okay, maybe I am looking forward to that one.) I'm rocking her to sleep whenever she'll let me, but at some point she stopped being able to fall asleep in public--when did I miss knowing that was the last time?

She is so sweet. So tall. So pensive and bashful. She doesn't like loud laughter (especially from men!), but is in love with every other baby she sees (she gets that from me). It can be alarming for other babies because she will go right up to them and try to hug them or give them an open-mouthed kiss. Ha! It's intense and the baby usually starts crying. It's something I hope I never see that last of.

She also loves her sisters. We have a routine every morning. As soon as I get home from the gym and Chris heads out, I let the older girls go in her room and play in her crib with her. They read books and play with her stuffed animals (that they try to claim every hour of the day) and it's some of the only times I hear Polly really laughing throughout the day. She adores them and they adore her. And it's how I know the sadness I feel of this being our last baby and last everything, is going to be okay. Because we have so much happiness ahead of us.

Other fun things this week:

• Have you seen the documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" about Fred Rogers? Chris and I went with some friends last weekend and we both left teary-eyed. It is such an impactful movie that has already made me make some changes in the way I parent and think and even speak, or not speak--silence is important. Go see it!

• I've had my eye on this above-the-knee, windowpane-patterned robe for months and it just got marked down by more than half! It feels like the stars aligned.  (Also in classic check)

• I love this sharing reminder from @oliviaherrickdesign. I actually love everything she does, but this felt timely this week. We have had our photos of our home stolen and other people's artwork photoshopped in frames. We have had t-shirt designs stolen. We have had photos reposted of our home on instagram, slapped with a crappy filter. Sharing is caring. Sharing is lovely. Sharing is the best! This is how to do it respectfully .

• My Nordstrom order from the sale is taking its dandy time getting to me, but these boots arrived this week (obsessed) and these slingback mules which are basically giving me permission to donate all of my other shoes because I'll likely wear these all fall. And a surprise favorite has been the 33 oz Kiehl's Grapefruit body wash I ordered! It's practically the price as the small size during the sale, except it's huge and has a pump and I'm in grapefruit shower heaven.

• Gwen's exterior makeover has to be my favorite transformation of the week!! And I don't know if you remember, but a couple months ago I shared that some friends of ours started an incredible house number business called Dropcap Studio. They can make house numbers (or letters!) in almost any font and material and color. Gwen used them to create the most beautiful, classic spelled-out address that I want to copy this instant. She can do no wrong.

• Lastly, This week on CLJ TV-- Chris cooked grilled steak tacos, we shared a monthly recap video that includes all the things we have done as a family that aren't projects (totally touching to watch), and yesterday we shared a BTS video on trimming out our Ikea Pax Wardrobes, including caulking tips!

Ps. Polly's Birth Story