one stomach flu away from my goal weight

All three of us have had the stomach flu in the last 3 days. Yes, all three of us. Imagine many people with lots of throw up. Or don't, because it's too disgusting to imagine. Lila and I got it first and after she got over her round, my parents took Lila over to their house for Mimi and G time so Brian and I could alternate pushing each other out of way into the bathroom. We basically spent over 24 hours lying in bed feeling horrible. 

I have never felt so glad to be eating something other than dry toast and Gatorade today. Although soup and plain pasta is not that much further. On the upside, I am down a pants size. 

na na na na, they say it's your birthday

One of my best friends from college, Emily was in town this weekend to help me celebrate my birthday. Oh, did I not mention that it was my birthday this week? Maybe because I keep forgetting. I don't know if it is a mental block to the big 30-1 (30 minus 1 = 29 :-) or if I am just legitimately too busy to remember my own birthday. It's a toss up really. 

It was so fun to have Emily in town to play all weekend and have silly girl time. On Friday she introduced us to the best Chinese food in Durham...isn't it sad when friends who haven't lived in a city for over 2 years know more about it than you do? And then we were simply decadent and went out to Parizade, one of my favorite restaurants, for Banana Rum Napoleon and wine. I was too busy stuffing my face to take a picture but you can bet it was delicious. 

The food tour of the Triangle continued for lunch Saturday at Parlez-Vous Crêpe Food Truck, which was parked in Carrboro for some yummy lunch. We all got a ham/brie/apple butter/ham crepe and then shared a nutella & strawberry crepe. I love me some food trucks and their simple and delicious yummyness! 

For dinner Saturday night, my whole family (including Emily) went out for dinner at 411 West Italian Restaurant where we...ate some more. And I got some fabulous gifts! A new coffee grinder, owl mugs, a label maker (OCD overload!!), a massage gift certificate, new mascara and hair products, clothes and a fabulous new purse. I feel super spoiled and am enjoying my new coffee out of my new owl mug to brighten up this dreary day right now. 

Now my life gets back to normal preparing for my huge annual gala that I run every year and is just 19 days! Yikes! And of course, trying to work off the 10,000 calories I consumed this weekend.

camp anawanna

Did you know that the past year has actually only taken 3 months to fly by? I know, I totally didn't realize my house existed in a space time continuum. Shocking. Perhaps even as shocking as the fact that I am now 1 month and 28 days shy of being the parent of a 2 year old. Say what??? Wasn't I just planning a Fancy Nancy one year old party and worrying about Lila's first bite of cupcake? Obviously when I look at little baby Lila pictures I realize what an almost-teenager I have on my hands now. But the time just does not add up.

 When I got over my shock that my ride in the DeLorean with Doc Brown had obviously erased the past 8 months in my brain, I realized it was party planning time! And is there a better place to waste whole hours of time "researching" party ideas than browsing Pinterest? After much discussion that required multiple bowls of ice cream, Brian and I decide on a girly Camp Out theme. So excited to get everything together for her fabulous party!

Source: etsy.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

We are using printable custom invitations to cut down on cost. This Etsy shop will customize the design with all of our info, send us the high res PDF and we can print ourselves or at Kinkos on card stock. 

Source: homemakershabitat.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

S'more cupcakes will be a MUST at our party. And actual s'mores. And maybe s'more cookies. And then some more s'mores. Perhaps this part of the party will just be for me?

Source: karaspartyideas.blogspot.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

I am in love with this camp themed table! Hanging lanterns will be a very serious part of our party decorations. 

Source: nicolehill.blogspot.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

So maybe this isn't all about the camp theme, but I love this idea of covering tables with butcher paper and having big jars of crayons. 

Source: eventlucky.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

This came from an event planning website and has tons of cute decoration ideas for a camp themed party. I love the flowers in colorful cans and the printable tags on the marshmallow tray. 

Source: flickr.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

I love this sign and I can just picture it blown up and framed over one of the tables. 

one for one

I am so not a patient person. Not at all. I want it when I want it and I have a hard time waiting for something when it is taking longer than I think. Why yes, this does apply to my life in general right now, but more importantly to my new pair of TOMS coming in the mail. 

I have been wanting a pair of TOMS for quite some time but with our hardcore budget over the last several months, there would be no $55 shoes for me. So I hinted for weeks before Christmas that it would be awesome if Santa (cough, Brian, cough) bring me a pair under the tree. And they were there! And they were glorious! And sadly, too big...

So I stood in line on the Tuesday after Christmas at the post office with the rest of the incorrect online ordering world and priority mailed them back to California. And now two weeks later they are finally on a big brown truck on the way back. I think I might wear them every day. Forever. 

And just because pictures of little baby Lila make my cry with the epic cuteness, here is Lila rocking her TOMS last spring from her Aunt Mary Allen. Why yes, my baby is cooler than me and had awesome shoes long before I did.

hold me closer tiny dancer

Lila usually hates wearing glasses. But for some reason, you throw on a little Dave Mattews Band after breakfast, hand her a maraca and suddenly she's rocking a pair ala Elton John. 

Shake it, oh oh, shake it like a polaroid picture...

santa claus: the shopoholic

Hey how about that Santa Claus? Tricky guy...always buying more than he thought and suddenly having 5 million presents under the tree. Last year, Christmas for Lila was pretty low key since she basically slept through the morning. This year, I could not stop myself. Brian would just roll his eyes when I came in the door from shopping. "But it was on sale and it was so cute!" Budget be damned!

I read lots of great blog posts before Christmas about moms who had a Christmas gift philosophy:
-Adriel talked about how much was too much for her two boys under two
-Jen limits the gifts for each child and also makes sure they learn the importance of giving by having each child give $100 to a cause they believe in
-Emily gives each child three gifts: a want, a need, and a surprise 
-Kelle loops a string through her house to each child's big gift

I didn't count Lila's gifts but she basically got to open 5 for every 1 we opened. So....a lot. I grew up in a family that does Christmas big. Brian's family has tons of gifts under their tree as well. But as our family grows in the future, I am not sure we can or should keep up this style. I really like the idea of having Lila choose a charity or project to give money to at the holidays. Maybe we can also implement this on her birthday so it keeps going throughout the year? I like the idea of Something to Wear, Something to Read, Something You Want, Something You Need, and Something to Do (an experience). But can I honestly limit myself to that? 

::what are your Christmas gift giving traditions? did Santa go all out at your house this year?::

you've got mail

I know better than to think we could actually get Christmas cards out on time. So this year, I just went ahead and gave in to the idea of New Years cards. And it was a glorious feeling. Love my fabulous cards and the fabulous photos taken by Rebekah Tozer Photography in October. I will share some more of the amazing photos she took later this week. Right now I am going to stare at Lila's gorgeous blue eyes and feel my ovaries crying with the baby cuteness.

Happy New Years from the Heges!

2011 in review

2011 has been a year of...patience. waiting on God. learning to adjust expectations. being blown away by grace. seeing the world through the eyes of a child. hanging on for the bumpy ride. waiting some more. praying for peace. 

Through it all, we have had each other and God's promises. We claim 2012 right now as the year of change. Change for our lives and taking big steps towards the promises that God has for us. We feel like we are right on the edge of that change, at the top of the roller coaster peering over the edge and waiting to take flight. We know it will be full of turns but the end will be exhilirating. Here is a look back at the year of the Heges...

We toured Lila around one of our favorite cities when we visited Charleston with Brian's family, we bought a new (to us) car and officially became a part of the family vehicle driving gang, Lila experienced her first romp in the snow, and we met baby Lilly as our good friends Sarah and AJ became parents. 

 Birthday party planning abounded as we settled on a Fancy Nancy theme for Lila's first birthday, I successfully threw my biggest event of the year as a fundraiser, I reminisced about the nurse who touched my heart during my pregnancy with Lila, I announced my retirement as a PK, and I worried about whether we were ready for the pain of infertility treatments again. 

I remember the last few days before becoming a mom, we celebrated a year in the life of our Lila Bean, I wrote an ode to my favorite beverage, we threw an epic first birthday party in fancy style, I shared my struggle to keep my life in balance, and ended the month with an A-Z intro to all things Lindsay. 

We vowed to go shoeless for a day to raise awareness for others, my debit card was too cool for my wallet and ended up buying Target goodies for someone else, I made my first and only vlog, I made up the best recipe EVER, Lila made her first trip to the ER, and the Easter Bunny came to town. 

I wondered how God serves justice in an unjust world, Brian lost his grandpa and we as a family lost one of the great men in our lives, I experienced much needed renewal at the beach, my love affair with my Nook began, I spent money on surgery that I would rather have spent on a vacation, Lila took her first steps, Brian and I celebrated six years of marriage and spent a weekend away in the mountains. 

 Our Four Pack decided to start Round Two, we celebrated the start of summer with the perfect Saturday, we practiced our back stroke at the pool, Lila rocked out her baby groove, I shared how to plan your meals for a month, we celebrated Father's Day with the Durham Bulls, and Lila shared her never-ending love for the Grinch. 

Babies waved flags with the best of them, I shook my fist at the youth of America, we introduced Lila to summer time fun, Lila and Daisy tried to catch a butterfly, I experienced Mom Envy, and I shared my love of all things Pinterest. 

 Tina Fey wrote my prayers for me, we conquered air travel with a toddler, the baby rocked pearls like nobody's business, we misdiagnosed Lila with chicken pox, I spent a much needed weekend with my Elon girls, I read the best book ever, and we were reminded that God is our ultimate provider when Brian was laid off. 

Lila learned the word hot at her second trip to the ER for a coffee burn, we sent our little one off to her first day at school at the new daycare, we played in the river as we traveled to TN with Brian's family, Lila perfected the art of the mall tantrum and convinced me to get a haircut. 

I realized I was old at my 10 year high school reunion, my obsession with owls reached an all time high, we tried to kick the pacifier to the curb, Lila visited the ER for the third time this year thanks to a raging fever, and I shared my absent heart. 

We scored some awesome thrift deals, we basked in the fall leaves and slowed down as a family, the NC fair came and delivered the good time that was promised, Michael Jackson was ruined for me, Lila the cowgirl broke in her boots, and I am and will always be a Hot Mess. 

I made a pot pie for the first time in my life, I got a massage and did not speak one word, Lila hated the guy in red, the family pictures were finally updated, and we shared our holiday traditions (all of them) with all of you.