Growing Up Before My Very Eyes [MOMLIFE]

Nui Nui is adjusting very well at her new school, making new friends, enjoying many laughs, learning new things, and building strength. And I'm so thankful to see her happily on this new adventure. Really, I am. As for change, she is not the only one in transition.

Today I felt a turning point.

She wanted to go outside and play with her friends when I came to pick her up, so I let her have some more outside social time, as that is one of my main reasoning for putting her in school at this age.

I sat on the sidelines and watched her play. It looked as if she was already so comfortable in her own element, running around with her new 'best friend' and another girl, laughing, and having such a good time.

Every once in a while, she would look at me with a thoughtful yet serious face— no wave, no smile, no nothing— and then proceeded to run around with the girls.

Nui Nui and her friend are tall for their age. They're not the oldest in the school, they're the second oldest, but still they looked like they dominated the playground by height.

The turning point was this: normally, when I would come pick her up, I would become her focal point. But that was not the case today. It was me on the side and her with her friends. For the moment, she had no time or attention space for 'mama'.

Wow, I thought. So this is what middle school is like. Then high school. Then college. Suddenly, the next 15 years passed right before me. So this is what they're talking about. That gut-wrenching feeling of having to let our kids go. But she's not even 4 years old yet! Seriously?? Clearly, I'm in total denial this will ever happen to me. It's a concept too hard for me to grasp, both now and, as much as I should be expecting it, one day.

However old, whenever this happens, though, she will always ALWAYS be my baby. xo

Nui Nui's School Birthday Celebration Outfit! [KIDS STYLE]

I know I've been blogging all over the place in no coherent order lately. And I've said to myself in the past that I should not apologize for certain (mundane) things if it's really harmless but wanted to acknowledge, Dear Reader, that I realize my lack of order in my posts lately. My number one goal, above all else, is to put out (good) content. The coherency of the order of my posts will follow eventually, promise.

That said, below are some pics of when Nui Nui came home from school on the day we celebrated her birthday at school, which was just five days ago.

I love this dress! I got it from Kohl's probably a couple of years ago. Still fits, barely though :> Surprisingly, in the morning, she was the one who picked this out, much to my very delight.

On that day, I wrapped all her birthday presents we got her— video on those items has been uploaded and will be posted very soon!— and decided to put them out for her. Not as a teaser but just as we do for xmas. She was very excited to see them and and eager to open them, so I told her she could open just one and that the rest would have to wait for her actual birthday. Maybe it was a little too cruel to tempt her like that, I realized.

I chose which one she could open, choosing her #1 most-wanted gift. Her response? 'I knew it!' So funny. I'll post the video footage in the next post. In the meanwhile, enjoy this pretty girl

Rediscovering My Wardrobe With A Bump And A Smile [STYLE]

I've admittedly been having a lot of fun with these mini pregnancy photo shoots I've been doing lately.

When Nui Nui was little, I finally got a job that required me to dress up, somewhat corporate I suppose, so was forced to go shopping for clothes with a business look in mind. While doing so, I got more into playing with and developing my own style (not business).

Over a few short years, I expanded my wardrobe to a variety of pieces and accessories. I had a brief stint of fashion interest before I left New York but since pregnant and moving to California, that faded. Prior to that, I probably hadn't seriously shopped for clothes (or cared about what I wore/looked like) for over a decade.

As Nui Nui got a little older, took shorter naps, and actually began having shops she wanted to visit, I began to browse less and less at what was in store and became less fashion inspired.

I also had a lot of other things going on so tended back to wearing things mindlessly. Because that's what happens. As Mark Zuckerberg responded to a question about why he wears the same gray t-shirt everyday:

'I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.'

When you've got a lot on your mind and/or in your life, you try to simplify the daily routine as much as possible.

Anyway, so now that I've been wanting to document as much of this pregnancy as I can, I've been rediscovering my wardrobe again. Variety has once again become the spice of life— clothing pieces, accessories, smiles, belly, and all. xo