A Valentine’s Day Confession

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone ♥

Valentine’s day is a day for us two girls to flaunt our puff sleeves and fill the house with pink.

We don’t usually do anything extra special on Valentine’s day. Brandon makes us dinner. Sometimes I make us dessert. I say I don’t need to have flowers but I secretly always do want them. Sometimes I feel sheepish when people say they don’t really give gifts to eachother for Christmas or don’t really celebrate Valentine’s day. Confession! I really love holidays. I like Valentine’s day. I love all of the balloons and heart shaped things in the stores. I like seeing flowers on Valentine’s day. Sure Brandon could get them anytime and he does get me lots of things all the time all year round. Thoughtful things and practical ones. It’s not always flowers on the table, it’s often a new face wash I’m wanting to try that comes wrapped up in a nice little cardboard box right at our doorstep. Or an afternoon latte I wasn’t expecting. But when the holidays and anniversaries crop up I excitedly await what Brandon has chosen for me. Call it the young girl in me, I don’t know but I secretly love my Valentine’s day flowers and I don’t care anymore who knows it!

One year when we were dating I made Brandon the saddest looking cake from a box with vanilla icing I put on while the cake was still too warm which as you can imagine was an absolute disaster. It had heart sprinkles on top. Somehow I made my way into my husband’s heart through his insatiable sweet tooth.

The year we were engaged we took a devoted friend and mentor out to dinner. Brandon picked us girls up, brought us each flowers. He brought me a little valentine’s mouse stuffed animal that he had won from a crane game, (one of many). And we showered our friend with love. Still one of my favorite Valentine’s Day to date.

Our second year living in Charlotte we went to an old neighbor’s house who’d hosted a pretty grand party. They’d hired a chef to cook dinner for all of us. The idea was to tip the chef whatever you would spend on a meal out. We had the best time with such a diverse group of people. Brandon and I are still wanting to make this happen sometime with our own friends!

Last year I was in the middle of my pregnancy with Felicity when I caught a horrible 48 hour stomach bug. We never went out for Valentine’s day anyway so it didn’t seem like too big of a deal. Until the end of the day came and I felt like a horrible Valentine sick in bed. Brandon brought me a single rose, some cold medicine and a little stuffed sloth with a red bowtie from the pharmacy. He figured it could be passed on to Felicity but I’m not ready to give that sweet present up yet. Those gifts have been a few of my favorites that Brandon has ever given me. It’s always sweet when someone’s thoughtfulness comes unexpectedly. Somehow every year he always seems to surprise me. I do love a good surprise.

This year we had the opportunity to go on a date the night before Valentine’s Day. A friend of ours graciously stayed home with Felicity so that we could enjoy an evening to ourselves in which we ate an enormous platter of sushi.

No two Valentine’s Days have been the same but they’ve all been memorable and I think that’s why I love it.

Today we had a sweet little girl to celebrate with. She didn’t get to enjoy the surf and turf that Brandon grilled for us but she did enjoy teething on the side veggies.

Recently I watched Felicity playing on the floor and had the most odd sensation that I knew her. I’m not sure I know how to explain it other than I felt like I’d seen this baby before. I knew this baby, somehow like she was a memory. Brandon agreed that she seems to be such a perfect blend of us. We know both of our personalities so well and we can see our own traits shining through her. Plus I think she looks so much like both of us.

She’s this perfect little human. Curious, wild, happy, sweet. She often crawls underneath her exersaucer, laying on her back she’ll look up at it. She reaches up to touch the inner workings of her toy and I can see instantly how her little mind is tinkering away just like her Dad’s.

She loves books like me and shopping. Being outdoors and flowers. That’s right. This sweet little lady received this beautiful baby bouquet from Daddy for her first Valentine’s Day. ↓ Let me just take a minute to cherish this sweet moment ♥♥

She’s persistent. She knows what she wants and rather than fighting it I’m trying my best to let her figure things out on her own. She’s crawling and pulling herself up on everything she can. I can’t stop her, she’s a little explorer just like us. The best I’ve been able to do is sit alongside her, catch her before she tumbles and help her learn to overcome new obstacles. I want to help mold this girl into the best person she can be. I want her to learn that independence can be a great thing when she is ready for it. Right now that looks like helping her climb over everything in sight and getting her to put herself to sleep. In the future it’ll be so much harder to let her go as her independence grows. This job as a mama is the hardest I’ve ever had, but I can sense myself being stretched and that’s always a great thing. My dearest little Valentine. We’re so lucky to have you.