Happy Baby

For our normal routine, Brian drops Kate off at daycare and I pick her up.  I typically work 7 am to 4 pm and Brian is more 8 am to 5 pm, so that allows Kate the most sleep in time and the earliest get home time. When Brian is out of town, I take on the drop off and pick up duties which means earlier mornings and longer days.

But these early mornings and longer days don't phase Kate!  This morning while I was gathering her stuff and my stuff for our school and work days I looked down saw this:

Cutie patootie!

She is such a happy girl in the morning!  I am grateful for the time that we have together, but this is the type of image that I remember on those difficult mornings when I'm sitting at my work desk missing my baby girl.  I look forward to our afternoon pick-up every.single.day.

I am glad that Brian gets to revel in all of this Baby Love in the am!  How can you not have a good day if you start it off like this!?

We ❤ you, Kate!  Our darling happy baby!!

Chasing Fireflies

After seeing lightening bugs in our backyard, I was recently taken back to a moment about a month before our wedding.  Brian and I took Jack for a walk in Goodale Park.  We were set to be married there.  We also wanted to see what the temperature / atmosphere / lighting / etc. was like at the time of our wedding.  We got married later in the day.  Our ceremony started at 7 pm.

We walked around the park, and as the sun went down, the lightening bugs came out.  Thousands of them.  There were more lightening bugs than I have ever seen anywhere.  Everywhere you looked there were twinkling fireflies by the hundreds.  I could've sat in that park for hours simply watching the glinting lights.  It was completely magical in every sense of the word and it was a moment that I can remember like it was yesterday.

While reliving that memory, I also relived the emotion of the time.  The excitement we felt right before our wedding, the promise of happiness and the prospect of the future are all emotions that spark when I reminisce about that night.  Everything was so much simpler then.

I wouldn't trade places with myself now to go back to that time.  I love Kate and have enjoyed being a Mom more than anything in this world.  The thing is, I've yet to find a good balance between working, being a Mom, being a wife, being a daughter, sister, friend, etc.  You fill in the blank.

Sometimes it feels like rather than being good at anything, I am simply failing at everything.  I can't seem to figure out how to balance everything.  I sacrifice time on a daily basis and that always involves my time or time allotted for making dinner or cleaning.  But then I wake up the next day feeling even more behind then yesterday.  It is a vicious cycle.

I see parents at work every single day that seem to be managing just fine.  I see parents at Kate's daycare that certainly have it all figured out.  Certainly I can figure it out too, right?  I just haven't seemed to be able to grasp what and how to efficiently spend my time during the day to successfully get the things done that are important to me (working out, taking a relaxing bath occasionally, perhaps reading a book) and the things that I want to do (blog, videos, husband time) and the things that have to get done (dinner, cleaning, next day preparations) and be a Mom (Kate, Jack, and Bun time). 

I just don't understand how it is done.  Recently, at the end of every day, I come to one conclusion: there is just not enough time in the day.  And it is FLYING by.  It makes me sad how fast the time is going by.  And I'm just sitting here, day in and day out, doing everything that I can to get by.  And I only have one kid!  How do people do it with more than one kid??  I am so, so confused because I will absolutely forego dinner completely to hang out with Kate.  But when Kate needs dinner, that won't be an option...

When I think of the night right before our wedding where the fireflies twinkled by the thousands and the atmosphere seemed to sparkle, I am reminded about how much love and emotion being a Mom has created.  I think of taking Kate there to experience magic in its truest form, to experience a surreal and breathtaking night, and to cherish that unearthly feeling.

I know I will strike a balance somehow.  I have to, right?  There are millions of people in the world that do exactly what I am doing and more.  I know it is possible.  I just don't know how to get there.  I just don't know how to get back to that moment - that carelessness of chasing fireflies - where you've not a worry in the world and can enjoy the moment.

I have got to figure this out.

Just Be

When Brian and I first started our blog, we named it Just BE and B.  Just BE and B stood for Just Brian, Erin, and Bun, those were the only members of our little family, but it was also a reminder to just be.  Just be proud, just be funny, just be original, just be happy, just be yourself...just be.

Now that we have added to the family, our blog title has changed to Just BE and K (and B) (and J) including Kate and Jack, but the premise is still the same - just be.  Just be who you are.  That's it.  Plain and simple.

Since we developed our blog and title, I always thought of how if we ever had a company Just BE would be a great name!  (Depending on the product, obviously.)  You see, the types of companies that I have thought of offer more creative, capturing who you are, just being yourself types of services.  It wasn't until this past May that the opportunity really presented itself to allow Just Be to shine.

Let me explain.

Ever since I was in high school I have had an interest in film making and videography.  (In the most innocent way for all of you that were not thinking innocent thoughts...)  My friends and I would video tape each other making music videos, commercials, goofing off, and just being ourselves.  (Those tapes still exist out there, unfortunately.  There are, however, very few VHS players anymore, fortunately...)  Why I did not go to school for this subject baffles me, but it is what it is, I guess.

I asked for some video editing software a couple years ago with the intention of getting involved.  Flying for a little bit and seeing where this passion takes me.  Perhaps finding my way in some form or another.

In addition to starting a video of Kate when she was born (I have yet to finish that one...), last month I had the amazing opportunity to capture two of Brian's nieces accepting their First Communion.  This month I had another amazing opportunity to capture Brian's cousin graduating from high school.

You can see them both here: www.justbeproductions.net or click on the links below:


Courtney & Gina's First Communion from Erin Hendricks on Vimeo.


Mallory's High School Graduation from Erin Hendricks on Vimeo.

And so enters Just Be Productions.  A life film company capturing life's candid moments.  Now, before I go any further, let me preface that we are still in the very early stages of...everything...so please excuse things that are still not what/where they need to be.  I have yet to secure a paying gig, which is fine by me.  I would rather low pressure for now!  But it is all very exciting!

I love being able to film, capture and edit people as they are.  Just as they are meant to be.  And I absolutely love being creative, so this is really a great mix!

Stay tuned for updates!!  Feedback/constructive criticism are all welcome!  And, of course, like us on Facebook if you want!

Dear Ol' Dad

Yesterday was Brian's very first Father's Day!  I have no doubt that he is absolutely proud and humbled by his darling little girl, and I know that she adores him!  She always gives him the biggest smiles, so we wanted to make sure Brian had a very special Father's Day.

At school, Kate made Brian the most adorable bookmark you've ever seen:

Adorable, right!?

At home, we reminded him of how much he is loved with a framed photo and little poem:

Homemade gifts are what Father's Day and Mother's Day are
all about!

Father's Day loot!

We had fully intended on attending a Father's Day cookout at Brian's Mom's house to celebrate all the Daddy's out there, but our sweet angel girl came down with a fever that she fought all day.  This was the very first fever that we have recorded, so even though it was only a low grade fever and she still acted and played as normal, it was still a little scary.  She took a long nap during the day and the teachers at her school believe she has a tooth coming in, so perhaps the fever was simply a result of her teething.

 

Sleeping the fever away.  She is so absolutely precious.

We hope you remember how much you are loved, Bri, today and every day.  Happy 1st Father's Day!

Meet the Guys

Kate has several toys in our household with specific names.  Most of these toys are our bath time toys, but there is one exception.  Not only is it a blast to name your toys, it is a wonderful learning experience and it's going to be so much fun for Kate to name her toys when she is of the speaking age.  I absolutely cannot wait to hear the names that she comes up with!

Until then, we'd like to introduce you to the current gang!

There's Crunchy Crab.  He is the one exception to the tub toys.
He is also a fav and helped us get through the 12+ hour drive
to MD.

This trio of tub turtles is known as Tommy, Timmy, and
Tippy.  Tommy is blue.  Timmy  is orange.  Tippy is yellow.

These guys were our very first tub toys.  From top left in a
clockwise fashion we have: Slippery Seal, Duckie, Friendly
Fish, Funny Frog and Silly Star.  Silly Star used to be the
front runner of all toys, period.  Silly Star has quickly been
replaced by Friendly Fish.

When Kate gets her bin of tub toys, she immediately grabs
Friendly Fish by the tail and hangs on with one hand while
she has the other free hand to play with other toys.

Tail grabbing like so.

Also among the first group of tub toys are Ricky Red and
Bobby Blue.  Compliments of Talledega Nights.  It's going to
be quite a few years until Kate sees that movie...

These guys go by Squirple Purple, Crazy Crab, and
Squishey Fishey.  Crazy Crab also used to be a first favorite
in Kate's book.  Are you noticing a crab theme?  I swear,
even though I am from Maryland, I am not pushing the
"crab" toys.  She has selected all of her favs on her own.
I have to admit, however, that I am quite proud of her selection!

All is good for bath time play as long as Friendly Fish is in
one hand!  It's so cute how in a sea of floating bath toys,
Kate will always find the one she is looking for!

It absolutely surprises me that even at Kate's age she is able to discern which toy she would like to play with and that she has quickly developed favorites.  There are some toys that she has not even ever cared to play with.  And then there are others that she simply cannot put down!  I learn more and more about my darling girl every day.  And every day continues to get more and more exciting!

DIY

Handyman like Gangsta Tom?  Check.

Blank wall with limitless building options?  Check.

Desire for three floating shelves?  Check.  Check!  CHECK!

Now that, folks, is a recipe for a home project!  We've had this blank wall in our living room since we redid our sunroom.

Before the renovation we had a window.

After the renovation we had a blank wall.

We've essentially been thinking about what we were going to do in that space for 10 months.  When we finally decided on three floating shelves, we called Brian's stepdad, Tom, to get his architectural, structural, and design advice.  He knew exactly what needed to be done.

When the shelves were built, he even came over and hung them.  I'll tell you what, his expertise is full service!!

It's a bare wall now but not for long!

Lookin' for studs...I see two!!

Lookin' for tools...I won't go there.

Thinking.

One down, three to go!

Meanwhile, Kate tries prunes for the very first time!

And when we look again, the wall is bare no more!  Success!

We are so grateful to have Tom around and for all of his help in making our visions a reality.  Thank you, Tom, for all of your help!  We've said it before and we'll say it again - Gangsta Tom is da bomb!

As a matter of fact, that should totally be his motto, or company slogan at the very minimum.

Our Puppy Dog

While out "tooling around the yard" as our neighbor, Ed, would say, we captured some of life's sweetest moments:

Our sweet puppy dog.

Our sweet baby girl.

Our sweet baby girl, part II.

Over the last 6-8 months, Jack has had his fair share of life changing events as well.  He is such a trooper.  I know that he misses his cuddle time.  Every chance he gets where my lap is empty he plops right on in!  I miss him too, and I welcome those plops with open arms.  He is a very, very sweet puppy.  Still very rambunctious, but very sweet too!

When I think about the future, I know that he and Kate will be best buds.  She lights up when he comes into the room.  It's only a matter of time before she is purposely dropping her food on the floor for Jack to gobble it up.  We're not going to promote such behavior, but we are also not going to prevent the inevitable.  We will strike a good balance.  Jack will make out in the end.

Our sweet puppy dog will win - win us over, win extra treats, win extra love.  We ♥ you, Jack, and always will!