Life lately....according to my STILL cracked Iphone....

I am so glad it is Friday! I technically stay at home every day with my amazing little one, but all is right with the world when you know that you get to wake up tomorrow morning, and nothing is expected of you, ya know? It is your right to be lazy....yep.

I am just trying to get back into blogging. My posts have been non-existent lately. I just finished a baby sprinkle, in the final stages of planning a 2 year old's birthday party, finding time to escape with friends to celebrate MY birthday, and we are fitting a trip to Disney right in the middle somewhere. We originally were planning to go to Disney sans child, but the closer we got, the more I got anxiety about leaving Amara. Weird??? Yes, I know. It is a business trip for my husband technically because he has a show there, but we are staying an extra couple of days. I mean, how can I NOT take Amara to see her daddy perform in front of the castle at night!?!? I think the kid in me is even excited about that.

Just wanted to end the week with some Iphone pics! You can follow me on Instagram if you like pictures of food, kids, date nights, and sometimes shoes! ;)

Enjoy your weekend friends!!
xo,
Jenni

Praying baby

 I know as parents, we all brag on our children every chance we get. Just to be clear, this is not that moment that I am taking to do so. I have been told time and time again how much Amara will start to pick up from Gabe and I as she is inching closer to 2 years old. We all want our children to pick up our good habits, right? I watch her put on make-up with me while I get ready ( will that make her vain or insecure?) She repeats words that just come flying out of our mouths like "shoot" (will other mom's judge me or think its cute?) I watch her throw tantrums or whine ( is that just part of being a kid, or do I play into that when I do the same thing at 27?) 

All I am saying here is that you are always waiting for those little glimpses of sunshine in the midst of all of your cloudiness. I caught my glimpse the other day when I was unloading the dishwasher. Amara was just wandering around while watching tv, and she made her way to the dining room table and crawled up onto the bench ( quietly) and I look up and see her just sitting at the table. Her little feet were swinging, her hands were lightly drumming on the table top, and she had the biggest smile on her face! She was so extremely proud of herself for getting up on the bench. I think I said something like "Boots! You got up there all by yourself?!? Look at you, big girl!!" Then, I noticed she crossed her little hands together ( which we never do when we pray - we hold hands), and she began to bow her head and pray. Tears welled up in my eyes, and all I could do was take in the moment. I didn't care about grabbing a camera or making sure I got the perfect photo. I just wanted to sit there and watch my sweet little baby have a conversation with the Lord. She was just talking away!! I DID hear the words "pad pad" ( Ipad) and "Mimmie" ( Mickey). She is clearly thankful for those two things. Then, she raises her head and spreads her arms out as wide as they will go and shouts "Amen". 

BEST. MOMENT. EVER!

Gabe was gone, and I obviously wanted it on video eventually, so I kind of "encouraged" a reenactment and this is what we got!

Amara Praying from Jenni Patillo on Vimeo.

Sure, Gabe and I make an effort to pray before meals with her and every night before bed. It doesn't make us completely responsible for this. I ask the Lord every night to pursue Amara's heart and let it be open to what He has for her.....despite us. It was just a great moment for me to take time to say "thank you" to God for allowing her actions to play out what may be stirring in her heart at this young age.

Have a GREAT weekend everyone! I am so grateful for all of you! Love you ..... mean it!

xoxo jenni

16 months "mama"....

Amara became a 16 month old this month!! This post wouldn't be complete without me , once again, saying that I can't. believe. it. For me, time as a mom flies and goes so extremely slow all at the same time. Does that make sense to ANY of you mamas out there? It is only in hindsight that I feel how quickly it all goes.

All I can say is that I am having an absolute ball with her. I feel like those thoughts of "there is no way I could love another baby as much as I love her" have started to creep into my brain, and until it is proven wrong ( someday), I just choose to believe it for now. This is the month that I FINALLY heard the word "mama" roll off of her adorable little lips. I have been waiting and waiting for this moment, and it finally happened! It wasn't like she was trying to figure out her "m" sounds either. It was a genuine running to my leg and hugging it kind of thing. My eyes definitely got misty. I am sure that other mom's ( and dad's) can agree that in that moment, it is like getting a big fat check for all of the hard work you have done. That is how it was for me anyway. A few of her other words ( depending on the day) include cow, dog and cup. She has learned nose, mouth, teeth, socks, cheeks, hair, eyes just to name a few.

Amara's little legs are starting to understand that they can actually run and stomp. It very entertaining for me to let her walk around most of the places we go. It absolutely melts my heart when she looks up at me and reaches for my hand. It is even better when daddy is home because she can hold BOTH hands and do her running/stomping thing. This child does NOT let a note of music play without breaking into dance. I am not even exaggerating a little bit. Her belly laugh is out of control, and I love that for now mommy is funny. Yes! She loves brushing her teeth too! So much that her teeth have not been thoroughly brushed for the past few nights ( bad mommy, I know) due to the fact that she just holds it in her mouth and sucks on it. When I try to pry it from her Kung-Fu grip, she then tightly closes her mouth and will not let me brush. This has all been recent, and I am hoping it is a phase. A few other things she is loving right now are pushing the garage door opener, drinking out of a cup with no lid, everything Sadie ( our dog) does, and any type of electronic device.....sigh.

Amara Claire,
   Daddy and I are so absolutely in love with you. You have enriched our lives immensely. I wake up and go to sleep with you on my mind, and what I can do to help you along in this life. Your smile does more than just make mommy smile. It gives me serious butterflies in my stomach. The kind that make me want to squeeze all your cuteness so hard that you might "pop".You are such a social butterfly. You don't know a stranger, which is so cool, unlike mommy and a little scary all at the same time. I know your cuteness plays a large role in the amount of attention that you get, however, I am fully confident that you have the heart and personality to match. I love praying over you at night before I lay you down. It is my time to get to talk to Jesus about you. I pray for sweet dreams, peaceful rest, that your heart be fully open to Him, for all of the joy you bring us, and for your sweetness....among other things.   I could never thank Him enough for giving us the opportunity to be your parents. Boy, we are just the luckiest!!

Love you Boots!

Mama and Daaaaa

Beware: there is "mommy dancing" in the very blurry video below. Sometimes, we have to be silly to get these amazing laughs out of our little ones. Totally worth the embarrassment, right?

Life lately.....according to my Iphone

With my little family spending most of the week apart, there is a LOT of picture sharing going on between Gabe and I. Loving these posts on some of my favorite blogs.....soooo, here is mine! Happy almost Friday everyone! I really hope you have a relaxing weekend!