Pictures with my baby

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced this, but I feel like since I have had Joie I am always the one behind the camera and I have only been in a handful of pictures in the past couple of years.  Now, this doesn't really bother me because I don't really enjoy being in pictures that much, but it did make me sad that I have almost no pictures of me with my baby girl.  So over my birthday this weekend I made Andrew take a few pictures of me and my Joie.  I may be the least photogenic person on earth and these pictures make me cringe but every mommy needs pictures with her babies!


We all went to Dippidee, my favorite cupcake place, for my birthday.  It was so fun and Yummy

Bubbles and sacrifices

I have been feeling a little under the weather all week so this afternoon Joie and I went out to run some errands.  I had a list of things I needed and a small list of things I would like if I came across a good deal.  We spend a couple hours out and about and Joie was getting a little antsy but she was still being a good girl.  Our last stop before we went home was TJ Max.  I normally don't shop much at TJ but once in a while they will have a cute pair of shoes for a good price or cute home decor...its just very hit or miss.  I had found some new sheets there that I really liked and I decided to get them because 1. they were a really high thread count and felt amazing and 2. they were a really good deal.  I put them in the cart and continued to browse a bit.  We walked by the toy section and I saw a cute little spill proof bubble container and I picked it up to look at it and see how much it was.  As soon as I picked it up Joie went crazy yelling "BUBBLES BUBBLES".  The Bubbles were only 5 dollars (quite a bit less than my sheets might I add) but I'm still on a budget and really didn't want to buy both.  As I stood there watching my daughter clutch to those bubbles like she had just struck gold I knew I couldn't say no.  So, grudgingly, I put back my sheets, paid for the bubbles, and left.  At first I was regretting my decision because Joie cried the entire way home.  She wanted to blow bubbles in the car and I would not allow that.  We arrived at home, I brought everything from the car into the house, and finally sat down and opened Joie's bubbles for her.  As I sat there and watched my daughter on cloud nine because of a little 5 dollar bucket of bubbles I knew that watching her smile like that would bring me more happiness than any sheets...or anything else I could buy for that matter.  Sometimes motherhood is really hard and really trying but its small moments like these that I realize that every sacrifice I make to make my daughter happier or to give her a better life ends up making me happier as well. Sometimes its something small like letting her buy what she wants instead of me buying what I want, but sometimes its something bigger like sacrificing having a career so I can raise her.  Whatever the sacrifice, big or small, if it will bring a smile to that girls face and make her giggle than it was completely worth it.

Aquarium, Zoo, and Basketball

Last week we went to the Aquarium and the Zoo.  Joie loved the Aquarium and probably would have loved the Zoo except all the animals were either sleeping or moved to another zoo...so Joie got a little antsy.  Her current obsession is Finding Nemo, so the aquarium made her so excited.  We went around and saw all of the exhibits about 3 times.  She got to touch a sting ray and she thought that was so cool.  I'm sure we will go back soon. 

The Jelly fish were one of her favorites...I'm sure its because they are also in Finding Nemo.  Every time she saw them she would yell "BALLOON", which is what she thinks jelly fish are. 

I'm not kidding you, this girl was in Heaven.

She loved the Elephant at the Zoo.  It was so cool, the Elephant just had a baby and it was so adorable.

Joie also wants to be just like Daddy.  She loves Basketball.  She loves to play basketball, she loves to watch basketball on TV, and she loves to watch Daddy play Basketball...I don't think he could be more proud of his little girl.