Weekend Update

Our daycare was closed last week so our babysitter could regain her sanity have some time off. Since my husband and I both have full-time jobs with only the smallest amount of PTO (paid time off), we needed to find an interim sitter - and quick! Thankfully, my mom is a high school guidance counselor who just so happened to finish her last day of work the Friday before our daycare was to close. Talk about good timing! So, my parents and Tay split the week between their house and ours. And during their time together, our tot learned how to crawl, clap, and climb stairs. Ummm what?!? She's like a completely different baby! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it.

Note Bambi in the right-hand corner of the photo. That thing is my dad's prize possession and Taylor LOVES it!

Friday I was scheduled to be off work (my parents had to return home so that they could watch my sister's twins that evening), and I was determined to make the most of the day. Prior to leaving, Mom and I made a trip to JoAnn Fabric to pick up some material for a blanket I'm going to make for Taylor. I've owned my sewing machine for two years and have yet to even turn the thing on. In my defense, I have had a lot going on - we redid an entire house and I made a baby. But now that things are slowing down (HA!), I'm going to become an amazing seamstress. I just know it. ;c )

Two hours later, we returned home to find my dad installing a baby gate (which was appropriate since he's the one who taught her how to climb the stairs). But seriously, my parents are the best. I think they both worked the entire time they stayed at our house! Jake and I couldn't be more appreciative of all they do for us.

Shortly thereafter, Tay and I said goodbye to Granny and Papa, grabbed our shopping list, and headed out to finish our errands. Our first stop was Target (of course) where Taylor rode in the cart for the first time ever! I was beaming over how big she looked sitting in the cart all by herself, and, as you can see, she was less than enthused.

Nap time (and a fussy baby) ended our errands early, so we headed home. Taylor decided she only wanted to nap sitting in her high chair (such a weird child), so, while she dozed off, I made some tissue paper garland for her nursery. You can find the tutorial here.

Once the hubby finishes a giant canvas print (that I think will be absolutely perfect in the space) and we hang the garland, it will finally be complete! It is my absolute favorite room in our house, and I can't wait to do an entire post about it!

Friday night we put the tot to bed early and had some much-needed one on one time. Life gets so busy and can be so stressful that Jake and I often forget to spend time together as a couple. But after a long week of house guests and straying from our routine, the hubby and I needed to relax and unwind.

And that's exactly what we did.

A New Name. A Fresh Look.

When I started this blog, I was unsure as to what it would be about, but it has quickly (and unintentionally) developed a family theme. These days, my life tends to revolve around the hubby and our tot, so it only makes sense that the majority of my posts be about the daily events of our lives. I plan to write about other topics here and there (as I see fit), but, for the most part, this blog will continue to encompass our family and its antics.

Now, you may be curious as to the term "Nobredge"...

Allow me to provide a little back story.

After Jake and I got engaged, I was fearful of losing my last name. Being the youngest of two daughters, I was sad to think that my family name would end after we were wed. So, I came up with the name Nobredge which is a hybrid of my maiden name and my married name. And no, I wasn't trying to be cool like the celebrities - I genuinely wanted Jake and I to take this last name. So much so that we gave it to our dog.

{Charles Moose Nobredge in all his glory.}

But as you can imagine, Jake was quick to dismiss the idea. So, I became an Eldredge and Nobredge will end its reign with Charlie.

Well that ends TODAY, my friends, because the blog has received a new name! After Googling "A Different Perspective", I realized that there were a ton of blogs with that name. So, I decided to choose something with a unique twist. After failed attempts at asking others for their opinions (you know who you are...), I decided it was time to take the task into my own hands. While weeding through my top favorites, I found myself going back to Nobredge time and time again. And I realized it's perfect.  It incorporates a little bit of myself and a little bit of my husband and together those two make up our baby girl. She has her daddy's looks (hello, spitting image of him!) and her momma's sass. Just the way I like it!

I hope you enjoy the new name, the new header, and, of course, the content. I'll try to keep it real and fresh. And if you have any suggested topics, please feel free to comment on the blog or on Facebook. I could always use a little help in that department!

And if you just can't get enough sweet baby smiles in your life, you can find me on Instagram at jaeldredge. A sneak preview is below!

Time Apart

I can count on one hand the number of times I have been apart from our baby girl (not including the 9 hours she spends at daycare Monday-Friday). The first time was when we attended a joint 30th birthday party for my husband & best friend when Taylor was only six weeks old. Had I not spent a vast amount of time and money planning said party, I never would've left the house. But how could I say no to two of the most important people in my life? My parents kept Taylor at our house, I squeezed my post-baby body into a sheer black number, and off to the party we went. What I hadn't anticipated was that all anyone would want to talk about was our baby and my journey through motherhood thus far. It was great but also a constant reminder of just how much I missed her. Needless to say, I was more than willing to leave when Jake suggested we cut out early (even though we both knew she was at home asleep).

The second time we hired a babysitter (which just so happened to be our full-time sitter's daughter - and one of the sweetest girls I've ever met) and went to see a friend of Jake's comedy routine when Tay was six months old. I was nervous, of course, being that we were leaving our baby in the hands of a teenager, but we were able to enjoy a quiet sushi dinner and some much-needed laughs with friends. And at the end of the night, I was more than eager to return home to our sleeping baby.

The third time was just a few weeks ago when I ventured out for ladies' night with a few of my closest friends. We had appetizers and cocktails at the new rooftop bar followed by German beer and homemade bretzels (which were to die for) at a German pub topped off with a nightcap at one of our favorite rooftop patios. It was the first time I had been out with just the girls since 2012 - and it was long overdue. But again, I was anxious to get home to see my girl.

This weekend marked the fourth occasion that I have been away from our tot. It also marked the first time I have ever been away from her overnight.  It was a long and busy weekend that consisted of me attending a wedding in my hometown then leaving Taylor with my parents overnight to attend a reception of a different wedding in a town about an hour away. Trust me when I say that it took everything I had to leave her. Had the couple not been two of our closest friends and flown to Jamaica to attend our wedding, I honestly don't know if I would've gone. But, I did and it was one of the absolute best times that I've had in years.

Casey & Kristin - your wedding reception was the bomb and we had an awesome time 

(thanks in large part to the giant flask)! ;c )

Our high from Saturday night's festivities was deflated yesterday when the hubby and I had to say goodbye and leave Taylor with my parents for a couple of days (her daycare being closed this week has forced us to expedite her first extended stay at grandma and grandpa's house). I have been building up to this moment for the past eight months, but pulling out of my parents' driveway last night without the sound of my girl yammering in the backseat was hard to bear. And I may or may not have shed a tear during the long drive home.

Needless to say, I miss her.  I will probably even take the route to her babysitter's house after work strictly out of habit. And I know that our house just won't feel the same tonight without her there. But, as many of my friends reminded me this weekend, the fact that I miss her so is indicative as to the type of mother that I am. What a sweet perspective on an otherwise lousy situation!

I know that our time apart is necessary. Taylor needs to spend time with other people that love her as much as we do. And as a mother, I need to learn to let her do things on her own. This is the first of many experiences to come in which I won't always be there to protect her. Being a mother is a struggle and, most days, I just try to keep my head above water.

But I love it. I love how it has changed me for the better. And I love how it continues to challenge me (even if it stresses me to my core and makes me worry more than I ever thought possible).

And nothing will ever compare to the sight of her sweet smile first thing in the morning (even if it's accompanied by a hangover).

She makes my world go round.

A Great Weekend (Eventually)

Our weekend was what you may call a "two part-er".

It started off with a long and tumultuous Friday night that consisted of a screaming baby and me with a near migraine. It all began with a few squeals during bath time and then led to a full on meltdown around 11:00 (just as Jake and I were getting to the really good part of our movie). Said meltdown would subside every couple of hours, just long enough for me to get in bed, get comfy, and start to doze off. The end result was me rocking Taylor to sleep for the first time in her entire life. {It's not that I never wanted to rock her to sleep before, but she never needed it. Why start a bad habit if it's unnecessary?} So, needless to say, I had a long and exhausting night. Thankfully, Jake let me sleep in the next morning (since he slept like a dream while I dealt with screaming baby all night), and I was able to catch up on a little bit of sleep. Unfortunately, Saturday was work day in our house which consisted of me completely reorganizing both pantries (the new and the old - both of which I am completely in love with) and cleaning the entire house while Jake filled nail holes, painted trim, and crossed off 20 other small tasks that needed to be done. We were both wiped come mid-afternoon, but, once Taylor finally laid down for a nap, we got a second wind and decided to get out of the house. A Target run and a trip to Old Navy brought Taylor some much needed new threads (this girl needs to STOP growing already), and with the savings we got by using my Cartwheel app and Redcard (love, love, love both, by the way), we decided to *gasp* go out to dinner.

Now, I know that dining out is not that big deal, but it has become so for us. Before we had Taylor, we dined out all the time. Many pre-baby nights were spent feasting on appetizers and downing beers on patios, but now it's much easier to just eat at home or get take out. Well, it turns out that our tot is actually quite the awesome dinner companion. Girlfriend was the center of attention and laughed and played the entire time.

I am constantly underestimating this child.

Here she is having a gay old time throwing her hands in the air like she just don't care!

After dinner, we headed home to start the nighttime routine (which Jake is currently trying to make up a song about but all of his attempts thus far have been utter failures), and wouldn't you know Taylor slept TWELVE solid hours Saturday night. I woke up in a panic at 9:00 until I realized that we were all still in bed. Thank you, sweet baby. Momma and Daddy both needed that.

Since we were all well rested (and had all of the housework finished), we took full advantage of the beautiful weather and had a full on Sunday Funday for the first time in....well, forever. We went for a swim in the backyard and spent the afternoon laying out, eating chips and guac, and drinking the most delicious agave beers. Seriously, Blue Moon, yummm.

If you're thinking she's sleeping here, you'd be wrong. She fought her nap for as long as humanely possible. Tay didn't want to miss out on any of the fun, and I don't blame her one bit. But, like all good things, our fun came to an end. Daddy broke out his secret weapon and finally wore her down.

It was a great weekend spent with my most favorite people. I love it when we are able to stay home and just spend time together as a family. 

My heart is so full, and we are so blessed.