New Haircuts all Around

Me with Madeleine... well... you can see her bangs at least

She is so cute I could eat her all up. Kyle is in the background and he got his hair cut too. But he does not want to take part in the photo shot.
Mwahahaha got you anyway!

Finally a nice shot.

Kisses from Madeleine and Momma Behr!

I'm so excited

I've been a bit cranky today and so I've decided that it would be a good idea for me to make a list of all the things that I am excited about. So here it goes.

1. Madeleine's new words.
For the longest time I was worried about Madeleine speaking. She's always had a perfect understanding (for her age) of what Kyle and I were saying to her but she was not a vocal child. Things started to pick up right before Juliette was born but the new baby set her back a bit and she stopped talking almost all together. It freaked me out in a big way. She is my first baby and so I have no sense of what is normal for a child of her age but the pediatrician kept assuring me that she was fine. Boy was he right.
She said her first sentence almost a month ago, "Baby nom-nom Mama." and since then has definitely fallen into the "new word a day" phase. Sometimes more. She has a few two word sentences "Oh wow." "No way." "Show watch." "Good girl." And is constantly surprising me with what she comes up with. For example, today she learned, "What?" I was telling her something and she blurted out, "WHAT?!?!" It made me laugh so she continued saying it. Kyle told me one of my jokes was not funny and she walked up to him and said, "WHAT?!?!" It was awesome. She used to just repeat but now she says all her words on her own. "Eat." when she is hungry. "Go out." when she is bored of being inside. She brought me her book Baby Come to Church and said, "Jesus." I am a happy Momma.

2. My new heels.
Is there anything hotter than a pair of heels? The things they do for your legs and butt are awesome and I need that confidence after having birthed two babies. I've lost 25 lbs and I feel like the smaller I get, the larger my belly is. I know it takes a while for your body to get back to normal but come. on. I just want it to go away.

3. Tax refunds.
We are fixing my lap top and possibly getting a new couch. Plus, Kyle wants to take me out for a fancy dinner in my hot new dress and my hot new heels. I am pumped.

4. Traveling.
I get the shakes when I've been in one place for too long and so I am so excited to go to Houston and New Orleans in two weeks. We are visiting my in-laws and then heading for our good friend's ordination. We may not take the babies on Bourbon Street but tempt me with spicy food and a Hurricane and I may not be able to visit.

5. Warm Weather.
We just got our new rocking chairs in the mail and Madeleine's play house will be in any day. I see lots of sunny days outside with a coffee or a glass of wine watching the kids play. Just another reason I am glad we moved.

6. Not being Frumptastic.
When I am in Houston I will be getting my hair cut and my nails done. No man could ever understand just how wonderful that makes a girl feel. It's like taking a shower after you've been rolling around in dirt. I just feel like a whole new person, refreshed and perrrrty.

7. Sports.
The Yankees are winning. The red sox are losing. And the Celtics are set to take down the heat. Life is as it should be.

8. The Beatification of JPII
I was at his wake and it was the most incredible thing in the world to see him knowing his soul was probably in heaven. I love John Paul the Great and this has been a long time coming. What a wonderful thing for such a holy and inspiring shepherd. I wonder if there is anyone who's life was not touched by him

9. Bed time.
The kids and Kyle are asleep and dreaming and I will crawl in bed next to my husband and join them soon.

My life is pretty darn wonderful. This is why I decided to make this list. In life you can either dwell on the negative or comfort yourself with all of the joys and gifts from God. The latter is a much better way to live.

Praise God!

Do the clothes make the woman?

As a mom, I sometimes find it hard to do things that are just for me. When I do, I usually end up feeling guilty about it. After all, being a mom is about putting yourself last, right? So did I really need those shoes? Or that sweater? Should I return them? Do I really need a gym membership? Can I leave my kids to go workout for an hour?

To begin with, I have a problem with spending. I love being a stay at home mom but especially during those long winter months, nothing is more appealing than the mall and there is always an excuse to buy something new. And there is also always online stores. It's usually for the kids but I have to keep myself accountable to my husband and clear big purchases with him first while also monitoring the small ones. I HATE the word no so it can prove to be a difficult task.

But when it comes to the normal things that most twenty-five year old spend money on to keep themselves looking and feeling good I have a hard time shelling out the dough. I haven't had my hair cut since September, my nails done since November, and my brows waxed since January. I feel hairy and frumpy. But Juliette only nurses so how can I leave her? Or is that just an excuse.

My mom did everything for us and never thought of herself. My dad called us the best dressed poor kids in town but my mom's closet was always lacking. She never seemed to mind and was always beautiful anyway but I always felt bad that I had so much while she rarely ever got for herself. Now I understand. Your kids are a reflection of yourself and giving them the best is giving you the best.

Still, it always made me happy when my mom went and got her hair done because I could tell that she felt good. I loved when she got a new shirt and would show me. I loved shopping with her for her new dress for my sister's wedding. I was proud of how good she looked even if she couldn't see it.

My mom has recently lost almost 50 lbs and she looks amazing, not at all her age. I want my kids to look at me and be proud of how beautiful their mom is spiritually and physically. Just like how I feel about my mom. Kyle would be attracted to me no matter what as long as I had boobs but I know he is proud when I make an effort. When my hair is long and straight and blond and flowing and I'm dressed in the right style and color. Why does being a mom mean I have to stop being me? Why would it ever mean that I have to stop dressing attractively?

Tomorrow I am going out with my mother-in-law (AMAZING woman, I am blessed) and we are going to get me my first pair of heels. I know, right? I recently started wearing nicer makeup, straightening my hair, and I am in the process of toning my body hopefully back to where it was pre-baby. As I do all these things I feel better about myself and I find I have more energy, more joy, and am a better mother.

I know my true beauty comes from what is inside me but I never want to neglect the outside. God gave me my beauty as a gift and I don't want to just trow that gift away. I can be a mother and still have a bit of time left over for me. No mom should feel guilty about taking that time. I'm slowly learning to let go of that guilt.