GYB Blog Hop

Happy Valentine's Day!  Today I am excited to announce that that I am co-hosting a blog hop called Grow Your Blog, and this linkup focuses on networking bloggers.  Since I started blogging over a year ago, I have found so many fun reads by "hopping" from blog to blog.  During that time, I've gotten to know some really great women in the blogging community. If this is your first time visiting, welcome to A Southern Belle from New Jersey!  Please stay awhile and make sure to say hi.  I can't wait to meet you!

*****************************************************************************
Good morning and welcome to the Grow Your Blog (or GYB) blog hop, Valentines Edition! Paula and I are so happy to have you link up with us this week. And we happily welcome any new bloggers to the party! :) How has your week been? Do you have any plans for the weekend? What is the Grow Your Blog Hop all about? NETWORKING! Meeting new bloggers, finding new content to follow, building your readership. Why is blog networking great for you? Simply put, it increases readership and traffic to your blog. How do you network? Visit. Comment. Invite.
Communicate. These are key to growing your blog.

 

THIS WEEK'S HOSTS & LOVELY CO-HOSTS!

Julie from This Gal Cooks (HOST) Paula from Call Me PMc (HOST) Deandra from Chaos, Commotion and Emotion (CO-HOST) Erika from Shine On (CO-HOST) Megan from A Southern Belle from New Jersey (CO-HOST) Mayra from Ponder Wonders (CO-HOST)

WHEN YOU LINK UP TO THIS PARTY:

• Follow your hosts and co-hosts
• Link up the main page of your blog, not an individual post. You may link up your individual posts to Marvelous Mondays.
• Visit and follow other bloggers
• Comment to let them know that you stopped by and how you followed (Email, GFC, Facebook, Bloglovin, etc)
• Invite them to visit your blog (be sure to leave your blog web address - too many times have i seen bloggers comment and request a visit to their blog without leaving their blog web address)
• Communicate with them about what you like on their blog. Let them know you are interested in their blog. USE THEIR NAME! A simple "I'm so and so stopping by. I followed you please follow me." just isn't going to interest someone into visiting your blog. Sure, you can request a visit to your blog or a follow along but engage in some type of conversation first.
• Grab a button and promote the party(you can get the button on This Gal Cooks right here.)

Is this normal??

I am SO in love with my little boy.  Like, I can't stand to be away from him for even a few hours.  Really...would you want to be apart from this sweet boy?

I have {maybe} left him 8 times since he was born.  I've been trying to get out a little bit more--grocery store trips, a few times to the gym, and doing some wedding planning with my sister.  I know {in my head, anyway} that it is good for him to be away from me and comfortable with other people.  And, it is good for me to have some "me time".  When I go out without Max, I will leave him with JB or my parents.  Even though JB is comfortable with him and spends lots of time with him when we're all together as a family, it seems like Max melts down and cries everytime I leave him alone with Daddy.  

See??  Look how happy they are together.  :-)

I'm not talking a few tears and some whining.  I mean that I get home and my little man is sobbing and whimpering with bloodshot eyes and a bottom lip sticking out.  And, my husband looks so frustrated and upset that he can't calm him.  It breaks my heart.  I know that we just need to keep trying, and hopefully it will get easier for all of us.

But, in really good news---JB worked VERY hard again this past year, and we just found out that he made President's Club again this year.  That means that we will be going on an all-expenses-paid vacation to the Rosewood Mayakoba Resort in Mexico in April.  Doesn't this look amazing??

We've been extremely fortunate that JB works for an incredible company that treats their employees (and spouses) very well.  This means that for the past 4 years, we've been able to go on 100% free vacations to Mexico, Turks and Caicos, and St. Maarten.  Don't hate me!  I am so proud of JB for all of the long hours, late nights, and traveling that he does all year in order to earn these trips.  With all of that being said, I am EXTREMELY anxious about leaving Max for 5 days.  He knows his Lulu and Pops (my parents) very well, and they are SO excited to be watching him while we're away.  I know that they will be just fine, and Max will have so much fun with them.  After all, they did raise 5 kids of their own.  My anxiety has nothing to do with that.  It is more about me.  For the past 4 1/2 months, I've not let him out of my sight for more than a couple of hours.  Even during the night, I have one eye on the video monitor watching him.

What if he cries the whole time we're gone?  What if he refuses to sleep or eat because he's so upset?  (That's a whole other issue---He only takes a bottle every once in a while.  Most of the time he is exclusively breastfed.  This is also something we'll have to start practicing.)  What if he forgets about me?  I know what ya'll are probably thinking.  Meg--you are crazy.  Get on the plane, enjoy fruity cocktails on the beach, massages at the spa, and SLEEP.  I hope that I am able to relax once we get there and do just that.  I am really looking forward to spending some quality time with my hubby and reconnecting with him.  So, mamas out there--Please tell me you've felt like this too and it's normal.  I just need to hear that to make myself feel better.  Thanks--xoxo.

A Very Minnie 1st Birthday

Happy birthday to our sweet little friend, Mia!  Mia is our neighbor across the street, and I cannot believe that she is already one year old.  She is always smiley, has crazy wild hair, and loves to dance!  Max loves Mia, and Mia loves Max--and I think her Daddy is already worried about that.  :-)

Jess (Mia's mommy) spent SO much time and energy making sure that everything was picture perfect for Mia's first birthday party.  Between the food, the party favors, the sweet treats, and the adorable cake, everything was perfect!  Here are just a few pictures to share of her special day.

Favors for all of the guests 

Lots of Pinterest treats here--I got to help with these.  It was so much fun!

One of Mia's first birthday pictures--enlarged for everyone to sign!

We can't wait to see how you grow and change even more this year, Mia.  Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Mia and her mommy, Jess

College Roomies Reunion

Though it seems like a lifetime ago, I have some of my greatest college memories with these girls.  We all met during our freshman year--through mutual friends or in classes together.  Our sophomore year, six of us  lived together in the Seavers apartments on Shippensburg University's campus. We shared clothes, got all dolled up for frat parties, and spent many afternoons watching reruns of the Golden Girls together.  Since college, we've stayed in touch, but the time between our visits has stretched out longer and longer. There are rare occasions (like our weddings) when we all get together.  And, it seems like time has stood still when we do get together again.  I would love to plan a weekend when we ALL get together again, but this past Friday, Mary and Ang were able to come and visit us at our house with their sweet babes.  

Times have sure changed since those college days.  Gone are the nights of Jungle Juice out of a garbage can and nights dancing on tables.  Instead, we have playdates with babies and talks of sleep training and breastfeeding.  (By the way--I cannot even imagine acting like I did in college now.  I know for sure that I would not be able to recover from a hangover like I did back then!)  But, our friendships are still the same---we laugh, share stories, and all have those crazy memories to share.  Here are a few pictures from our visit!  

Max giving Gabriel a kiss.  Don't you love this hat??  Thanks, Mary!

Reading the ABC book

"Napping" together

Here comes trouble--She is ALMOST on the move!

Haha---chaos.  

P.S.  Next time, we need to get all of the posse together for a reunion.  Love you girls!  XOXO