Seven month ago, just two and a half months into motherhood, I wrote about the ten things that had made my transition into life as a mom as smooth as it could be.

I stressed the importance of laughter; of taking pictures and asking for help. I encouraged myself and other new moms to take time for ourselves; and to sweat as soon, and as often, as possible. And I made a pact to be patient- not only with myself, but with my husband and child as well.

Now, almost ten months a mom, I look back on this list and I still firmly believe in all of these mantras. 

I've been a bag girl for as long as I can remember. In middle school I rocked Kate Spade with the best of them. In college it was all about Balenciaga. I've had a love affair with Marc Jacobs and Louis and, of course, Chanel. And most recently I've been obsessed with all things Celine. I'm a firm believer in the idea that the bag makes the outfit- even if the outfit is sweat pants and a tee, paired with a pretty purse dangling from a forearm. 

Like most great weekends- this past one flew by. Ours was filled with sunshine, friends and family, yummy brunches, pretty springtime colors and, of course, some chocolate eggs. This marked another first for Maddie Mae; and although she's not sure about the Bunny yet, she sure did love the basket he brought her. 

Despite the manic weather, this week has been a pretty great one. Maddie Mae and I were able to take quasi-daily walks in the park together, and we're even able to meet dad at the train station for his walk home at the end of the day. It makes me so excited for the upcoming season- days greeting us with birds chirping, filled with outdoor activities, and a whole lot of sunshine. Days are a getting just a little bit longer, and I can't wait to spend that extra daytime al fresco with the family.

Being a mom has been a dream of mine since I was a child. My mother stayed home with us four kids - yikes, 4?! Hers was the first face I saw in the morning. She cooked us breakfast, drove us to school, and picked us up at the end of each day. She watched our week-day sporting events, brought us forgotten projects, was there for every afternoon concert, and cooked us a hot meal every day. She was so happy to do it; and it showed. It appeared effortless for her. It was her calling, for sure. Her joy in it was infectious. We were thick as thieves, and I always knew I wanted to be there for my own daughter in that very same way

Oh, cup of joe. Let me count the ways. It was hard taking a break from you those long nine months; but our reunion after was pure bliss. And never did I ever need you so much as I did in those first, newborn months. I overdid it at times, but eventually, we found balance. And now I enjoy you a {moderately} reasonable amount thoughout the day. That morning cup, most often at 5am, is a life-saver- and is almost worth getting up for.

Happy Spring! The season is officially here- despite the fact that yesterday we woke up to a solid dusting of snow. Sunday will be Madeline's first Easter, and I've had the best time cultivating goodies for her basket. There's just something about a little one that makes all the holidays just a little more exciting.

I didn't have a substantial head of hair until I was at least two years old. My mother tells me I would be all dressed up in pink and strangers would still compliment her on her cute baby boy. Being that I was a toddler, I could understand - and would, naturally, respond with a scowl. So my mother took to Velcro-ing bows to the tiny hairs on my bald head; although I'm not sure it helped.

Sports have been a part of my life since the day I was born.  

My mother and grandmother were stellar tennis players. My grandfather was the Varsity football coach at Homestead High School- Alma mater of one Steve Jobs. And my father was an incredible baseball player; just like his father before him. So it's fair to say athletic prowess runs in the family. 

I have always been a fairly decent athlete. I swam and played tennis since the moment I could walk. I made it to Counties in breaststroke, and won the coaches award for synchronize swimming- laugh if you will, but that sport takes coordination. I played lacrosse and field hockey in high school, and was club tennis champion at the age of fourteen. I've always been athletically decent; I've never been athletically AMAZING. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! And what better way to celebrate than with some colorful baked goods?

St. Paddy's is a holiday we generally skip, being as that we are no longer the Guinness-all-day kind of people, nor are we Irish...

But this year we will be celebrating, albeit a few days late

Is it really the middle of March? How is this even possible? Daylight savings came and went, leaving us all in need of an extra cup of caffeine on Monday; Maddie Mae turned nine months over the weekend, and St. Patrick's day is just a few days away. Time flies when your chasing after a tiny, crawling human. 

With spring just around the corner- despite the fact that this weather is having a serious identity crisis- we've been doing some early spring cleaning, brainstorming some redecorations, and planning a few upcoming trips.

Easter's on its way! And with that comes another holiday first for miss MM- and lots of fun for mom. Its been years since the Easter Bunny has visited our house; so I'm super excited to see what he'll bring.

I'm envisioning a basket filled with musical instruments, wooden toys, and some super cute accessories for the little one. 

Here are a few goodies I'm hoping to see in MM's basket this year: 

The past few days have been delightfully warm; birds have been chirping, sun has been shining, and days have been filled with walks in the park. If I didn't know any better I'd say spring has sprung.

Add a pair of baby bunny ears gifted to mm by a good friend over an afternoon glass of iced tea, and you have a festive-feeling girl on your hands.

My sisters are cooler than me- I admit it.

Now don't get ahead of yourselves girls; there was a time when I was the cooler of the three. Days when I donned glowing extensions, pucci arms bands and Manolos on the reg; while you were knee deep in Justice and Claire's.

But as I've mentioned before {here} mommyhood has given me temporary fashion-amnesia. So on a recent trip home to California, I took advantage of ten whole days of shopping with my younger sisters-turned-stylists- no, literally, they are both stylists.

My relationship with infertility is a tumultuous one.

Difficult as my road to motherhood was, in the scheme of things it was relatively short. Six months of trying on our own, seven months of IUIs and success after one round of IVF.

Throughout this struggle to conceive, I, sadly, encountered people that dismissed my struggles because of this brevity- comparing my "short" journey to their own, unfortunately, longer ones.

But I don't believe in ranking people's challenges- particularly when it comes to creating a family. Whether you struggle with infertility for seven months or seven years is irrelevant in my mind- it is an impossible pain to want to create a life and, for whatever reason, struggle to do so.

But boy, the fight is so worth it. 

We started our teething journey when little miss MM was a mere two months old. I was relieved; thinking that the sooner we started the sooner we would get past this phase of our life- goes to show you how much I knew about infants + newborns as a first-time-mom. Now, nine months into this gig and we are still deep in the teething phase, with two more pearly whites peeping through.

Oh, the joy!