oh, the weekend.

March 28th 2011

things that made the weekend not so great:
  • coming this close to buying a house we loved here in d.c. on saturday, but not having it work out.
  • after realizing we aren’t getting the house, driving all the way to ihop in virginia for pancakes to cheer us up only to find a long line wrapped around ihop of others who want pancakes, too. feeling defeated, we drive back home without pancakes.
  • trying to have a dinner date at dc 3 saturday night. baby girl decides to test out her lungs on the car ride over, meaning we’re afraid to even go in. so we eat dinner in the car with a screaming baby.
  • lesson learned that i should carry back up clothing not only for baby girl, but me, too. i’m not brave enough to walk around in a silk blouse that’s leaking you know what.
things that made the weekend so great:
  • scheduled snowstorm for sunday turned into 50 degree sunny weather by noon.
  • running into our friends at harris teeter at ten in the evening and shopping together.
  • taking eleanor to the studio where i teach to meet all the girls and watch a bit of rehearsal. (oh how i miss them.)
  • church on sunday. and a beautiful baptism afterwards.
  • sunday dinner with friends who really know how to cook. and eating one too many bowls of deliciousness.
it really was a great weekend for the most part. here’s to an even better week ahead. happy monday!
  1. rachael

    Mama, you made it through the weekend!
    Any one of those things is enough to make a grown woman pout.
    Way to find the positive!

    Blessings <3

    Rachael at Letters to Ames
    http://www.letterstoames.com

  2. lovely pictures as usual. Sounds like and eventful weekend if anything. Sorry to hear about the house. I kinda know the feeling.

  3. you are gorgeous naomi!! love those glasses!:)

  4. Well it's good that enough nice things happened to balance out the not so good! I feel like a geek asking this as I already commented on your photo on instagram but what lipstick are you wearing in the top left photo? I'm a little obsessed with lipstick and love finding out about new ones!

  5. Kelly

    way to look on the bright side :)

  6. Those glasses are crazy cute! Sorry about the house-hunting disappointment…just remember, everything happens for a reason. So there's an even more amazing house out there with your name on it!

  7. Kelly

    Cute photos! I'm sure an amazing house will work out for you guys! Stay positive!

  8. Becky

    Sorry to hear about the house—but I am glad you have found so many good things to smile about, too. Also—absolutely thrilled to find out you are nursing. I realise it's a little personal for me to comment on but I am always disappointed by the amount of women that don't these days so it is refreshing when I hear of ladies who are! :)

  9. Great pics! It really is the little things in life that make everything all better isn't it?

  10. Great pics! It really is the little things in life that make everything all better isn't it?

  11. Man your weekend was full of ups and downs! Glad you enjoyed it for the most part!!

    togetherinadream.blogspot.com

  12. Taking in the good with the bad is what life's all about! Sounds like you guys were able to make the best of things regardless.

    Another plus: maybe E is going to be a fantastic singer when she gets older! My mom always told me she wasn't surprised I could sing because of all the exercise I gave my lungs as a baby :)

  13. what a beautiful weekend, despite the setbacks. it's so refreshing to see you accept the light and the dark of a weekend. you are too gorgeous, inside and out :)

  14. Monique

    Happy Monday, hope you can make up for the IHOP situation this week. Good luck house hunting hope you find a place you absolutely love soon.

  15. Amy

    It's funny how things don't always work out the way we plan them with newborns, but ya learn to go with the flow! (no pun intended:)

    amy day to day

  16. MellyB

    Leaking boob = complete suckiness. That's why I tell my babe everyday he owes me a cruise someday.

    Sorry about the house. Something like that can be so depressing.

  17. you're so purdy! you make motherhood look like fun!

  18. Sorry to hear about the house. I bet you will find an even better one soon. I like to think that houses find us too, yours is still looking for you as much as you are looking for it.

    As far as the leaking situation. I went through the same thing. I keep a t-shirt and cardigan in my son's baby bag which helped in those emergencies. It got better after a few months too, so don't worry. The plus side is, if you are leaking it means you are providing more than enough for little E which will come in handy for her growth spurts.

    You guys are amazing parents and it is great to hear your family stories. Have a great week.

  19. Ack, sounds like my entire month of March. But, inbetween our bank account information being stolen (and used, ugh) and our renter NOT paying rent (still to this day, it was due the 1st…), we found time for Sea World, Aquatica, ice cream, strolls around town, and new recipes!

    I hope April is better, anyway… but somehow, all of this isn't as stressful when I get to come home to a smiling, innocent, sweet little face.

  20. Alivia

    Love this post; good idea :) I adore the photo of you and bitty baby E together– too cute!

    aliviathinksthis.blogspot.com

  21. :) welcome to the silly adventures of being a mom

  22. It is completely amazing how much laundry a babe makes! I always thought it would just be his stuff, and never expected so much of mine….. Enjoy the good times and know that the bad moments are only just that, moments!

  23. savy

    Look how big she is getting! My gracious…

    You'll find another house you love…guarantee!

  24. Were you trying to buy on Capitol Hill? The housing market's so crazy here. Last summer we found what we thought was our dream home, but we were outbid by four other people. It ended up being for the best because we found one that was even better, only five months later. Just be patient!

  25. Ashley

    First these pictures are adorable and so precious! and second it looks like all of the good stuff this weekend def made up for all of the mishaps you had..:)xox

  26. Deanna

    hah. so i have to share my story of leaking after my first child was born. he was about six weeks old and i had fed him right before we walked out of the door to go get breakfast. five minutes after we had sat down i hear another baby in the restaurant cry, look down, and see half dollar sized wet spots on my shirt. :) i sat with my arms crossed over my chest for the remainder of the meal.

  27. Sorry about the house, but I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason!
    Beautiful photos!

    Much love,
    Vanilla Blonde

  28. Shann

    Glad that the good outweighed the bad! I hope you find the perfect house soon!

  29. What a trooper:) that pic of u and ur baby is adorable…

  30. Sarah

    Haha oh no! I'm sorry about the tougher side of the weekend. Maybe all the good stuff cancels it out to make it a pleasant weekend all around. I totally feel ya about almost buying a house. Rips your heart out. Thank for sharing =)

    -Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/

  31. Bekah

    I hear you about the house hunting. We fell in love…hard…with at least three houses and were crushed…even harder…when we didn't get them. Then one day the perfect house appeared and we bought it below asking price, but not before I had at least 300 nervous breakdowns about finding a house. Patience is not a virtue of mine.

  32. eleanor is so adorable! glad you made it through the weekend :) happy monday!

  33. Kasia

    It's so true that although you feel crushed about the house not working out, you will find YOUR dreamhouse soon! We felt that way after house hunting for a year or so in Edmonton and being outbid by two other people. We were so discouraged we stopped looking for three months and then BAM! the perfect house came along and I'm so happy we didn't buy the first one! It'll work out. Hang in there. You're a beauty.

  34. Kasia

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  35. Mrs. C

    Eleanor is getting cuter and cuter!!! Wow!! And doesn't iHop know they get a rush on the weekend and should be prepared!! Happy Monday and cheers to a good week! You don't need it but check out my Move It Monday exercise for swim suit season….eeek!!!

    http://www.mrscapretta.com

  36. Katelyn

    I miss Harris Teeter and wish we had them in Illinois! I'm sure a better home will come your way. Hope your week goes better!

  37. Rhianne

    so sorry to hear about the house :( perhaps you still haven't found the 'one' yet… you'll find the perfect one eventually, I know it.

    p.s. love your glasses!

  39. Sorry you had so many downs in your weekend. Hope you have a much better week!

  40. Ryan

    sorry to hear about your bad weekend, but happy to hear about the good. i was visiting my boyfriend in dc this weekend and i just thought i'd share a little tidbit with you . . .

    after telling him about your "hunt for the perfect burger" he thought i should tell you about our favorite restaraunt: the tombs in georgetown. while i'm not the burger fan, he definitely is and he said the tombs has the best burger he's ever had. he said i had to tell you guys to go there to complete the search. oh and if your not feeling burgers, the french toast for brunch is the bombdiggity. :)

    happy hunting!

  41. kira3

    next time you want to venture to VA for breakfast, go to the Original Pancake House! SOOO much better than IHOP – their chocolate pancakes are ridiculous!!! Its right on 29 in Falls Church.

  42. amber

    i am glad that the great things are more abundant than the not great things! ;)

  43. sorry to hear about the house….I fell in love with a house once and ended up getting a bad home inspection on it so I had to start the whole thing over again. It was a blessing though because I found an even more perfect one after, you just never know.

    Kellie May from classic bobbins
    http://classicbobbins.blogspot.com/

  45. Yikes, that whole weekend bad parts sounded not so good!! I hate it when I have a screaming child while I am starving, doesn't make a good combo!!

    I hope you find a house!!

    Livy Love

  46. I love your blog so much! I've been following it for a couple years now and it never lets me down!

    You are a great example to me of a strong, fun, smart LDS woman.

    Thanks you!

  47. Helen

    the house thing is so disappointing! the same happened to us in january. i know my dream house will come along eventually though.

  48. Don't worry. A year ago we had an offer on a house fall through. And I was heartbroken. But the very next day we stumbled upon my perfect little dream house and 24 hours later, it was ours! God has the perfect place picked out for you too! You'll find it!

  49. you are such an adorable mother – ah.
    love the little photo of you two girls.

    would love to visit dc. on the list.

    have a wonderful week.

    http://www.workyourcloset.com

  50. Kait

    Oh gosh, I know how you feel about buying houses and it not happening. We're looking in Arlington and have had many great disappointments as well. It's not fun to house-hunt around here! :(

    I keep telling myself it'll be worth it because an even more perfect place will be the one that is "IT" and it will be the one that works out! :)

  51. Kris

    What an eventful weekend!!!

  53. Bah… isn't that the story of life sometimes?! So impressed with how you were able to focus on the positive though.

    I've been a closet reader for some time now so thought I'd finally leave a message!

    -Jordan

  55. I love those pictures! How do you get the cool edges?

  56. Lily

    Love your blog…the photos are great ! Sorry to hear the house did not work out !

    xxLily
    goldandgray.com

  57. lansinoh disposable nursing pads rescued me from dicey situations numerous times. :)

  58. Tan

    Love your blog. I came across it this weekend and your photos make me want to visit the U.S again, I do miss it…

  59. It's the ups and downs that make life beautiful!

  60. The house thing is a bummer, we had to jump through a lot of hoops but we have our dream house now. I was looking at your lovely pictures and I got one more positive weekend thing: Having the sweetest, most photogenic family in the universe..:)..its totally true..I don't think any of you can take a bad pic! Have a great week. Hearts, Janna Lynn

  61. Lori

    I don't comment very often but you reminded me of when I learned to carry extra mommy clothing. It was when I ended up with baby poop all down my shirt and skirt at church. I was so embarrassed! It cleaned up rather well but I could still smell it and people at my church like to give hugs. Luckily church was nearly over so I grabbed my husband and made a bee line to the mall. Lesson learned.

  62. JIN

    aawwww…well atleast it was a weekend with your little family – sounds like a good one to me

  63. That picture of you with baby girl is so lovely. It looks like you've choreographed a dance and she is your prop….. Except she is keenly aware that she is a member of this awesomely choreographed dance. Ahhhh! I love it.

  65. Alexis

    Being from DC have you been to DC Cupcakes???
    I want to know how you stay so beautiful with a baby? I have a 3 year old and a 4 month old and it's hard to even get dressed sometimes let alone look good!

  66. 1) Man, those glasses are awesome, I can't wait till my next optometrist appointment.
    2) We saw the most beautiful DC condo this weekend (condo is not even the right word…I feel "flat" is more befitting its chandaliered self) only to find out they don't allow dogs in the building.
    3) while I love blogs to escape to, sometimes it's nice to know that everyone has those moments. so THANK YOU

  67. You look amazing, like AMAZING in those glasses. They were meant for you!

    Maybe you should try date night with a babysitter next time?? : ) I know it's hard to find someone you trust, but maybe a friend would lend a hand. It's worth it!

  68. love the photos, esp. the top left! and i'm sure she was the hit of the dance studio. :)

  69. Chessa!

    i'm sorry about the house and the pancakes and your blouse:( I can offer one little tip that helped me and I have many lovely tops that were saved from ruin…lansinoh pads. I felt silly putting them in but they were amazing. they were the best ones for me (and I tried them ALL). I used them for many months (I nursed the baby until she was about 8 months).

  70. As a new homeowner, I completely understand the emotional roller coaster of buying a home! Congratulations on your new beautiful girl. I am a new follower and loving your blog!

  72. Marfio

    You have great perspective! I have to ask – what did you used to teach?

  73. don't worry, the real estate deal of a lifetime comes around once a week, another house is on the way.

    in my own diaper bag, after a few lessons learned the hard way: a sleep'n'play (footed onesie- so that you don't have to mess around with socks etc), onesie (this makes two outfits in a pinch), a legit bag of baby wipes, extra white t shirt in my size and two ziploc bags (one in case you have to dispose of your own evidence and one for clothes) in addition to all the usual suspects (extra diapers, pacifier, etc) and always extra bottle of (pumped) milk just in case, especially if the outing involves a car or eating in a public place, you just never know.

    for the leakage, medela's nursing pads keep everything in check.

  74. lovely photos. i know all too well how you feel about the house. i've fallen in love with so many houses… i've lost count. still waiting to find the right one. i've got my eye on a little farmhouse with some land. or maybe a big victorian in town…
    you will find yours too. and it will be perfect.

  75. Eleanor looks so big already!!!

  76. I love the way you can put a positive spin on things without pretending that nothing bad ever happens — I am trying to grow & become more like this!

  77. Izzy

    Welcome to motherhood :) My hubby and I went to Red Robbin when our baby was about 3 months, and she tested our her lungs. We were too embarassed to LEAVE! We took turns eating dinner, I told hubby to go first and then I ate a cold dinner :( It's OK though because now she's so darn cute…just like your little one :)

  78. Isn't amazing how so many things can go wrong and yet, you still have an amazing weekend? Babies are little miracles :)

  79. kate

    you and baby are so stunning.

  80. kate

    you and baby are so stunning.

  83. Kelly

    You ventured out to Ihop? Poor thing! I can never understand why there is always a line!

  84. Mandy

    I really like your blog, I just started following you but wanted to share an award with you…please visit my blog for your award! Also please don't feel any pressure to do as it says, just know that I enjoy your blog and wanted to let you know!

    Thanks!
    Mandy at Live.Laugh.Love
    http://livelaughlovetoday-mandy.blogspot.com/

  85. BSJ

    House hunting is exhausting. And more exhausting when you don't get what you hoped for. Hang in there. Everything happens for a reason. I would have just gone home & made pancakes :P On a lighter note, yay for spring! And sunday dinners!

  86. Don't despair, there is an ihop in columbia heights too!

  87. Connie

    Oh man! Well I just had to say don't worry about the silk top troubles! It takes a few months…that feel like forever…but any and all leaking WILL I promise you come to an end! Oh- and today I passed by naomi's tv in arlington and thought it would be a fun picture spot. Then again I'm weird that way and shabby buildings in the ghetto appeal to me;)

  89. Okay I am slightly—scratch that–totally and completely obsessed with the yellow skirt in your blog header. Any chance you will divulge where it is from? And congrats on the little one, she is an absolute beauty! Such a gift from above :)

    courtneypennington.blogspot.com

  90. Julia

    Naomi – Lansinoh Breast Feeding pads are the best! Especially at first.

  91. @courtney, it's from target! got it last spring! :)