OBX wedding week!

We just got back from a week in the Outer Banks for my brothers wedding. Does anyone else get the post vacation blues? Or is it just me? Whenever a vacation is over, I ended up crying. It's quick and passes, but I'm always sad when it ends. It's worse now that I have Charlotte. I spent a week relaxing, and watching her little face full of joy and happiness, I got to have extra time to cuddle and play, a luxury I don't have working two jobs. But, I always wonder, will she even remember these times? Luckily I take a lot of pictures and am working to blog more frequently so we both can remember our adventures, so this is for you my baby girl. 

Dear Charlotte, 

We went on first big trip together! I was scared to make the drive alone, but you were such a trooper, and we made it both ways safe and sound. 

We went to the beach EVERY day. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday! Jumping waves and watching the fiddler crabs scurry around were your favorite activities. We also made multiple sand castles, played catch on the beach, blew bubbles, turned you into a mermaid, and hunted every day for shells and other fun beach Finds! We saw horse shoe crabs and Dolphins. We even rode in the back of the truck down the beach in search of wild ponies, and although we didn't see any you squeezed with joy every bump we ran over. 

We went out to dinner one night, just you and me. You ordered your favorite - Mac and cheese. You did a great job, and insisted on taking my credit card to hand it to the waitress yourself. 

We baked! We made cookies, and hot diggity dogs! You did most of the work and proclaimed you were a "cooker girl". 

We spent a lot of time with our family, GG and Mr Rob, Uncle Jason and Aunt Liz and your cousin Holden and Aunt Jenna and Uncle Andrew. 

We played games, and did puzzles, we swam in the pool and you, loved the big house! Your favorite thing about the house was the mini frogs! They were everywhere. You caught so so many of them, and even saved some from the pool. You collected them in a cup several mornings in a row and took them to the house Uncle Jason was staying at and delicately put them on the trees "because frogs like trees".

You went to your first wedding! You wanted to look like a princess and requested to wear your Rapunzel dress and crown, you were so beautiful! You ate Mac and cheese and tried a hush puppy, which you loved! You played with the other kids at the wedding, and had a lot of fun with them. 

Your face lit up all week, with every wave, frog, and hug. Never lose the joy you find in the small things. 

I love you forever and a day, 

Mommy

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlotte turned 4!

It's been awhile since I have updated, but we've been busy. If you've been following along since day one you must know that already. The best place to follow us now is Instagram! I seem to post our adventures there the most. Search #lifewithcharlotte or username: jessicaandlotte 

On to the post! I wanted to post Charlotte's birthday, as we reached another milestone and had a blast together! Charlotte turned 4 this summer, and she still loves Frozen and asked for a Frozen movie party. Well as usual, I set about to make her dreams come true. I rented a movie theater brought the frozen DVD for everyone to watch on the big screen! Charlotte loved it, we had popcorn and cake, played and sang along and danced. 

We also spent a day at Hammerman beach with friends, and on her actual birthday she dressed herself up, and wanted to go to target to spend her birthday money! She got a doll and a stuffed puppy! 

At four years old, she is still very talkative. She loves talking, about everything and anything. She loves frozen and all things princess. She loves to dress up, only likes to wear dresses now, which at times can be a fight. She weighs almost 30lbs, which is hard to believe, she was just a tiny 5lb peanut when she was born! She is kind and caring, sometimes funny. She is very cautious. She is not the first one to jump in to do something, she takes her time, and gets nervous, but will ask for help and keep trying! She finished her first dance class and said it was fun, but prefers soccer. She is still my everything! 

Every birthday is bittersweet for me. I miss the sweet smell of a baby and long to hold her in my arms and rock her the way I used too, to always keep her safe. But watching her grow and change and learn everyday is such a joy and a privilege. I am always so proud of her, and so grateful that I was chosen to be her mommy. I hope she always knows how special she really is, how much she means to me, and that everything I do, I do for her. 

 

Blowing out her candles! 

 

Birthday girl all dressed up! 

 

We all got glow sticks to use in the theater! 

 

 

 

 

 

Beach Trip!

So here's something tough about being a single mom...vacations. First, I work two jobs, and not because it's fun, but because I need the money. So I don't have a lot of extra cash laying around for a vacation. Second, when this amazing baby girl was in my tummy, I had big dreams of all the trips we'd take as a family. But obviously that didn't work out. So it's just me and her, and well sometimes that's hard. It's hard to always be on and do everything myself. But even when it's just us two, it's still always amazing. Just different, and sometimes that brings up some feels. 

The good news?! I have Ana amazing family. This was the second year we were able to stay with my mom and Rob at his condo (free of charge!!). It was an amazing trip! The best part of having family around is that Charlotte had her cousin to play with, I had other adults to speak too, and my own mom to make me pancakes :) 

We went to the beach and/or the pool everyday. I finally got a tan. We built a sandcastle, dug for sand crabs and jumped waves with GG. We had a fun night out at the boardwalk, French fries and rides and games! We had a fun morning on the boardwalk too where we rented a surrey and road up and down the boards! We even flew a kite on the beach. I am so lucky and thankful to have been able to create these memories for Charlotte and myself. I look forward to this every year!