The Royal Birth-- We understand

My mom is in town and is obsessed with the Royals so we have watched 24 hour coverage of this event on the news.  Since we live at the Kingdom of Traiylor, I feel like I can understand what Will & Kate must be going through.  But on the real, it is fun to relive what those first few days felt like.  I have never been on such a high in my life.  The endorphins were pumping through my veins and I couldn't stop smiling for 2 days, I swear.  It was the best.  Almost makes me want to do it again.  

Scratch that.  

I haven't slept in 5 months.  I'm talking crazy.  How do people have more than one baby?  Talk to me in a few years or hold my hand while I cry if we have a "surprise" before then.  I bow down to any woman that does this more than once.  

congrats new parents!

p.s.  Andrew wants me to assure everyone that he does not hate me and apologizes for his dirty mouth and oversharing wife.  

I think I'm really funny sometimes...(video edit)

(some folks emailed and told me they couldn't see the video.  edited to embed new one.) 

Andrew left yesterday for Tennessee to go look at some horses for sale. Earlier today I spotted a big cardboard box in the yard and decided that I wanted to give him a grand surprise welcome home. I had my mom stand on the back porch and pretend to be talking on speaker phone to a friend as he walked up while I was hiding in the box. My videographer got caught up in the moment and didn't film me jumping out but I still think this is the funniest thing ever.  

He really did luck out when he found me to be his life partner.  ;)

(skip to 30 seconds-ish in..)

Val in a Box from Valerie McQueen on Vimeo.

July, in summary

I want to eat her.

July has been hot.  And I don't really do hot.  And the farm in July is busy.  A little too busy.  It means that my other half does not get in from the barns until 8:00 each night.  That means that I am all frazzley with a crazy eye by the time he comes in and then I try to cook us dinner.  

Relief is on its way though.  My mom is coming into town on Friday (DO YOU HEAR THE ANGELS SINGING?!) and I can get caught back up.

So excuse my silence whilst I get my shiz together.  

While away

I left to go to the store this afternoon and came back to this.  Not sure why he is sleeping on the dog bed with my nursing pillow but I'm gonna just let these two sleep. 

Happy weekend! 

lunch with heifetz

We went on an adventure today to the Heiftz International Music Institute in Staunton.  The Heifetz International Music Institute is "dedicated to the artistic growth and career development of some of the most talented and promising young musicians in the world."  I've heard nothing but great things so I was excited to take Everly to listen to some live music and their free brown bag lunch concert fit well for our schedule.  

Ev was really into it, as much as a 4 month old can be, and we were able to stay for about half of the pieces before I felt like she was going to start on a babbling roll. One piece got really quiet and I started panicking that she would rip a big wet one right there in the room and how would that NOT interrupt a performance?  But she held it all in strong like a champ.  

After we left we walked around to the back of the Woodrow Wilson Library and took a seat in the shade to nurse.  One of the students had walked outside the back to tune his violin and warm up and he ended up playing for us.  It was like a little private performance.  Ev was so happy being outside and listening to the music.  It was one of those moments where I felt like I was exactly where I wanted to be in life.   

Hanging out in the back ready for a fast escape.  

Maybe she was over it by this point...

secret picture of our private concert.  

a "balfie"

 baby + selfie.  They seem more acceptable than just a selfie.  Maybe?  Maybe not.  

One thing I don't think I realized was how hard it would be to venture out of the house after the baby came.  It is so much more difficult and nerve-wracking than expected.  Will she cry?  Will she need to nurse?  Will people be cool with me nursing?  Will there be some place that I can change her?  The list goes on and on.  But I think it is very important for stay at home moms or dads to get out.  My friend gave me the best advice:  only go on one stop per day.  Then when you get home and put the baby down for a nap, have a nice cold beer waiting for you to de-stress.  (okay that last part is my advice.)    

Speaking of nursing in public, I saw this today on Facebook and it was by far one of the most powerful pieces I have seen on the subject.  Check it out: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/07/05/hollie-mcnish-breastfeeding_n_3552062.html

the one where I watch my baby roll down the hill through a lens

 found here.  

I came upon this image of how to make a flower headband and tried my hand at it today while we were sitting outside in the shade.  It would probably work better with different flowers but it was a lot of fun to make while Ev tried to stick fists full of petals in her mouth.  

And then I was mother of the year and Ev started to roll down the hill as I snapped away on my camera.  

put.the.phone.down.and.watch.your.child.

my country 'tis of thee

I love the 4th of July.  It has always been one of my favorite holidays and this year was exciting to have Ev to start a family tradition.  We started out the morning with the Staunton parade and saw all of the Ultimate Miss pageant queens and hometown baseball teams in all of their glory!  

I found out later in the day that it was Andrew's first time going to the parade.  Wha-What?  I know, that's what I thought.  What kind of deprived child were you?  I think he ended up having a really fun time with Ev and Lady Liberty herself, his wife, despite his aversion to large crowds of sweaty people.  

She loved looking at all of the things going on around her.   

 Lady Liberty hair that I tried to recreate from here.    

 gums for miles

 She passed out right at the end of the parade.  Overstimulation?  (nice boots)

Mt. Sidney friends 'till the end!  

We came home from the parade, took a family nap, grilled steaks and then attempted to watch some fireworks.  I say attempted because we piled poor Ev in the car screaming, drug her to a field where it sounded like the Gettysburg battle and then had to leave early because it was just too loud and was spooking her.  Maybe next year?  

Hope you had a great day too.  

Go America!  

K.I.R.: I sat in the parking lot of Food Lion today and it was amazing

 Going to the grocery store alone is a beautiful thing.   

During a little rain today, Andrew stayed at home with Ev while I ran to the grocery store and bank. Before I made my first stop I went to the drive thru at McDonalds and got a hot fudge sundae WITH the little airplane baggy of nuts and parked in the back of the Food Lion parking lot next to an unmarked bread truck (U.B.T's).  

I sat while NPR raged on in the background, tore open the corner of my peanuts, equally distributed the fudge/peanut/ice cream ratio (I have a thing about this) and had one of the most blissful 4 minutes i've had in awhile.   

If you ever see someone doing this, don't stare.  Just let them have it.