Author: Natalie P.

Natalie P.https://wildflowerchilddotme.wordpress.com"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall..."
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A little R&R

In May Daniel and I took our first post-baby vacation, without the baby. That’s right, just the two of us! I know most new mothers think they cannot bear to be away from their 12 month old for a week, but I highly recommend it. The first day was the hardest. I missed my sweet girl like crazy! But by the third day, which also happened to be Mother’s Day, I was good. I knew Bella was in good hands with my parents and I was thoroughly enjoying my one on one time with her daddy.DSCN0299

When vacationing, Daniel and I typically look for some place we have never been before. This is hard because I swear Daniel has been everywhere! We enjoy a warmer climate and this year we were also looking for something relaxing. We agreed on Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and decided on an Iberostar All Inclusive, The Grand Bavaro. This was our first time to stay at an Iberostar and The Grand Bavaro far exceeded our expectations. This place was simply beautiful. You can check it out here!

DSCN0305Upon arrival we were given a fresh, cool towel and a glass of champagne to enjoy while spending a brief moment checking in. We were escorted to our room and not even five minutes later our butler was at the door asking what he could do to make sure we had a fabulous stay. This year we splurged a little and reserved a swim-out suite. Excellent decision! The pictures speak for themselves, but the best part was that we always had the pool to ourselves. There were about five swim-out suites in a row and in our entire stay we only saw one other couple once. We enjoyed the privacy and the quiet of our own little pool area.

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IMG_1812Rest and relaxation were our goals for this trip and I would say we achieved that. This is  the first time Daniel and I never left the resort or each other’s sides. As new parents we don’t get a lot of down time with just the two of us anymore so it was nice to take advantage of that. We slept in, went to the gym and then spent the day lounging by the pool or napping in a cabana. And after dinner every evening we headed back to our room to enjoy our patio area and an early bedtime. It was nice to spend a week together to recharge and reconnect after a crazy first year with our daughter.

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And for the first time EVER, I looked forward to going home…to this sweet little face!

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Time flies when you’re having fun! Isabella is ONE!!!

Gasp…my “baby” is now 13 months (& not much of a baby anymore) and I have yet to share her first birthday with you! We have had a very busy month and I have put this off for far too long. So without further adieu….

Isabella is ONE!! Everyone told me how fast babies grow up and at first I didn’t believe them. Why? Because the first six months seemed to drag on. She was a baby and while she smiled and cooed and laughed a little, she mostly just laid around. But right around Christmas time, Bella really developed this infectious personality that has only grown more addicting by the day. She is definitely her own little person now and I could not be more in love.

Birthdays are a big deal to me and I wanted hers to be nothing short of fabulous! Her actual birth date is April 16th which fell on a Thursday this year, so we decided to wait until the weekend to celebrate. But that didn’t stop us from filling her crib with balloons and sending her to daycare in a first birthday outfit! Bella absolutely loved the balloons in her crib! I highly recommend it. Her tutu on the other hand, she was not a fan of. Since Bella and her friends are too small for cake, we brought cookies to her teachers and it was business as usual for the rest of the day.

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Saturday the 18th was reserved for her official first birthday party. We invited family and close friends to our house to celebrate. Naturally I went with a pink and gold glitter theme for my little princess. I had a vision, thanks to pinterest, for the day and with the help of Hobby Lobby and Etsy, my vision came to life. I also want to note that I could not have set it all up or cooked everything in time if it had not been for the help of my mother. She was a HUGE help that weekend! And thanks to my father for taking pictures! Without him I would have none.

I have to say that Bella’s first birthday party was one of the best days of my life. We are truly blessed to be a part of two wonderful families and to have some pretty amazing friends. The day could not have gone more perfectly. I was worried that Bella would be overwhelmed with all of the people, but she was not shy at all. She was very happy all day. She also looked absolutely adorable in her birthday dress!

Again, the day could not have been more perfect. So thank you to all of our friends and family who celebrated with us! You gave us a day we will never ever forget!

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Gallery

Spring is in the air!

And this weekend was no exception. The weather was absolutely beautiful! Sunny, mid-70s, light breeze…just perfect! I have wanted to snap a few pictures of Bella and I for some time now. I have very few pictures of the two of us because I am usually the one who takes them. Bella will be ONE in a few days and is growing up way too fast for me so when my parents graciously offered to take some pics of us I jumped at the opportunity!

Bella and I drove to my parents’ house very early Saturday morning…in fact it was so early that we woke them up when we called to tell them we were on our way. Oops! My parents own a small resort, Edgewater Resort, on Lake Hamilton and ALL of the flowers were in bloom. Everything was so pretty!

Bella was NOT the most cooperative when we tried to take her picture but Mom and I had fun dressing her up in different outfits. It wasn’t easy, but we did manage to take some good ones. Here are a few of my favorites…

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Welcome to my Blog – Wildflower Child!

Many many years ago I used to write, often. And every year since I have told myself, this year I will commit to write more, but “other” things always seem to take priority. This year that changes! Why you ask? Because a year ago I gave birth to the most beautifully spirited person I know, my daughter Isabella. She has quickly made me realize just how precious life is and that I must capture it before I forget it. Not every moment will be magical, but every moment will be documented so year after year I can look back at the memories we have made. This blog will be ALL over the place (from family to fitness to fashion and a little bit of everything else sprinkled in between). Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will stay awhile!

– Natalie P.

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