life as a new mom

My daughter had her first official haircut this weekend--official as in "we went to an actual salon instead of my attempting to trim her hair and her ending up with a mullet." It was a big deal for me. I was proud before the panic set in: my daughter will be 2 in six weeks. Two years old--where has the time gone?

Our Fourth of July weekend was a whirlwind of barbeques, bathing suits, and fun in the sun. Everything was awesome, the food, our family, the entire holiday. Oh, and my kid jumped into a pool with all her clothes on. And she got a glow in the dark pacifier she thinks is magic; it's so dang cute it breaks my heart.

My family had a portrait session Sunday; I am so thrilled with how our photos turned out!

My daughter received a special present this weekend all the way from Great Britain!

The highlight of my weekend was seeing my toddler go crazy with the Sunday edition of The Tuscaloosa News.

I feel fairly confident in my mothering skills most of the time. I think I have things under control, and then: ATTACK OF THE SICK KID. Is there anything more difficult than those sick days? How do you handle things when your little one is under the weather?

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 11, 2014. As a mom, it's supposed to be all about me, but I thought I'd flip the script and celebrate the reason I've been able to call myself a mother: my daughter. This is my special letter to her for Mother's Day.

We were blessed to have another wonderful Easter surrounded by the people we love most. Dolly, my daughter, was finally old enough to get into the Egg Hunting Game; I have to share her ridiculous methods with y'all!

My baby isn't a baby anymore. She's brave. She's bold. She's precious and precocious and a perfect little mess. I'm now officially the mother of a BIG GIRL.

I had to leave work early today after receiving a phone call from my daughter's daycare. It seems she'd had an accident. No one was hurt, unless you count the damaged psyches of the poor souls who were left to clean up the mess. And what a mess it was...