Chasing Grey

I took a bit of a hiatus from The Modage Cottage to dedicate time to the new and wonderful addition to my family. And what a joy it has been! There have been a few pitfalls and tears along the way – you DO NOT want to mess with a girl going on multiple months of sleepless nights! – but my God, to watch my little guy discover the world in all his innocence…it is something magical.

This blog, however, has become my lifeline. It is my little piece of heaven, where I somehow find the briefest of moments away from my little to carve out time for myself. But I am never truly away from him, am I? Yes, the little devil is in my every thought and you will see a lot of him on this here blog. Greyson, Little Man, Mister, Dude, and the occasional Curmudgeon, we call him a lot of things, but I’m certain he will want to go by Grey once he has his say.

I am constantly amazed how quickly time passes with a babe to entertain you. In fact, I’m convinced babies are a black hole for time! Which is exactly why I find myself chasing Grey, because I don’t want to miss a second of this beautiful life we are building together or forget how quickly he will grow.

But I also don’t want to overlook myself and how I am growing with him. His innocence, his helplessness, and his ingenuous frustrations make me want to be a better person. A more selfless person. A happier and more carefree person.

So this is my story with a fresh perspective. One that embraces motherhood: the joys, the strains, the desperations, and the desires. But most of all, this is a story about love and family and all the little, wonderful things Life has to offer.

Welcome to the new chapter in my life. Welcome to the new and improved Modage Cottage!

In His Hands…(and 1-4/52 Weekly Portraits)

1/52: “To see the world in a grain of sand, to see heaven in a wildflower, hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour”   -William Blake

I must admit, motherhood is one of the most rewarding yet challenging roles I have ever assumed. Every day is a new experience, every hour is a new demand, and every minute is an absolute delight. There are definitely moments I doubt myself and this enormous responsibility. Many moments, in fact. Raising a child is hard. But at the end of the day, it is also immensely satisfying.

I can’t deny that I have become frustrated at times. There is very little time for myself, for my writing, for this blog, for showers, for the multitude of little things that I would like to do, but then I take one look at his face, his curious, smiling face, and realize that it really isn’t about me anymore. It’s about him, and I’m ok with that.

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I recently stumbled across this beautiful blog and immediately knew that like Jodi, and as my son grows right before my eyes, I want to capture as many treasured moments with him as possible.

2/52: I am learning to appreciate the uncertainties of motherhood, but there is one thing that I am certain of: this little guy holds my heart in his hands, for infinity and beyond.

Thus begins my own 52 Project for 2014: a memory keeping (and making!) journey that I hope to look back on year after year with love and bittersweet nostalgia.

I’ll be posting a portrait of the week every Monday and linking up with Practising Simplicity every Sunday going forward. I hope you can join me (and excuse me as I play catch up)!

3/52: “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies” –Aristotle

4/52: “Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one!” – Dr. Seuss

My Everything…

I knew motherhood would be one of the most exciting, satisfying roles I could ever undertake, but to truly put into words how I feel is impossible.

Truth be told, I didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of love and attachment the moment he was in my arms. I felt a sense of relief and awe, but a large part of me felt numb and incredibly humbled – it was all a bit surreal and I couldn’t quite fathom that this tiny being was mine.

Was I really allowed to take this perfect little person home?

But that love and attachment grew day by day as I began to accept that this little man truly was mine; that he was a part of me, dependent on me, and ready to be filled with all the love and joy and experience that I could offer. And dear God, I have a lot to offer.

Staring into that little face, my heart fills with an indescribable joy; my love and happiness are overflowing…

…and I am so thrilled and grateful to not only embark on this journey into parenthood, but to share this journey with such a remarkable man, husband and father.

I am a lucky girl indeed.

Welcome to the world Greyson Rhys! You are my everything and I can only hope that one day you will realize just how much you are loved.

A VERY SPECIAL DAY.

Today is just one of those days in which the world seems to have come together and everything has fallen into its perfect place…

Two years ago today, I married my best friend.

And in these two years we’ve traveled together…

…laughed together, cried together, and had many a drink together…

…snuggled together, played together, and worked out together…

…made a house into a home together and found a new addition to our family together…

…and now, at exactly 4 months today, we are expecting another addition to the family…

A little baby bump!

It’s amazing and thrilling and exciting to have shared in these moments together and to look forward to the many wondrous moments we have ahead.

Of course, the last two years haven’t always been easy – there’s been some heartache, a lot of screaming and yelling (at least on my part…), slamming of doors, and the occasional silent treatment, but it’s been worth every minute of it.

I love you honey – happy anniversary!

THANKSGIVING TABLESCAPE: FOCUSING ON FAMILY & FOOD.

I think I’m one of the lone bloggers out there that is still writing about Thanksgiving when the world has already moved on to Christmas. Perhaps I’m a little old school in my views – and trust me, I’m all about having the Christmas spirit – but I firmly believe that it shouldn’t be celebrated until after Thanksgiving. Break out the trees and the bells and the glitter the very next day if you will (I know I’m going to blast Sinatra’s Christmas album any day now), but give Thanksgiving the time it deserves!

Needless to say, I’m still all about the pumpkins and the fallen leaves and the naturalness of Autumn and that’s exactly the feeling I want to incorporate into my Thanksgiving tablescape – easy comfort. So I threw together a trial run to see how all of my serving pieces would fit together and I’m actually pretty pleased with the outcome! I’m also amazed that I have just enough serving dishes…

I’ll be adding a leaf to the table, more chairs, a couple more serving pieces, and simple florals, but this is the gist of it: simple, elegant, and realistic – with focus on family and food. And I love how the white ironstone will allow the food to speak for itself!

Mmm, I can imagine these platters overflowing with delicious (and fried!) turkey, yams, slow cooked stuffing, green beans, glazed carrots, mashed potatoes smothered in gravy….

And speaking of all this delicious food, I better get to the grocery store, and on to prepping, and cleaning, and stressing….

With family piling in tomorrow and the mad rush that will ensue, I’ll be offline for the next few days, but before I go I want to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I’m thankful for each and everyone one of you.

And when I return on Monday – the Christmas spirit will be in full effect!

Cheers.