Friday already?! This week's been a fast one- starting off cold and snowy and ending happily sunny + spring-like.

The past few days have been filled with a few fun excursions, afternoon walks + shipping off lots of pretty packages filled with lyrical baby onesies.

In the midst of it all, my Maddie Mae turned ten months old- blowing my mind when I finally made the realization. My little babe is no longer such a baby- she stands + babbles + is so close to walking; but she'll forever be my little girl. It goes way too fast; and as exhausting as it sometimes is, these 10 months with her have been the best of my life. And I can't wait to explore another season outdoors with her this spring.

If April showers bring May flowers, then we are in for a treat.

Spring has been a bit shy the past few days- giving us glimpses of its glory, then sneaking away to hide behind the clouds {and snow}.

Thankfully, forecasts call for brighter and warmer days in the near future, getting me super excited to explore another season with my loves. As those sunnier days approach, I've been thinking about my spring favorites.

I started this blog a little over a year ago- the February of my pregnancy, four months before Maddie Mae arrived. I founded L + L as a creative outlet; a way to focus my energy during a not-so-great pregnancy. I had hoped blogging about cute baby clothes and fun recipes would take my mind off of the Morgan-shaped divot I was creating in our bed while I watched Netflix and waited for the little one to arrive. Shockingly, the worries and mandatory rest that consumed my pregnancy left me wholly uninspired, and not such a great writer.

I was also entirely too afraid. Way too scared to voice the fears about my first, fragile pregnancy to the world.

OK, that's dramatic- at that point only my mother and husband would have read them. The world would have had better things to do. But you get the point: I couldn't muster up the courage to put pen to paper, and Lilies + Lambs was barren as could be for several months.

Happy Fri-Yay, ya'll! This week has been a great one- despite the fact that I have a little girl with some very sharp teeth coming in. The weather finally got a little warmer, my sister spent a few days off with us, I was able to get a few very necessary workouts in, and my first article was published on The Huffington Post. Not too shabby.

So besides the fact that this week has been sleepless, caffeine-fueled and somewhat fussy- it's also been a beautiful, beautiful joy,

And that, is exactly what I've been talking about...

Like most great weekends- this past one flew by. Ours was filled with sunshine, friends and family, yummy brunches, pretty springtime colors and, of course, some chocolate eggs. This marked another first for Maddie Mae; and although she's not sure about the Bunny yet, she sure did love the basket he brought her. 

The past week has been filled with some much needed family time in my old stomping grounds- we've enjoyed ourselves so much, in fact, that's we've extended our trip just a few more days.

I've been soaking up the Cali sun, trips to my favorite west-coast beauty experts, enjoying the very best margaritas, and taking full advantage of having a few extra set of hands with my mom, sisters, and nana around.

Two days into March and we are that much closer to spring. March one is always a special day, as its my mama's birthday; and this year was especially memorable as we got to spend it together- with all four siblings, Nana and Maddie Mae. 

When I started Lilies + Lambs, I did so to document my journey into motherhood. The road was rocky at times; but in the face of adversity, I made a promise to myself to find beauty in it- from bump to baby and beyond.  

So when @pampers and @walmart asked me to share my mother's promise, I couldn't wait to share the motivation behind L + L, and how I remember to keep this vow to my little one:

I've been having serious withdrawals lately- my mama + sister are on the last leg of an incredible but way too long trip around the world, while my other sister has been back in California since the holidays. And I miss them terribly.

After three days of being spoiled rotten by beautiful springtime weather and lots of happy walks outside, the rain clouds descended; humbling us and leaving mom scratching her head to find an activity. Lucky for us, my other half is a "doer"- the kind of guy that is chock full of ideas and always wants to be on the go. His suggestion? Take the babe to the aquarium!

T.G.I.F: Looking forward to the weekend ahead- a combination of some mommy time and a girls' night out, mixed with maddie's second swim class and hopefully some lazy family mornings in bed. I haven't gone out much sans Maddie in the last eight months, but I always feel like my tank is a little more full after a carefree night with good friends.

Winter Storm Jonas, so nice to have met you.  You gave us an excuse to spend the day by the fire- to catch up on our worst DVR'd Bravo, in our comfiest of sweats.  You had Maddie mesmerized.  You gave Henry a challenge.  You finally gave us a taste of Winter.  You somehow made it feel like Christmas again- as we cuddled up all day as a family.

Well it would seem that winter is finally here- the temperature has dropped, some snow has come with more looming in the distance, and we have officially started hunkering down indoors. A few days have been spent walking the mall; but most are spent at home, leaving us to make our own fun. For MM this means lots of play time, nursery rhymes, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

In the months leading up to MM's arrival, I would often think about how she and Henry would get along- Would he welcome the new addition to our family? Would Maddie be scared? Would she be allergic? We did all the things we read to do- weaned Henry off of sleeping on the bed weeks before her due date, brought her newborn cap home for him to smell, and made sure to continue to make him feel special- although, if I'm being honest, we fell short on that last one in the early days.

One of my favorite things about Lilies + Lambs is that I'm often forced to really think- to reflect on my life as a mother, wife, daughter and friend.