Live, Love, Laugh...

2011-01-27T07:46:00.000-08:00

oh wow...feeling guilty....September begins a crazy busy season for me and I took zero photos of my own kids. And in October...I only took these. Must vow to make more time for that this year.
Anyway, here are my babies...the dino and the (nice) kitty cat. (It was important to her that everyone knew that she was one of the NICE ones!)

2011-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

In August...

we prayed a lot.

...we visited a local winery on a beautiful day...

...Isabella started at her new school......mommy cried before getting out of bed that morning so that Isabella didn't see...

...we had breakfast as a family before our first carpool...

...we walked to the pool in the evenings...

...we took a lot of gear with us each time...

....we went to the Mayoral Gala for the guy who is now our new mayor...

2011-01-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

In July, we ....

...fell asleep in mommy's car sweaty but content (take notice of the milk spray on my windows from a sippy explosion...nice!)

...we went to the track...

...we went to the beach with daddy's family...

...we hung out with our cousins...

...we played with each other in the ocean at sunset...

...we were a bit over protective with our flotation devices...

...we laughed...

...we loved...

...we basked in extra family attention...

...we thanked God for each other....

...we procrastinated with unpacking from vacation...

...we celebrated six years of marriage...
oh how this guy charms me.

so. much. better. together.

2011-01-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

June...
For what I lacked in May photos, I made up for in June.

A favorite summer pastime was walking to get gelato in our neighborhood. Always Fragola (strawberry) for Isabella. And she savors each bite. Eats it so slowly that the sun has often gone down by the time we make our way home.

Jack often looks like this on the way to get gelato...he's not much for being contained.

She has her eye on the prize and knows that at the end of the wagon ride, there's gelato!

We had a lot of popsicles on the front porch, too.

In early June, we went on vacation with my family. It's always a very special time for us when we're all together and we laugh so much that it always leaves me smiling for weeks.

Love this photo...all of my loves holding onto each other.

The kind of moment that always makes me want (and feel like I can handle) 5 more children, at least.

donuts and milk and a view of the sea...can't beat that.

lunch at the Hoffbrau Haus, straight off the beach...our favorite. Never under 2-3 hours of sitting on the covered patio, sharing soft pretzels, sipping on cold LIT's, talking, laughing, telling stories, loving...
sometimes a little dancing

and taking the baby's shirt off when it gets too hot for it!sweet pigtails
hot and tired after lunch

thirsty boy and lips that I so dearly love

sweet naps on the beach...so peaceful

definitely the best $15.99 we spent all week...a boat/pool for under the tent. No lifejackets required.

just taking it all in

cheese and crackers for dinner at Margaritaville

happy hour on the balcony after the beach...another favorite part of the day...sandy kids are bathed and restaurants are discussed...

Pop pop and Ella, two beach bums.

bubbles with unky

daddy and jack

pop pop and his girls

June was good.

2011-01-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

May....
Had 28 spring shoots during the month of May so hardly took any photos of my own kids but these two I took of Isabella that month rank up there as top favorites...

At the end of the month, we prepared teacher gifts to say thanks for a great year!

2011-01-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

April was a full month...and Jack's first birthday was definitely a highlight. I owe him an apology for letting his hair look so bad. I was blinded by love? Seriously, it's bad...and at the time? I thought it was the cutest thing in the world!

sitting on an early birthday gift
water table fun

peeking in on his cake the morning of his party...sadly, there was a slight mishap with the stacking of the cake that left me crying and Tommy declaring that we would never again bake our own stacked birthday cake. And, starting with that very afternoon, we've had very solidly stacked, yummy Plehn's cakes ever since.

giant balloons for Jack's party

the requisite soda favors

in the bounce house with daddy enjoying a little private bounce before the party guests arrive

guests are here and party is underway. it was a beautiful spring day

time for cake....

not so fond of the hat momma made...

momma, dada, and jack

his first year flew by!

food table

pop pop bounces and entertains us all

These posted a bit backwards...Easter Sunday 2010. Resting on daddy after church.

dessert at grammy's and sunscreened hair

eggs...

I miss that bright green grass...

jack and mommy

our little family

egg clings on the sliders

Easter morning

following the ummie (M&M) trail that he bunny left

Terrible photo but rare that were all three in a photo together so it made the cut! A great dinner at Napa...Lib, me, Al.

2011-01-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

March....

An afternoon at the park with just our little family....

a favorite pastime...eating Jack's toes...

my little space cowboy

my sweet girl looking like an angel

jack boy

a morning at panera with my babies...

farm milks...that's what we call 'em.

the morning nap..long gone now.

decaf iced mocha...momm'y favorite way to start the day.

little hands dipping into the little cream cheese.

little hand in mine.

This one makes me laugh out loud. Isabella had a paint accident and then a restroom accident all in the same day at school...so, I picked her up and found her dressed in some throwback clothing that belonged to the school (or lost and found possibly) The drop waist denim jumper, the oversized pink tee, and the matching colored socks made her look like someones tiny grandmother. The worst part? She told me on the way home that she loved the outfit and hoped they would let her keep it!

this is still one of jack's favorite things to do with daddy

these little numbers are a fixture around our house and I figure we've given no less than a thousand dollars to the Avent company. Tommy wants to patent a paci locator.

delicious baby feet

Play dough. She calls is it Pluto and it always makes me smile.

The plastic eggs are brought out of storage!

almost tall enough to see out the front doors. she is now.

clowning around

2011-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

Some favorite snaps from February...

Eating berries with daddy...

Having some fruit snacks and growing up....too fast.

Ahhhh the good old days...when Jack would actually eat what I put on his tray. Now he has fallen in the footsteps of his sister and declines almost everything!

Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with crazy nap hair and the {still} very special "blue baby."

These two are terrible quality but are a sweet reminder of our first trip to the circus as a family. I won't forget how your eyes sparkled with the reflection of the show lights, Isabella! You loved it. And...it should be documented that you talked us into $40 worth of plastic blow up animals on a stick that you tossed aside as soon as we left the arena parking lot! Oh well!

Caught her just waking up. She has a 5 minute transition period from sleepiness to fully awake wherein she is quiet and still.

Fully awake and full of smiles..

2011-01-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a little inspiration from some of my favorite bloggers...I'm looking back through 2010 for the gifts...the little moments long since forgotten until I sift through the thousands of photos.
I've never been a fan of New Years. I enter into the new year with trepidation and a dash of anxiety. Last year was a doozy though...and I'm looking forward to a NEW year. As I look back through the folders of pictures, I realize that with the challenges came great blessings, too. And that is life, right?

Below are some favorite moments/photos from January 2010.

Jack...so small one year ago.

A photo that tugs at my heart...Tommy and Jack on the plane. We have a big print of this in his nursery. My two most favorite boys.

Tommy holding our beautiful new niece, Ava.

another of my sweet boy.

Isabella forgets the "only draw on paper" rule and gives herself a red tattoo.

I was letting her "help" me cook dinner when I turned around to find that a little mouse had been snacking on the velveeta!

And tomorrow...favorite photos from February.

Today, I don't want to forget...

2010-08-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

how I looked in the rearview mirror this morning to see huge tears rolling down your cheeks. When I asked you what was wrong, you said the Dora video was so, so sad for you. I asked what on earth had happened and you said, "All the "any-muls" couldn't find their mommy," and then you hugged your baby doll and closed your eyes and just cried. Your tiny lower lip sticking out to catch your tears.
I recognized myself in you at that moment and I fell a little deeper in love with the compassionate little girl you are becoming.

And how sweet you, in that same backseat, raised your eyebrows at me when I looked over at you, as if to say "I'm game for whatever," just like daddy does. You are impossible not to smile at! You are saying "mommeeeeeeeeee" as clear as can be now. It is the one word that you say consistently and clearly and I'm so very happy that it's my name.

(I lied. You say ball more than you say mommy.)

love you both with everything that i am.

2010-08-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

It would be impossible to individually thank all of our friends and family for the outcry of love and support we've been shown so I have decided to post my thank you here. We sincerely appreciate your thoughts and mostly appreciate your prayers on behalf of Justin and Libby and sweet baby Ava. We believe that prayer will help tremendously. Please keep praying hard for them. Bookmark their site and keep up with their journey. I promise... you will feel blessed by having witnessed a faith so strong.
Leave them a comment...let them know you've joined up in prayer.
click here: Libby's blog
Also, join TEAM LIBBY if you're a Louisville local! We'd love to have you.
Or, sponsor Natalie (who joined the LLS team long before knowing we would have a family member touched by the disease.)

Again, any support is appreciated, but we mostly covet your prayers for total healing...and for strength for the journey.

2010-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

saturday we got to witness one of daddy's dreams come true. we drove to horse country to visit our new baby boy. a one year old colt....a racehorse.

chase and isabella have their fingers crossed for the Derby.
and isabella was so sad to see that he had to sleep standing up... what torture!

good luck with training big guy! run fast! we've got visions of a blanket of roses dancing in our heads!

also had the thompsons in for the weekend. always a treat. wade and isabella are the same size now and they play and fight just as if they are real brother and sister. it seems they have the exact same taste in toys. seen below, they are chasing each other around and around the sign.

2010-07-10T19:22:00.001-07:00

my cup truly runneth over.

you.

2010-05-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

yesterday in the car...after getting into trouble while waiting for daddy to come out of the store...our conversation went like this:
you: mommy don't yell at me in my seat
me: don't pull the cord out of the dvd player for the thousandth time. I've asked you not to do that repeatedly.
you: well mommy, when you yelled at me, that "feeled my hurtings."

it took me a split second to decipher what you were saying (hurt my feelings backwards) but when I did, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I think it might be the single cutest thing you've said to date....
but that would be a toss up with two other somethings you said last week...

me: i love you so much baby girl! so, so, so, much! forever!
you: mommy, i love you out of control.
what?? where do you get these things?
and this next one is straight from your daddy...
you: (right underneath me in the closet while I'm trying to get ready) mommy, what are you going to wear?
me: i think I'll wear this black shirt if that's ok with with you.
you: sounds like a plan.
after asking you to repeat yourself to make sure i heard you correctly, i laughed and laughed.

oh, how I love you...you just don't even know...
i'll love you out of control forever.
sound like a plan?

2010-05-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Tommy and I stay in touch throughout the day by sending texts...and I often send picture texts to him of something funny (or random) the kids are doing. Last week during swimming lessons, I sent a photo of Isabella trying so hard to swim. Bless her heart, she was swallowing the pool in the process...but she would not give up. And in that moment...I thought I would explode...my heart was pounding and I was so filled with pride or love or something like a combination of the two....and so I sent the photo text with the caption, "Babe...Isn't it crazy how there are no words for how much we love these children?" I knew that he would understand....that he, too, has felt the same. A few minutes later as I was drying her off, my phone buzzed on top of the plastic table that held our belongings. I paused to check the message and smiled when I read his response.
Quite simply put, he just said...."There are no words."

******
Jack got his first haircut. I long for him to have long-ish hair...and I still hope he will...I love that look...But, his was seeming very mullet-ish and I found myself nervously slicking it down with wet fingers while introducing him to people.....soooo, we decided a cut was in order. I made the lady promise that she'd leave the top alone and just trim the mullet. And my heart seriously cracked as pieces of his babyhood fluttered to the ground. With each snip, he transitioned into a little boy. His face seemed longer and he seemed taller...and thinner....and, well, just older. Oh but he looked so handsome. So incredibly handsome.

Apparently he wasn't too excited to lose his mullet. Not even the Blow Pop I brought consoled him.

But how about a curler covered in hazardous perm solution? Ah yes, tastes great.

Daddy continues to urge him to stop eating the curler and to go for the lolli instead.

Both Tommy and I smiled as we realized that even his first haircut can't hide his genes...like father, like son.

*******
Isabella loves the water table/sink we got Jack for his birthday. Except she continually gets in it instead of just playing with it. She has so much fun though...and that smile...and that crazy laugh! Who am I to tell her that it isn't actually made for getting in? It is so fun watching her blossom into a little girl. Her personality is such a mix of ours...and as you might guess, we think she is completely hysterical.

And really, truly....there are no words.

almost one

2010-03-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

oh dear, i'm afraid i'm head over heels.

2010-03-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Feeling blessed to be married to my best friend.

Just returned from Nashville where we ~~bought a sports car~~ I mean, we bought tickets to the Kentucky games. We had a wonderful time! Perhaps more important to note...the fact that I left the children for the first time and went out of town! I left them here with my mom so I wasn't worried (about anything but her sanity!) but I still had moments of Empty Arms Syndrome! The first night we arrived, we were having a quiet, romantic dinner (two adjectives I haven't used in a while) and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a lady doing the violent knee bounce with her 8 month old...trying very hard to enjoy herself, eat her steak before it turned to ice, and have a conversation with her husband...all the while trying to keep her baby boy from ripping the tablecloth off and ending the date. At once, I felt both relieved to be enjoying some time away and also out of place being without my babies. As we walked back to our room that night, we saw a room service pizza box outside someone's hotel door with a crayola masterpiece on the top of the box and we immediately smiled that "we miss the kids" smile. (And then we proceeded to sleep soundly and HARD for quite a few hours straight...which made us smile, too!) We stayed at the Opryland Hotel...which is now one of my favorite spots on the earth. It is similar to a cruise ship in that everything is under one roof...and that suits me just perfectly. We will take the kids back in a few months.
As for the Cats...what can we say? Saturday's game was tons of fun. It was the first one I had been to in several years and we had fantastic seats. I do not have the words for Sunday's game....it was so so much fun. The arena was deafening and the energy inside was unreal. Each time I looked over to give Tommy a high five, he had chills! Is that a true sports fan, or what? No chills for me...but a sore throat and sore muscles from the screaming and jumping. The girl in front of us had a sign that read "CALL ME, COUSINS!" And I am still laughing about that. Happy to be a part of such a state-wide tradition. Happy to love the state in which I live.
Very, very happy to have spent a weekend with my best friend.

**Thanks for the grandbaby-sitting, Mom. We owe you!**

mine

2010-03-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

I love the way you start every sentence with "Mommy..." and end it with "Mommy." As in..."Mommy, can you hold me, Mommy?"
{And seriously, yes, yes I will. For the rest of your life.}
I love your wit and sense of humor. You are so funny. It's in your genes. Your father is the funniest guy I know.
I love your hair {even though it is what makes you look so much like a big girl.} When it's wet, it goes all the way down your back.
I love the way your eyebrows move up and down when you talk about something secretive.
I love that your teachers at school love you.
I love that when I pick you up from school, you run to me like we have been apart for weeks.
I love that you are mine.
Mine to be proud of.
Mine to pray for.
Mine to dress up.
Mine to kiss.
Mine to snuggle.
Mine to care for.
Mine to shop for.
Mine to surprise.
Mine to make things for.
Mine to hold hands with.

You are mine...and I love you more than you know.

opening pez-zents.

2010-01-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

Now Isabella can be just like TuTu...an ironing addict!
It took her a bit to warm up to the fact that this one wasn't "HOT!"

The nice sister that she is, she offered to iron the unsightly wrinkles out of Jack's blanket.

Trying out the new sleeping quarters for the dolls.

happy...

Has anyone seen Jack?

There she is...the favorite gift of Christmas 09..."Red baby." (Aptly named for her very red outfit.) We have no idea what the attraction is...but she hasn't slept a night without red baby since Christmas day.

Jack studies some blocks and decided they're better to teethe on that to build with.
By the way...# of teeth to date: 0.

Some stocking stuffers...

A tea set (perhaps we should've gotten Jack one...he seems to like it! Look at that face!)He's like "Nu-uhhh! No way!"

A farm and a playhouse...interesting right away, but haven't been touched since.

A very popular gift...the "mommy's helper" stool from Pop Pop! No more sitting on a barstool to "help" at the kitchen counter!

and then it was December...

2010-01-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

I picked the kids up from the last day of "school." It was terribly cold but not snowy.

Isabella got a cookie from her teacher and by the time we got home, it was a ziploc bag of powder, literally. She completely pulverized it in all her excitement to eat it. She does the same sort of thing to m&m's. Tries to "save" them until they are a melty mess.

Jack is looking forward to winter break and staying warm!

A passenger seat full of teacher gifts. I thought about buying them all apple vests with pencil buttons...but alas, I decided on something a little less "teacherly."

We stopped on the way home to mail our cards...one of my favorite parts of the holiday!front

inside

We went to Tommy's parents to see Santa come on the firetruck. Both of my kids were scared of him. My mom says I was, too.

Jack is saying "Get away guy! I don't care what you have in your sack! Unless it's breastmilk, I don't want it!"

Isabella and Chase, all bathed and in pajamas sharing some cookies and milk and a kiss.

We enjoyed some downtime and some playing...

And some special treats such as breakfast out with daddy!

Anything she can dip in cream cheese is fine by her!

Isabella tries out her new pink baby "stro-der" on baby Jack.

He fits, but he is not a fan....

And we put up our tree and admired it often. The kids were both enthralled by the lights but careful not to pull on it. What happens to every mother happened to me this year....they both brought home the ol' paste and paper ornaments with a poem that made me cry and I displayed them right smack dab in the front of the tree...they were, in fact, my favorite ornaments this year.
I'm beginning to realize how our tree growing up became a big mess of paper, pictures, popsicle sticks, and yellowed glue. To a mom, they are priceless. Far more valuable than anything else on the tree.

And then came Thanksgiving...

2010-01-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

with so much to be thankful for!

We had a full 4 days of celebrating...first with my mom and her sode of the family, then with Tommy's family, and then a long weekend spent with Dad and Unky and Aunt Libby who flew in under the wire (so close to the cut off for flying while pregnant.) We had a wonderful time at each place and had many discussions about how thankful we are to God for all that he has provided. It's amazing when you thing about the blessings...there have been so many. It's certainly a time of year to pause and reflect on what a wonderful family we have.
I seem to only have taken pictures during the weekend so I have no photos of any of the delicious meals we had. Perhaps I was too busy feeding myself and Jack??

Jack gets a kiss from dada!

Ella and Pop Pop put to use an early Christmas gift (the Bose docking station...I know, I know...they've been out for years...we just caught up!)
Tommy and I are sad to learn that our daughter's new favorite song is Pokerface. Inappropriate? Yes.

Here, she has suckered pop pop into dancing with her again! She has also lost her pants and is wearing the new croc sandals that she suckered pop pop into buying her at the mall kiosk earlier that day. She thinks they are "big girl dance shoes."
Pop Pop is a sucker for all things Ella.

Oh how this one melts my heart. Jack and Unky play in the sun streaming in from the window.

****************************

And then we did some maternity photos right before Justin and Libby left for the airport. I haven't had time to sift through and edit but this one caught my eye and I had to edit it right then. I love it.
And...if you're wondering...the baby has arrived and I will hurry to try to get to that part of our story so she can be properly announced!

2010-01-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

I'm interrupting my planned "catch up" series to add this song. I don't think another song has touched me to the point that I think I would've changed the song we danced to at our wedding...but this one does. I heard it today in the car (not for the first time) and no other song reminds me of Tommy more than this one does.

sure do love you babe.

two

2010-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

(In an attempt to better keep up with this blog in 2010, I'm going to back up and catch up!)

Let's pretend like it is November 09, shall we? Our baby girl turned two and we celebrated with a Candy Shop party....because, well, she loves candy!

(Of course, photos are out of order....but it took long enough to upload them, I'm certainly not going to try to rearrange them!)
double click for full size
lollipops in the front yard

a special note in the kitchen from brother jack
Isabella's candy store...with all of her favorite varieties and then some!
Tommy's brainchild idea...it was seriously the hit of the party and I never even thought of it. We ordered it the day before! It was a perfect place to burn off the sugar buzz.

no one loved it more than she did! she must've yelled "Yook, Mommy! Bouncing!" one thousand times! This is my favorite photo of her from the day...sun in her hair and that beautiful smile.

cousin chase monkeying around in the bounce house

the birthday girl gets a lift into the bounce house from daddy and uncle chris

opening gifts with mommy and daddy

not quite sure about her cupcake...not quite sure about food, in general, actually!

her "boyfriend" from school picked out his favorite candy to fill his goody bag before he left. (And I added a toothbruch to each bag to combat the unhealthiness of the whole theme!)

Tutu, mommy, and Isabella....

filling a treat bag for some little party attendee...

some adult food

the candle prompted her to say "hot, hot, hot" over amd over again. at least we know we've driven home the point that fire is hot and it will burn you! ha!

her signature back arch that is usually folled by "gee out peez."

harper and walt investigate the jelly bean lined path up to the front door

the cupcake cake tower

grandparents survey the buffet

trying to open some smarties

tutu restocks the appetizers

here she is again...bouncing!

giving pop pop a taste of her cupcake

more gifts...

spoiled by her friends and family

and still more bouncing...and she cried and cried when they came to deflate it and load it up that evening. I think she thought we had gotten it for her as a gift! Pretty sure the neighbors are glad we didn't.

close up of the candy jars and photo labels

eating a cupcake for dinner after all of her friends left.

overall, a very "sweet" birthday! the weather was beautiful and unseasonably warm for late November and no one choked on candy or was injured in the bouncy...so a success by our standards! Isabella thoroughly enjoyed the day and continued to request "Happy Birthday" as her bedtime song way into December.
As for her being two, we simply can't believe it. We love her more each day and continue to be amazed at the little person she is developing into.

for my father in law

2009-11-11T12:21:00.001-08:00

Since it's your birthday week...and you always do so much for others...I decided to carve out some time today to sift through the hundreds of photos of all 7 of your grandchildren to find the very best one I could...and even though it isn't the greatest (you know how hard it is to get all 7 doing the same thing!) I wanted to edit it for you and post it here along with a thank you for just being you. You are very special to me because you (and Sue, of course) raised the man of my dreams. Each time he carries my suitcase, opens my door, helps me with the kids, empties the dishwasher, runs my bath, etc....I am reminded of what a wonderful father you are to have taught him all of these things. I don't tell you often enough that I am thankful for all that you have done...and for all that you continue to do. And I hope this photo suffices for the time being...in a couple of years when they are all old enough to bribe with candy...we'll get an excellent one. Until then, this one will have to do. I also ordered you an enlargement for your office. Love you!grandbabies, July 09

2009-11-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some very subpar, indoor Halloween photos for some inquiring family members (unky&aunt lib).
Though I had envisioned us pulling the kids in a wagon down our beautiful tree lined street...it just didn't pan out. Naptime ran over into the neighborhood party and the temperatures fell rapidly. We decided, instead, to go to our family party early where Isabella could at least play with her cousins. She did go to a few houses with the crew and Tommy said she really liked it (I stayed back with Jack) and we found out that, just as we expected, she was petrified of masks and face paint. It was fun to make her costume and then see her in it. If they weren't the custest little princess and monkey, I don't know who was!
Hope yours was fun and filled with sweet treats!

trick or treat

2009-10-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby Jack is going to be a monkey this year. I hope people give him a lot of reeses cups. He really wants to share those with his mom.

2009-10-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

A year ago doesn't seem that long until you look at photos like these. We met up today at Huber's to take photos of the girls on the same pumpkin wagon that we put them on last year. If you can get past the horrible direct sunlight....it's crazy to see how much Isabella and Ansleigh have changed.
They were babies last year.
This year, they are little girls...with heads full of curls, sparkling eyes, shoes that are actually dirty on the bottom from walking everywhere they go....
Bell-bu and Ansee. They squeal each other's names as soon as they catch a glimpse of one another.
They are lucky to have each other.
Our families have shared some good times over the past year and we look forward to many more.

last year
this year
last year
this year

Oh and last year, these two were nice and warm in our bellies. Now they are 6 months old and lighting up our lives.
Truth be known, Isabella is quite smitten with Landon and Ansleigh is infatuated with Jack. Should be interesting as they grow!

2009-09-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

"Cool" is what she calls school. She knows when we get in the car that we are headed to cool. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Karin (pronounced Car-in) from Sweden...because she sings "if you're happy and you know it..." like an angel from heaven. Her favorite things in the classroom are the baby dolls. She carries them around all day and is always reluctant to leave them at cool when I pick her up.
We couldn't be more pleased or proud that she's being brave and growing up and learning and enjoying herself.

Here are some photos from the first day (3 weeks ago.)

The requisite front door picture (even if it did make us late.)

Breakfast of Champions...a Panera bagel and a "box" delivered just for her in the wee hours by daddy.
First day breakfast decor by mommy.

First day bath...we thought about going with this "do" but alas, decided on the regular old teacher's pet, bow-head look.

2009-09-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Jack...
You are double this size now.
So handsome with such an easy smile.
You are good for my soul.

2009-08-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Please tell me how it is possible that daddy and I went to a Parent's Night for your school this week?
Oh it's such a great big world...and you seem so very small.
Tell me you'll be ok.
Tell me I'll be ok.

You're going to have so much fun. I'm so proud that you're mine.
Noon.
That's when I'll be there to get you.

right now...

2009-08-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

three things i love about you, Jack Thomas...
1. the way you always smell like milk. You smell like home to me.
2. the way you are beginning to laugh. It is a sweet, yet all boy laugh. Your voice sounds a little raspy and it melts my heart. A chip off the old raspy block.
3. your eyes. oh those dark eyes. beautiful boy.

three things i love about you, isabella...
1. the way you call all toiletries "pee-chew." This came from you trying to pronounce the word "perfume" many months ago. You love all things "pee-chew"...be it lotion or chapstick or perfume or shampoo or makeup.... When I ask you if you want "pee-chew" you will gently pucker up your lips for me to apply the pee-chew (with the cap on). I make over you and say how wonderful you look and you smile. Then I ask if you want some on your eyes. Of course you do! You try hard to keep them shut so I can apply it to your lids (again, cap on) and you get so excited when I exclaim how beautiful you are.
2. the way you have been carrying around the shirt that unky and "yibby" got you can calling it "Jus."
3. the way you say "hold-chew" when you want to be picked up. This came from us saying "Do you want me to hold you?"

2009-08-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Erin did this on her blog and challenged her readers to do it, too. It was fun and interesting to read hers so I thought I'd give it a whirl. If you read my blog and you have a spare second...you do it, too! I'd love to read yours!

I am....
Zebra print. Dark chocolate m&m's. A mother to my babies. A lover of the ocean. A bath taker. Never in flats. A worrier. Crazy in love with my husband. Sunglasses on my head. A Fall girl. A homebody. Loyal. Out to dinner. New bedding. Addicted to houses. Supportive. A disliker of waiting rooms. Attached to my blackberry. Laughing often. A writer. Always painted toenails. A sister to a brother. A smart mouth. Jcrew. Lime sherbet with sprinkles. A photographer. Afraid of doctors. Candlelight. Coffee drinker September through February. My father's daughter. Never enough shopping. A dreamer. Bookstores. Winks. Holding hands. A teacher. Black pants. Caffeine free diet cokes. A believer. A milk maker. Short nails. A saver. A reader of blogs. No brass. A rememberer. Long hair. Music over television. My mother's best friend. Lounge pants. Expensive champagne. A graduate. Not a napper. Appetizers. A singer of lullabies. An easy crier. Outdoor eateries. Diaper bags. Quote lover. The only person not on facebook. A Bjorn wearer. Lipstick. A gift giver. Nikon. Beach chairs. Mail getter. A grandchild. A birth giver. Blessed. A night owl. A lover of surprises. Turkey burgers. A decorator. A1 sauce. Summer thunderstorms. Not an "alone time" person. Ponytails. A strawberry eater. Magazines. Spa visits. A pray-er. Sun hats. Football afternoons. A multitasker. A holiday shopper. Scared of sadness. A lover of company for dinner or for the weekend. A bath giver. A bargain hunter. A necklace wearer. A sister in law. An enjoyer of pregnancy. Slow to trust. A goal setter. A king size bed. A traveler. Always cold in restaurants. Soft jeans. Too cheap for the theatre. A boutique lover. Creative. A party planner. Fridays. Chic Fil A. Diet Sierra Mist Ruby Splash. A walker. A stroller pusher. A thinker. A list maker. A leg crosser. A mascara needer. Annoyed by telemarketers. A card sender. An ironer. A maker of things. Porch swings. Sweet tea. Butterflies in my stomach. A condiment lover. Fireplace sitter. A texter. A jokester. A paci finder. Not a thrill seeker. Confused by rude people who work for tips. Hydrangeas and roses. Aveda. Married. Loved. Usually late. Always dressed in some shade of black or white. A picky eater. Nervous about fine print. A lover of my city. A wine taster. Bad at directions. A non smoker. A dancer at home. A robe wearer. Not a fan of bare feet in the grass. A lake lover. A sunset watcher. No whip cream. UK fan. A hair straightner and thereby a default Chi lover. Somewhat stubborn. Somewhat emotional. A scaredy cat. An aunt. More productive under a deadline. A dog owner. A day at the horse races. An ouchless brush. A neighbor. A passenger.

2009-08-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Apparently I set myself up for failure by putting in writing that I will update the blog more often. I then go on to forget about it entirely!
Anyway, this is a favorite photo from vacation. That's our sweet baby Jack keeping himself content by the big doors during one of Isabella's naps. Tommy and I would sit out on the balcony and chat, have drinks, work on laptops, etc. He's such a good baby...we are so blessed.
And that amazing water...I'm missing it today.
Friday night we went to a marriage conference at church where I proceeded to fall in love with my husband all over again. We are music lovers and they played all our faves by John Mayer. We picked up the kids at Tommy's parents and stayed there visiting until midnight. Then we got up early and headed off for a fun filled weekend at the lake with the kids and several other couples. It was lovely and we still have "boat legs" from spending our days out on the water. You'd think we'd be water logged...but we are planning to head to the pool when Tommy returns from work today. We're also planning to walk "downtown" for some rasberry-limon gelato. Upon tasting her first bite, Isabella will squeal, "yumm-may!"

School is starting this week and I am not. I have mixed feelings. But mostly...I'm feeling very content at home with my two babies and my growing business. All three are fairly hard to keep up with! I have signed up to sub here and there so that I can see all my old students, visit with my colleagues, and possibly even wear heels! Look out! Will my feet even tolerate such a change?

The big question lingering in my mind today....will Justin and Libby be having a baby boy or a baby girl? They find out today!

2009-08-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite parts of our annual vacation is hanging out with my brother and his wife. My brother is the funniest person I know and we spent a better part of the week laughing until our faces hurt. Seriously. I feel so blessed to have a sibling in this great big world. And he married someone completely wonderful. Together, we all have quite a time and coming home is sad for all of us. Isabella is still asking for "Unky and Ibby" in the mornings and Tommy and I are still telling and re-telling hilarious moments.
This year, we had the added excitement of their percolating baby! It's beautiful to watch their anticipation...especially since I know what love they are in store for.

I came across this picture tonight and couldn't resist playing around with it a bit. I truly love it. Hope you guys do too...pick a size and I'll order it for you.
So happy, so blessed. Excited for January when I'll get to hold him/her in my arms.

******
Will try to post lots of vacation photos this week. Jack and I finally made it into the header photo! Woot!

post vacation blues

2009-08-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

ten things i miss about you, sweet florida..
1. your restaurants. like margaritaville and guy harvey's, and even pineapple sucky willy's.
2. your sand between my toes.
3. your sunrises that entertained me while i fed my baby boy early in the mornings.
4. your sunsets that found us still in our beach chairs.
5. your refreshing pools.
6. your scenic backdrops for my picture taking love.
7. your humid air that makes my husband such a quiet sleeper.
8. your pomegranate mojitos.
9. your palm trees.
10. the sound of you.

2 things I don't miss so much...
1. your not so tasty tap water
2. the way your air gives me a very bad perm.

back from vacation safe and sound. feeling so blessed for the opportunity. missing my family. lots of catching up with client work. STILL lots of unpacking here and getting settled.
summer is melting (quite literally) away!

five

2009-08-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

Five years ago yesterday I celebrated five years with the love of my life. I love that we were married in July...it's a great summer month and it seems to fit us well. We have been so busy trying to get settled into our new home (which we also agreed would be our anniversary gift to each other along with new sunnies for each of us) that we weren't able to do a huge amount of celebrating but thanks to my mom, we were able to sneak out for a quiet, romantic dinner at our go-to dinner spot, Jeff Ruby's. The steak cannot even be described with words and the dinner conversation was lovely. We discussed favorite memories over the past five years, goals for the future, our babies, etc. So nice.
Currently, we are in a rented mini van heading south for a little vacation with my family. The trip has been prolonged due to many diaper changes, nack-nack (snack) stops,breastfeeding breaks, etc. but I was just looking in the rearview mirror at my beautiful husband and thinking I wouldn't rather be anywhere else in this world than smashed between these two carseats with two sleeping, sweaty babies at my sides....trading winks with my driver. Our marriage is my greatest blessing. The past five years have been wonderful and I look forward to so many more.
(I'm ashamed to admit that I could not find one recent photo of the two of us. We must take some this week!)

I love you more than life, Thomas. Zipdog, I do.

summer fun

2009-07-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

Blog posting has taken a severe dip! Busy enjoying the summer! Daddy was away for business for TWENTY ONE straight days last month and momma nearly lost her mind! Needless to say there was no time for blogging! We're glad to have him home safe and sound...and glad there will be no more traveling (without all of us in tow!)

We are loving the warm weather and trying to be outside as much as we can. We're preparing for our move mid-month and looking forward to exploring our new neighborhood!
Here are some photos of the kids from last week at the block party.

Isabella most always has a sippy hanging from her teeth these days. Probably not so good for the teeth...but excellent in terms of preventing dehydration. She's a "little girl" now...growing up quickly!

Speaking of growing up....my little Jackie boy is growing up so fast! He will soon pass his sister. He is such an amazing addition to our family. So, so easy to love. He's been wonderful. Who do you think her looks like?

Hope everyone is enjoying summer time!

And PS...Move over Wadey Wade...Isabella has her eye on a new guy: POM MO (Palmer)! She plans to be a fixture at POM MO's soccer games this season!

Who's who?

2009-06-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes they look so different....and yet, sometimes so similar!

Can you tell who is who?

A

A...Jack
B...Ella
C...Jack
D...Jack
E...Ella

2009-05-11T18:52:00.001-07:00

I never imagined in a million years that I would love motherhood as much as I do.
Yesterday I paused to reflect on some of my greatest blessings...
...my own mother...for teaching me, by way of example, what it means to love someone unconditionally.
...my husband for loving me and for assuring me two years ago that I would be a great mother despite all my insecurities.
...my baby girl...for being my first precious child...the one who quickly shaped me into a mother overnight!
...my baby boy...for having the sweetest little soul and for fitting so perfectly into our slightly chaotic world. (and for teaching me how to nurse..woo hooo!)
...and most importantly, for God and His grace...for giving me so much more than I deserve.

Isabella & Jack May 09

2009-04-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Thirty years ago today on a clear Spring day, you were born to your parents in much the same way we just welcomed a baby boy. I imagine that your mom sat in her hospital bed and held you and gazed into your baby blues...wondering what this life would hold for you. I wonder if she knew how funny you'd be? Or if she knew that you possessed a drive and an optimism that most people do not. I wonder if she realized that you would be wise beyond your years and too witty for your own good. Did she realize what an incredible father you'd turn out to be? That your very presence would make your daughter squeal with glee. Did she realize that you would make such a wonderful husband? The best partner in life that a girl could ask for?
Happy birthday, my love!
I am so infinitely grateful that you were born. There are no words to describe the ways in which your love has strengthened me. I will always adore you.

PS...I should've met you in the sandbox.

2009-04-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

having fun in the bath (photos taken hours before Jack's arrival. Little did we know!)

Isabella...
At a time when the whole world seems to revolve around your baby brother...
I just wanted to say I love you.
And...you'll always be my baby, too.
Love,
Momma

2009-04-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world
Baby Jack!

Jack Thomas
born on April 9th, 2009
at 3:36am
7.8 pounds
20 inches long
...so incredibly sweet and beautiful...
everything we've been waiting for!

we're still here....

2009-03-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

...we're just keeping mightily busy while we wait for our new baby. Only a couple more weeks now...though I feel like it may be sooner than later. Little guy is fresh out of room {and my skin is fresh out of stretch.}

hello sweet boy...

2009-02-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

At first glance, I love you with a thousand hearts.
-Mihri Hatun

Our hearts expanded again on Friday afternoon as we said hello to our son for the first time. Technology is so amazing. We were able to see him smile, measure his hair (1cm), and repeat many times, "Oh, he has your _________." "Look, his __________ is just like yours!" Bless the ultrasound tech! She was so sweet to us and she "ooohed and ahhhed" right along with us like she'd never seen a cuter fetus. We even left there with 5 movie clips on CD of him waving and moving about. Just as it did with Isabella, the 4D ultrasound drove it home that we are about to be a family of four. We (dad and Tommy) spent the majority of the weekend converting an upstairs room into a nursery. I wanted beadboard and though it looks great, it was far more involved than I thought! Oooops, sorry guys! We will paint this week and then add furniture and bedding and accessories and clothing...and then (in 8 weeks, hopefully)....a sweet baby boy.

We are madly in love already.

love in the obx

2009-02-17T18:57:00.001-08:00

Valentine card, 09

Belated, but hope yours was happy!

We spent Valentine's weekend in the Outer Banks with Justin, Libby, Chris, Allison, and the boys. We had a wonderful time. Wade and Isabella are 4 months apart, but the same size. It was fun to see them interact (ie fight over toys). Below, they are both having a little play date in their birthday suits. They will laugh at this photo when they are older.We visited a little nearby city called Manteo and took some photos on the pier. Here is Jack with uncle Justin.

J&L at sunset

The kiddos...Wade is not pleased with the weather. It was very cold on this day and even thought he is from Michigan, he prefers a more balmy climate.

Little Miss "I hate the snow" is fine with the cold...just not the white stuff!

Someone was behind the scenes teasing her with yogurt puffs. You DO NOT mess with her yogurt puffs.

Our home for the weekend. Amazingly beautiful and so different from the houses around here. Each beach house had 3 floors and the main living floor is the top floor....for view purposes, I guess. We loved our room and slept soundly in a very comfortable bed.

The guys watched the kids while the girls went out for manicures/pedicures and shopping all day. When we arrived home, the kids were off to bed and they served us dinner. We each got a card at our place setting.

The food was delish and the company was even better. We played a couple rounds of questions (that the guys loooove) such as what is your most romantic memory? When did you fall in love with me? etc. Always a good time...

Baby Wade..

Ella spending some beloved time with her unky. She thinks he plays kind of rough...but we'll keep him! He makes her laugh with his silly dancing and voices.

Overall...great weekend. Thanks for everything, guys. Can't wait to see everyone again soon. {And...happy Valentine's Day to my Valentine. All my love to you! }

2009-02-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Last week, my dad (who has always been a pillar of strength) had heart surgery. As I sat in an empty hospital room and waited for him to return from the OR, I thought about all that this man means to me.
So much of who I am, dad, comes from you. I am so clearly your child when I am moved by music, or when I am most peaceful under an umbrella on the ocean, or when I am drifting off to sleep in a quiet cove on the lake, or when I am behind the camera taking a close up of my daughter, or when I am cracking a joke, or when I am sleeping with a hand perched on my forehead. I am a part of you and you are a part of me....and I prayed that God would be with you and with the doctors so that you would be back at 100%. God answered my prayers and I feel so incredibly blessed. A girl needs her dad. And a grandchild needs her PopPop. We love you so much.

Thank you to all the friends and family who called/texted/emailed, etc. and offered prayers and well wishes. It meant a lot.

her mother's daughter

2009-02-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

With the exception of the possibility of snow days and our little family being snowed in, we aren't big fans of the frigid weather. Sure, it looks nice...but being freezing cold is not really our cup of tea.

We are both far more content to be inside where it is warm....looking out.

spots {&updated: MORE SPOTS!}

2009-01-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

The doctor says the only cure for these spots is a pink Pottery Barn Kitchen.

I had big plans last night to meet up with my college girlfriends and their baby girls for a little reunion/girls night. I came home from work and fed Isabella dinner and started to get ready. As I began getting her ready I noticed a couple of "bites" on her leg near her knee. I blew it off and started to change her diaper. Then I noticed a "bite" under her arm. Hmmmm.....but I continued on wondering what in the world could've bitten her in these freezing cold temperatures. Upon further inspection, I found one ear to be bright red. By the time Tommy got home 20 minutes later, I was convinced that we were in the throes of chicken pox. More spots had appeared in the short time frame it took me to call the doctor and do a few google searches on red spots on a 14 month old. The searches turned up all kinds of lovely....and since I had no idea what it was or what I could've possibly been exposed to...I had to cancel our plans. We both got changed into our jammies and moped around for a bit...she with her spots and me with my long face.
By the time bedtime came, there were more spots and they were much bigger. Very un-chicken-pox-like. She was completely normal otherwise.
This morning's trip to the doctor (hello again) revealed an allergy to penicillin (which she had been on to treat the aforementioned double ear infection.) So, the augmentin went in the trash and a bottle of zyrtec moved into the vacant spot.
Annnnnd....we could've gone on with our plans afterall.
And...the pesky rash canceled a photo shoot with her great great grandmother this afternoon, too.

Hoping to be clear skinned and healthy by Monday!
UPDATE: WELL NOW...IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE SPOTS WILL BE GONE BY MONDAY. THEY ARE MULTIPLYING. Please pray that this is only a harmless skin rash. Even though she acts totally normal otherwise, we hate to see her like this.

2009-01-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

Dad...feel free to skip this post. I am blocking you from making any smart remarks in the comment section!

I just loved this inauguration. It's the only one that I can recall really watching. I loved their dance to At Last and I couldn't stop smiling as I witnessed the way they looked at each other. I imagine that the presidency takes a serious toll on a marriage and I pray that the Obama family can continue on with the poise and grace that they have shown thus far.

via ACE
Below is an excerpt from an article in The New Yorker that I really enjoyed reading. Barack on his wife, Michelle:
Michelle is a tremendously strong person, and has a very strong sense of herself and who she is and where she comes from. But I also think in her eyes you can see a trace of vulnerability that most people don’t know, because when she’s walking through the world she is this tall, beautiful, confident woman. There is a part of her that is vulnerable and young and sometimes frightened, and I think seeing both of those things is what attracted me to her. And then what sustains our relationship is I’m extremely happy with her, and part of it has to do with the fact that she is at once completely familiar to me, so that I can be myself and she knows me very well and I trust her completely, but at the same time she is also a complete mystery to me in some ways. And there are times when we are lying in bed and I look over and sort of have a start. Because I realize here is this other person who is separate and different and has different memories and backgrounds and thoughts and feelings. It’s that tension between familiarity and mystery that makes for something strong, because, even as you build a life of trust and comfort and mutual support, you retain some sense of surprise or wonder about the other person.
via THE NEW YORKER

Isabella celebrating the inauguration.
This will go in her baby book. No matter how his term in office turns out, this is a very significant time in our country' s history. We would have never made it standing in the Washington Mall in the frigid temps...but we did watch the tivo'd inauguration from our warm and cozy living room. Isabella was so close she could almost touch the man himself.

I feel hopeful and excited about what is to come. And most importantly, I feel blessed to live in a country where the transfer of power is marked by a peaceful celebration. I am excited to have young children in the White House again...and anxious to get to know them as a family.

On a lighter note, I am not hopeful for this season's bachelor Jason Mesnick. Tommy and I think his choices are pretty slim. We have enjoyed watching the episodes so far. The most recent one had us laughing and rewinding and shaking our heads in disbelief! Our pick for the winner.....

is JILLIAN from CANADA. Though we were initially very turned off by her little hot dog diatribe...we think she is the closest thing to a total package. She is able to carry on a witty conversation(which scores major points in our book) and she has avoided the house drama so far...which is refreshing.

(We don't mean to be ugly, but we can't believe Jason hasn't eliminated Megan (the Lacrosse coach whom I am scared of) and the dental hygenist who requires constant attention or she throws up. These two are something else! They do/say something worse each time the camera is on them. While we sincerely like and respect the single mother of Sophia, we just don't feel any chemistry between she and Jason. Which is sad. She's probably make the best mate --long term.

And there you have it....our expert opinions on politics and the bachelor. Two completely important current event topics.

**It should be noted that Tommy isn't really an expert at all. He picked Shayne for the last winner and she left Matt Grant before the final rose had a chance to wilt.

2009-01-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Hope you are keeping your buns warm on this frigid weekend.

Isabella, 14 months, finally too big for sink baths.

We are enjoying a low-key, home bound weekend. Miss Isabella got sick on Thursday and is just now coming out of the fog. Check out these "sick eyes."

She will never be able to fake being sick...her eyes are the obvious sign. They sag and droop and run like crazy. It is pitiful to see. She gave us quite the scare on Thursday night when she spiked a 105.2 fever. We were an inch away from the ER but the fever broke pretty quickly with cool rags, 8 ounces of juice, and some serious prayers. We sat in the living room in near silence...just willing her to cool down. She was so lethargic and her one cheek was even more red than it was earlier in the night (pictured above.) We went to the doctor on Thursday afternoon and she was hysterical as they checked her (I swear, it's in our genes...we don't even like stethoscopes!) She cries so hard that it kills me. I make Tommy hold her as I can barely take it. This time, she acted like the baby scale scared her (she weighs 18 pounds now!) and cried the whole time she was being weighed. She has a double ear infection... the second one she has had in her life and a little worse this time, it seems. Just one more way in which she is Daddy's little clone....as he spent the first year of his life with severe ear infections! As of today, Saturday, she is showing some signs of normalcy. IE...she is back to slinging things off the coffee table, making her usual facial expressions, grabbing the phone out of our hands, etc. Thank God...I'm glad to see her smiling again. Fingers crossed that Tommy and I stay on the up and up. We are both running on little to no sleep (she has "slept" in between us for two nights and I use the term sleep very lightly because there wasn't much sleeping going on.) So, we are enjoying resting and catching up on things that needed to be done around here. We will have to skip church tomorrow (because her cough is still very bad!) so we will have some breakfast and watch on the internet in our PJ's.

This is me...at 27 weeks pregnant. Does it look like 40 weeks to anyone else? Yes, that is what I thought.

I don't know how this happened. I also don't know how I will add 12 more weeks of growth to this monstrosity! I will, indeed, be as big as a house. I will not be posting photos at that point. No matter how big though, I am always reminded of what a great and wonderful blessing this is. I wouldn't trade it for the world. All the aches and pains (and they are a plenty this second go round) are way overshadowed by the movements and the knowledge that someone is growing in there. It's amazing how God knits a child together (and how he made our skin so stretchy!)
At this time in my pregnancy with Ella I had her nursery nearly finished. I feel bad that we have yet to even start on his nursery! I have some ideas though...and we just have to decide which room we will use. I am hoping to choose furniture by the end of the month.
Nesting seems to me as real a part of pregnancy as a growing belly. The obsessive need to clean, organize, get rid of things, re-do, move around, etc. The urge has arrived and no one is more pleased than Tommy himself. He loves when I start with the crazy ideas and to-do lists. He begrudgingly works through the tasks with one eye on the football game. In addition to nesting, I am having the urge to make things...I am on this handmade kick and I see something everyday that I add to my "want to create" list. Sadly, I am not talking about recipes....more like stuff. I always enjoy being creative...but this is a little over the top. I suddenly have this inflated idea of what I am capable of--as in I am picturing myself rocking by the fireplace hand-embroidering onesies. Probably not going to happen...but it's a happy little thought. I am seeing sweaters at Anthropologie and seriously thinking, "I could make that!" when clearly, I could not even come close. It's baby brain at its worst. Perhaps I will just make the crib. Carpentry seems like a snap!

I am off to watch a riveting episode of 48 Mystery and then to bed...looking forward to sprawling out and sleeping soundly without worrying about the middle section of our "capital H." She will hopefully sleep soundly and fever free up in her room.

Things I love about you right now...

2009-01-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

One of the things I scribbled down on my "goals for 09" was to take more candid photos. Each time I get busy with photography, my photo journalism of Isabella's growing up totally suffers. There will be weeks that pass when I forget to pick up the camera and take pictures of the everyday things she does...the imperfect, unposed, low light, spur of the moment shots that will be our favorites to look back on, no doubt. So yesterday, I grabbed the camera and took a series of photos of her...just being her. She isn't dressed up and her nose is mildly flaky due to teething...but the following shots capture her perfectly.
Isabella...
Some things I love about you right now....
~how you will give daddy or me your last cheerio if we pretend to want it.

~how your legs go crazy with excitement to see us at the end of the work day.

~your facial expressions. You have so, so many! Everyone notices them and thinks they are so funny.

~the way you say "uh-oh" as a warning before you do something you know you aren't supposed to.

~the way you are enthralled by daddy's laptop and the way you peek around the screen while he is working on it.

~your dramatic side. Even though we frequently tell you to calm down....I think your fake cry is rather cute. (But I'll never tell you.)

~your dancing. Somehow, some way...you were born with music in your soul and you start bouncing and clapping each time you hear any kind of music.

~your squinty, sleepy eyes in the morning. No matter what, you are always smiling when one of us comes up to get you.

~the way you do the "more, please" sign on speed when we've given you something new and inappropraite like Sprite. (only a taste...shhh)

~the way you shake your head yes or no at random. You have no clue what you are saying (most of the time) and sometimes we use you like a Magic 8 ball...."Isabella, should we go to ________ for dinner?"
"Should we move to a new house?"
"Do you think we will be off school for snow tomorrow?"
We put a lot of stock into which way your head shakes.
Grandma Tuey recently brought you some new clothes and she tried to slip a pair of bright pink, stiff, strawberry shortcake capri pants into the mix. I caught it and said "no, no...no cartoon capris" and she laughed and warned me that it will probably be all you want to wear when you get older. So I did the only logical thing...
I turned to you and asked,
"Isabella, do you like tacky clothes?"
Sadly, you shook your head in a big dramatic
YES.
Oh well.

~the way you grab the remote and hold it high over your head (like you've seen us do many times) and watch the screen to see what happens.

~the way you hum along when I sing "Jesus Loves Me..." to you before bed.

~the way you play with your books and pretend to read them.

~the way you so often creep into my thoughts when I am busy doing other things.

~your laugh. your precious little laugh.

~how you switch paci's very decidely even though they are all the exact same.

In short, I love everything about you.
But you probably already knew that.

random thoughts scattered throughout so many photos

2009-01-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
In general, I need to be shoved like dead weight into anything new or different....so New Years is always melancholy for me. I always like the old year and hate to see it end...2008 was great for our family. We were extremely blessed in many ways. However, with the arrival of our baby boy...2009 is sure to be great in many ways, too. I guess my favorite part of looking toward a New Year is the list making. No resolutions for us really (not that we don't need them) but we try to go out to dinner and make a list of goals and things we'd like to do. Some of them we accomplish, some we don't. It's fun to make the list and also fun to go back over last year's list to see which things we did/didn't do. Tommy's are generally business related and mine are generally home/photography/creative related. Together, we come up with some marriage and parenting related goals. Some are very small (paint the foyer) and some are much bigger (get up one hour earlier in the morning) That, in case you were wondering, would be a huge accomplishment for the two of us. We might even get crazy and try to make it into our seats at church without missing all of the singing! Anyway, I am looking forward to some changes in my photography business, completing some creative projects that are on my list, becoming a stay at home mother of two, etc. We are also planning to take a trip without the kiddo(s). Yikes! I have yet to spend ONE NIGHT away from baby girl!
Here are some photos from several different Christmas celebrations...

Uncle Jus reading the Christmas story to Isabella. Notice the colorful things on her back? Tell ya later...

Ready to open some gifts on Christmas morning....(these are very out of order)

Doing her favorite thing....climbing on me.

Me...reading my stocking note from Thomas.

Isabella checking out a stocking stuffer... a big girl toothbrush!
How did Santa know that she would cut SEVEN teeth at once this holiday season?

More fun looking at the stocking stuff!

Her "very, very excited, I can't believe it" face! She really liked this gift....a Weeble Castle.

She had opened all of her gifts and is making the "more" sign. Spoiled much?

A Little Tikes Blackberry. (She quickly tossed it aside and crawled after the real thing!)

I love this face. So, so sweet.

Daddy assisting with the opening....

Again, the colorful "things" on her back. I can explain...they are actually thong underwear that my mom purchased (they were on sale, I needed some new ones, I know..TMI) for me and they turned out to be Isabella's most favorite part of Christmas. She continually put them on her back like a backback and crawled around the house. We would take them off and she would find them and put them on again. Though it is tacky, it was hysterical....and they were brand new...so we let her enjoy a few days of it. It is certainly something I will be documenting in her baby book. They have since been put away and she is not at all pleased.

Getting a kiss from dada at Meme's house.

Acting silly with momma...

Entertaining everyone...

Tommy's grandma gave her a baby doll and the only part she cared about was the baby's bottle...I think it made her miss her bottle. She kept trying to drink the fake milk.

Check out her paci in the above shot!

Tired eyes, Christmas Eve...

Looking at all her new books at Meme's house.

Milk mouth....

Pepper...enjoying the Christmas chaos...

Opening her gift from Ansleigh....good thing it wasn't breakable.

And a few other random thoughts...
You simply must go see Marley and Me (and/or read the book) Tommy and I saw it and were both sobbing in the theatre. It was fantastic! It was also the first movie we'd seen at the theatre in THREE YEARS! Isn't that crazy? We aren't huge movie goers and usually wait to see things on DVD.
Speaking of movies....we watched several others during our time off work. Below are our reviews...
Dan In Real Life= Pretty good. Tommy liked it more than I did.
88 minutes= Pretty good. I accidentally fell asleep at the very end. Al Pacino rarely disappoints.
Traitor= Not so good.
Love Actually (We were sooooo looking forward to this as we had heard great reviews!) = We both hated it!
The Women= Seriously? The worst movie we've seen since Dr. T and the Women.
Marley and Me was so great that it made up for all the sub par choices, though. We are also looking forward to seeing Nights In Rodanthe when it comes out on DVD in February.

Hmmmm...what else?
Isabella is cruising the furniture and clearing all surfaces. Our coffee table officially looks like it just got delivered from the store. We emptied the drawers, shelves, top....everything is gone! No more throwing things off for us to pick up! She also has quite a mouthful of teeth...and they all came in at once. Her hair is growing, too....we might just force it into some pigtails just to show it off.
Baby boy Floyd is growing, growing, growing....He is moving all the time and it is a feeling that I will always cherish. Each time I feel him, I have to smile. I always think the same thought, "Hi there." We will soon need to schedule our 3D ultrasound. That is exciting.

Better get to bed...students return tomorrow and I am supposed to be working on that 09 goal of getting up earlier. Perhaps I'll start next week?

All the best to you and yours in two thousand and nine.

From our family to yours...

2008-12-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

2008 Christmas card photo, Isabella 12 months

We are just a few hours away from Christmas! We've been making the rounds and opening gifts since the wee hours. Isabella is finally fast asleep so that Santa can come (though it seems as if he already has!) And we will soon follow (after cleaning up the wreckage around here.) We hope you and yours are tucked safely in...counting your many blessings.
Merry Christmas and God Bless!
Tommy, Sara, Isabella

2008-12-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

I celebrated thirty one yesterday~hard to believe. Dinner at my favorite steak place on Saturday. 3 tiny sips of red red wine. Conversation with my sweet husband without stopping to feed puffs to the little one. Smiling, reflecting, being thankful, enjoying.
No photos from the celebrations (Tommy thinks it makes us look like tourists when I whip out the camera in a restaurant, so I don't) ...but I did come across these pre-second-pregnancy photos from a recent trip and thought I'd post...clearly Tommy felt like the Guinness mustache was very un-tourist like. (Personally, I'd probably rather whip out my camera.)

Isabella is so ashamed that she has found something outside to look at rather than watch her silly parents take photos of each other.

In other news...
I loooooove getting all these cards in the mail. Mail is never more exciting than in December! I love seeing the different styles, the colors, and mostly the photos....cute babies, kids, dogs, families. Bring them on...send me multiple copies! I just mailed the last half of ours today. I also love sending our cards. I tend to love personal mail, in general.
Is it tacky to put a wreath (plain evergreen, of course) on the front of your vehicle? Am I the only one who likes how it looks? I've heard some mixed reviews. I haven't done it, so feel free to be honest!
I was FURIOUS this morning when I learned that school was indeed in session. Snow days make me so excited. Also of note, students were equally as furious which made for an interesting day.
Baby gates are up. No more chasing Isabella up the front stairs. No more worrying that I will have to do the finger sweep to retrieve a dog food morsel. She is bummed. Seeing us move so fast was quite amusing to her. Scurrying away is so anti-climactic now.
Two more days of school and then a much needed break. 3 more photo shoots and then a much needed break. Looking forward to hanging out with family, shopping, visting, reading, playing with my baby girl, being still and quiet to enjoy the forceful movements of my baby BOY, and just enjoying the season.....
I love white Christmas lights almost as much as I love mail. (need to post some tree photos)
G'night.

the evolution of a best friend...

2008-12-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

party recap

2008-11-26T05:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of Isabella's first birthday party. They are all jumbled and out of order because that is the way blogger loads! It was a lovely time...and Tommy and I (and Isabella, too) enjoyed celebrating with family and friends.

DIY Jones soda labels

I cheaped out on the Jones Soda personalized labels from the company ($50 for a 12 pack) but really wanted them for the party so I spent an entire evening creating my own labels. They turned out cute and ended up being more personalized than the ones they offer (because of the information on the back)...the only drawback is that you can't put these in a bucket of ice like you could the ones from the company as these do not have the waterproof laminate like theirs do. We put some in the fridge and some just sat out. Jones is a tasty soda, we think!

Party favors...I saved all of her baby food jars (stage 2) and we painted the lids and filled them with tiny snickerdoodles (that mom and I stayed up until 2am baking the night before the party). The only drawback...you had to eat them within a day or two or they ended up taking on a wee bit of the paint flavor of the lid. Who "saves" cookies anyway? We topped them off with some ribbon and a tag to match her party colors.

What party is complete without your BFF and your cousin? This is the ride-on toy that Chase got for Isabella (that he fully intended on taking back after the party.) He kept his eyes on it at all times!

It has a horn that she's pretty fond of! We've worn a path around the kitchen and living room...but, just like her mommy, she can barely enjoy the ride because she's too busy looking behind her to make sure one of us is still there with her, pushing. She's not much on hanging out alone. I don't know wheeeeeere she gets it?!

So much celebrating makes one veeeeery tired!

Grammy and Papa got her a baby doll carriage which was a big hit!
Getting some birthday love from her two biggest fans...

The PB chair from my parents made a perfect "throne" on which to open all the surprises!

Cake...sliced and ready to eat!

Digging in to her little smash cake (again, we're going backward...starting with the clean up pictures)

Wondering if she was seriously allowed to make a mess with the cake...looking for some reassurance.

mmmmmm....

Playing with daddy and uncle Chris.

Two of her birthday pictures...and then a picture of her the day she came home from the hospital. 5 pounds, 5 ounces... it makes me cry each time I look at it.

Some appetizers...

A nacho bar and Cincinnati Chili...two of our faves.

before the madness

Her cake was exactly what I hoped it would be...beautiful and delicious! It was made by my very talented and sweet friend Amanda. She needs to go into business, don't you think.

And that is all for now. The birthday girl is napping at the moment and when she wakes she will have some lunch (she has graduated to whole milk now!) and then we are going to try to head out to do some Christmas shopping. I am looking forward to time off work and visiting with family over this extended weekend.

one

2008-11-19T20:07:00.000-08:00

Isabella...

Well, here we are are sweet pea. One year ago today at this very hour daddy and I were packing up to head to the hospital. I was having contractions and was shaking like a leaf and your dad was readying the house and dogs for our absence. An entire year has passed and yet I still remember what I was wearing and the way your dad ushered me gently to the car. I remember blowing out the candle on the stove and looking around the house, knowing that it would never be the same again. I remember the prayers we said for you as we traveled the expressway...closer and closer to meeting you.
There we sat in a still hospital room. It was late and we were headed into unknown territory...tired but wired. I was in bed and your dad sat close by in a rocking chair. In the hours that followed, your birth peeled back the many layers of our marriage and revealed to us a love so strong that even we, the main characters of the story, were in awe. You were the physical evidence of our love, our union....and we have never been more speechless. We loved each other as husband and wife before you....and now we have added a fierce love for one another as parents. All because of you.
To say that you have brightened our lives would be an understatement. What ever did we do before there was you? You have added a magic to each day that we didn't know existed. You are the miracle we dreamed of. You are all of our wishes combined. You are our love personified.
You are everything to us.
As you celebrate your 1st birthday tomorrow....know that it has been the greatest year of our lives.

And by the way, the present daddy and I got you won't arrive until April. It's a sibling. We hope you'll love him/her.
Happy birthday!
love
momma

2008-10-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have one opening (possibly two if both are babies) for a shoot in Lexington on Sunday, 11-2. Please email me if you are interested.
Thanks!

ten

2008-10-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Ten months and on the move. Seriously, you rocked back and forth for a couple of weeks...gaining steam, and then you took off crawling like crazy.... never to sit contentedly on my lap again.

Why would you want to sit on my boring old lap when there is so much to explore? You've found dust bunnies in places that I had forgotten exsisted and ordinary household objects loom large and dangerously over your precious body. After you went to bed the other night, daddy and I sat in the quiet great room making a sort of list of everything that needed to be nailed down, bolted to the wall, put away, given away, etc. You seem to have a radar for that which you aren't supposed to touch. You could be in the middle of the floor surrounded by a million dollars worth of primary colored toys and you'd head straight for the electrical outlet instead.

In fact, you are quite fond of anything that is black and/or has buttons. Forget ToysRUs...you'd like a shopping spree at Radio Shack, please. If you could communicate at this stage of the game, I know for sure that you would ask Santa for a stocking full of remote controls (that actually work because you are not to be fooled by old ones with no batteries), cords, cell phones, and calculators. You'd ask for a laptop, too, if the stocking would hold it. We can't figure out if you really enjoy playing with/looking at these objects or if you are picking up on the invisible yellow tape that surrounds them... Maybe you are going after them because you know you aren't supposed to have them? Surely not!

I would be lying if I didn't tell you that daddy and I are exhausted this month! You were sick for the first time ever and that took a toll on both of us. The worry and the heartache of seeing you so miserable was hard...and combined with your back-to-newborn- sleep schedule, we thought we might not make it. One night, in some sort of feverish drunkeness, you woke up at 2am and thought for all the world that it was morning. Daddy and I had just gone to bed an hour earlier and were just getting into that good, satisfying sleep. When trying to soothe you back to sleep in your crib proved pointless, we put you in bed with us (I know! I know!) because we couldn't hold our eyes open and we knew that you'd fall right to sleep between us. It's a fail safe method we've used a handful of times before when we've found ourselves, say...up a creek without a paddle. Well, suffice it to say, the pitch black darkness and two snoring parents did not convince you that you were a bit off your schedule. You laughed an giggled and tried to climb over our tired, wet noodle bodies. You repeatedly sat up and fell down, knocking unsuspecting sleepers awake with what felt like broken noses and busted lips. You said "momma" and "dada" one thousand times each. It was half hysterical and half maddening. At different points during that night both your dad and I said, or rather moaned. "I can't take it anymore!" But we both kept on taking it...falling in and out of sleep...peeling you off of us and laying you back down.
You finally gave in to sleep and gave us a break from the Jack Bauer style torture. When the morning came, there you were, splayed out and sawing logs...covered in the thin lines of sunshine that sneak through the blinds. You were so beautiful that I forgave you on the spot. (We got a good laugh when we saw our reflections, not so beautiful, in the mirror that morning. Neither of us weather a rough night quite as well as we did back in Richmond.)

No one told us how exhausting taking care of a crawler is (or if they did, we forgot to listen!) I feel like I am going to need knee replacement from getting up and down, up and down one bazillion times! If I pick you up and take you back to an approved area of the house once, I do it 40 times. You never get discouraged and will head right back to the unapproved area with gusto! Pit pat, pit pat, pit pat...your small hands slap the wood floors...across the kitchen you go, stopping only to look at (and think about eating) a bobby pin that I have accidentally dropped. You move stealthily over to the basket of fake apples on the bottom shelf of the island and dump them over your head just as I say, "Nooooooooooooooooo!" You look at me with a twinkle in your eye and turn to leave the scene of the crime. Pit, pat, pit, pat...over to the stove where you make a Picasso with your little sweaty palms. When the picture dries and fades away, you trek over to the dishwasher to peer at your reflection. You cock your head to the side and smile. "Too cute," you seem to say. I have given up on cleaning the appliances but am still putting the apples away several times an evening. I suppose one of these nights I'll get smart and move them out of your reach. But for right now, I'll keep playing along.
I'm thinking of replacing my morning coffee with Similac. If it gives me half the energy that you have, I'll be in good shape!

The fact that you are mobile now, crawling from one room to the next before we even notice that you've moved, makes the morning journey from your room down to the kitchen one of the sweetest walks we'll ever take with you. You reach up from your crib with tiny open arms and a smile that speaks volumes about love. When I pick you up, you rest your head on my shoulder (your head fits perfectly there) and pat me gently on the back all the way to your highchair. Each time I see you in the morning, I try always to talk to God about how thankful I am that you are my child. I started this ritual when you were just days old because I kept feeling so amazed that the dawn brought with it the realization that Yes! I was indeed a mother! I was not dreaming at all, it was real! You were real!
I was so full of love that I felt it appropriate to make it a daily time of thanks. When you are old enough to listen, I will say these prayers out loud so that you will start your day knowing that you've made mine.

kisses.
momma

2008-10-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Tommy, Keeneland Spring Meet, April 08

Dearest Nurse Thomas...
Sorry that I spent the majority of Ella's bout with sickness perched an inch away from her germy breath and have now infected myself with this horrible bug. You warned me and I didn't listen...and here I am, dare I say it...more pitiful and needy than our ten month old?
(seriously, i think last night was the worst sick i've ever been)
Anyway, if you really were a nurse and I was really your patient, I would fill out a glowing comment card for you. I would thank you for running baths, for refilling tea, for fetching cold washcloths. I would add something about how you don't even roll your eyes even though I have the uncanny ability to ask for something just about the very second that you sit down. I would say that I think you should get a major raise...and that you go above and beyond...and that it was all really appreciated. I would thank you for thank you for making my plate and then taking it back to throw most of it away. I would also thank you for not getting grossed out when the sound of me blowing my nose makes the walls bulge out. I might even say thanks for not wondering aloud where on earth my make up bag and brush went? I would certainly thank you for the leg and back massages and wouldn't mention a word about the inappropriate comment you made about taking my temperature. I wouldn't forget to thank you for the 4 pound bag of lemon drops you brought me to soothe my aching throat and I also wouldn't forget to say that you offered me a whole sleeve of Zestas.
I would probably say that I think you should win Nurse of the Year or something. And then I would probably say that I loved you....(and I would hope that wouldn't weird you out since you were just my nurse and I was just your patient.)

Fingers crossed that you stay healthy. It's no fun...whatever this is...no fun at all.

103

2008-10-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

We made it ten whole months without getting sick....but now this:

watery eyes and a runny nose

only one red rosy cheek

trying to keep cool under a cold washcloth (she was not a fan)

We're all exhausted...but only two of us want to sleep. We were up half the night in a luke warm bath, changing cool compresses, taking a rising temperature, wondering what else we could do.
A trip to the doctor today revealed little, except that she may have an ear infection. Her fever is persistent and her eyes are sad and pitiful. It's amazing how much it hurts to see your baby miserable and feverish.
Pray for a speedy recovery for Miss Ella Bella Boo Bear.

nine

2008-09-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

Sit down and grab your paci, lovebug. Your nine month letter will be quite lengthy.
Nine months has been an age we've been speaking about around here even before you were actually born. Know why? Because that is the age you would be when momma would return to work and leave you in the care of someone else during the day. As always, I came about this decision in a long and complicated way and I want to tell you the story.
Before you were born, daddy and I would sit at a quiet dinner table and toss around the pros and cons of staying at home with you vs. going back to work. (When you grow up, you will learn that this is a highly debated issue among women! Stating your opinion on it can sometimes lead to a heated discussion amongst moms. Though I've never judged anyone either way, I think I know why it is such a sensitive topic. It's because we are all trying to do what we feel is very best for our babies. And to feel like we're being accused of doing less than that can cause a white hot anger!) We would chat about our respective childhoods...your Grammy Floyd stayed home with daddy and your Grandma Tuey had to return to work when I was just six weeks old. We both turned out alright, maybe even pretty good. We talked a lot about my feelings about staying home with you. Please forgive me in advance for my lack of confidence in our yet-to-be-relationship. I worried and fretted about...wondering if you and I would "bond." The thought of staying home with you all day, just you and me, with nothing but time on our hands...frankly, it scared me to death. I felt so guilty about this. Afterall, I have taught several years with other new moms who cried on a daily basis because they missed their babies so much they could hardly stand to do their job anymore.
Then there was me...staring over my chicken sandwich at your father....admitting that I didn't think I could do it. I just couldn't stay home with you. I just couldn't. He was, as he always is, very supportive. He lived through a year of me not working after we got married and I was such a miserable human being that I think he was probably very scared to possibly revisit those times. We came to the conclusion that I would take an extended maternity leave (10 weeks) and then I would return to teaching. As I said, I made my decision firm and didn't have many reservations at all....except for the guilt. Oh, the guilt!
Soon after, I went in to discuss my maternity leave with my Head of School. She is a mother of two and a grandmother, as well. I told her my plans and she chuckled softly.
"Trust me, Sara....take the rest of the school year and the entire summer. And then talk to me about whether you even want to come back at all."
WHAT? NO WAY! That was...(counting on fingers under the conference table) NINE MONTHS??? Again, WHAT? At nine months, you'd practically be huge and driving or something...nine months was like a decade away. Nine months was as many months as I carried you in my belly...and I knew that was seriously a loooooong time.
I stepped out of her office and called your dad so he could weigh in. He said that he agreed with her! (What? Haven't we talked about this?)
So....I took the deal. Nine months off of work with my baby. I drove home wondering how long nine months would seem if it turned out that you didn't even love me. I stocked up on magazine subscriptions for those long, dragging periods of time when I would be twiddling my thumbs.
I'm serious.

Then, on November 20th, you were born. Something amazing happened when they handed you to me. I knew I loved you. I had worried and worried about seeing you and feeling nothing. And then it was you and me, all alone in a hospital room and I knew in an instant that I would trade my life for yours in a flash. I know it's cliche, but it's true. God made it so that I felt the opposite of nothing. I felt everything. Later that night, a visitor said to me, "Tell me again, are you going back to work or staying home with Isabella." And I answered that I would go back when you were nine months old. It didn't make me anxious at all to think about it...because nine months seemed so far away. You were a tiny bean on my chest, it would surely take longer than nine months for you to be nine months.

And then we were home. Daddy got a beloved 10 days off of work and we soaked up every minute as a family of three. It was a wonderful time for all of us, but towards the end of it I became like a child the day before kindergarten. I cried and obsessed.
"You can't go back and leave me here with her. I don't know how to do this!"
The night before your dad went back to work I cried myself to sleep. I was exhausted and feeling so incompetent. I was actually a little jealous....jealous that he would be putting on a suit and heading out to do something productive. Jealous that he would fit into his regular clothes and might even squeeze in a lunch with a business partner. And the guilt was right there making everything worse. As I cried, I stared at you in your cradle and thought about how my thoughts were betraying you. I felt so sorry for longing to be back in my classroom with my students. Please understand that it had nothing to do with me loving them more than you. It had everything to do with the fact that I knew I could teach...but I had no idea how to be a mom.
Those first couple days were rough. I frequently looked at the clock and did the mental math on how soon I would hear the garage door hum open. Your dad called every hour to check on us. I tried to nap while you napped (which was here, there, and everywhere) and it made me even more groggy and out of sorts. I got on the phone that afternoon and called my Head of School.
"Please put me on the sub list," I said. "I miss work and am anxious to get back and sub a little bit." I talked about this with your dad, of course, and he supported it and said that his parents would watch you. I felt better for having made the call. For some reason, it made me feel like I had another option...a plan B...a compromise.
While I waited for school to call me to sub, I dove into the challenge of getting you on a schedule. I turned off the black hole of depression that is daytime television and turned on the radio. I rocked you and played with you and put you down for your naps. I cleaned and did laundry and washed bottles and pumped breast milk. Before I knew it, you were awake again and I was feeding, rocking, burping, singing. And just as I was about ready to finish the ironing, the garage door hummed open and, oh my goodness! is it already five o' clock? Then there was dinner and spending time with you and daddy and writing thank you notes and pumping again. And that growing stack of magazines! I had yet to grab a spare minute to read even one page.
Just a few weeks had passed and I caught myself falling asleep with thoughts of "I am so glad I don't have to work tomorrow! There is no way I could go to work tomorrow!"

You and I really had everything down to a science and I was quite enjoying my staying home with you when I got the call. A sub was needed on Thursday. Could I take the job?
(WHAT? I have a newborn! What were these people thinking?Who told them I wanted to work?)
And there I was, the night before...crying and scared. How could I possibly leave you with ANYONE? They couldn't possibly care for you like I did. I felt like writing out a list of directions a mile long for your Grammy...even though she's raised three kids herself. In the end, I scrunched the most important information on a post-it note and stuffed it in your diaper bag and headed off to work.
I was only there an hour when I had the overwhelming thought that working wasn't for me anymore. I was going through the motions but all my emotions were with you. Each time I looked at the clock I mentally noted what you were probably doing at that moment (providing that Grammy was sticking to the strict schedule I had set forth of the subtle post-it note of commands, errr, I mean suggestions.) I wondered if you were missing me like I was missing you. I raced out the door at 3:15pm, over the river and through the woods, to get you! I remember that when I called Grammy to let her know I was on my way she told me that you were fine and that I could run some errands if I needed to. Ha! Fat chance. I barely stopped at red lights.
So there I was that night, staring at your dad over another dinner plate.
"I can't go back in August, babe. I can't leave her."
Do I even need to tell you that he supported me? That he scooped me up and smiled and said. "I knew you'd feel this way."
I didn't tell the school about my decision right away. You may be catching on to this by now, but I can be a little wishy-washy at times and I had learned enough to know that I should give myself some time to feel out the whole staying at home full time bit.

Spring blew in and I was quite comfortable with my newfound decision. I figured I would make an appointment to meet with the appropriate people at school to let them know that I had, just as they had predicted, decided to become a stay at home mom. There were things I missed dearly about work, though. Namely, my students, the challenges that they presented, my colleagues, wearing pants without an elastic waist...you know, things of that nature. I fantasized about teaching part time. The best of both worlds, I thought. But I put it out of my mind as I figured there was no way. Still, one evening I whipped up an email and sent it over to school. Might as well, right? Never hurts to ask.
The next day, I received a reply. "That would actually work out well. Let's meet and talk about it."
I picked you up out of your swing and danced around the room with you. WooooooHoooooo...the best of both worlds, baby girl! WoooooHooooooo...momma's dreams have come true! I called your dad and he helped me celebrate. We were all just as happy as could be. I would be having my cake and eating it, too! You would get stimulation (and a couple of germs) from another environment with other children and I would get to work outside the home until noon everyday. I would pick you up and we would have practically the whole day still to spend together. Childcare would hardly cost a thing since you'd only be there for a few hours! I'd use the leftover money to buy myself a snappy new pair of dress pants.....with a zipper! and a button! at the waist. For several days we walked around on clouds with the idea of this new and perfect solution. We began the quest for childcare and our elation was zapped a bit when we learned that there is no "half day" childcare. Whether I picked you up at noon or at six, the price was still the same. We "ran some numbers" as your dad would say, and.....Hmmmmm....not so good. Oh well, money wasn't everything....it was still the best of both worlds.
We ended up signing you up at a shiny new Day School a couple exits from our house. When we visited, I held you tight and my mind raced with the thought of leaving you with strangers. They seemed nice enough...but they were strangers. There was no denying that. We talked on the way home and I prayed that you would be safe there. Safe and happy each day from 8a to 12p. I tried not to think about it. We had several more months at home, just you and I, and I wanted to enjoy them.
At about 6 months, your schedule became pretty predictable and I noticed that you were napping each day from 1p-3p. Do you see where this is going? I began wondering aloud to your dad why I was planning to cut my salary in half to race home and put you down for a nap? In my original plan, I envisioned us playing the afternoons away. I did not envision you sleeping and me cleaning. We began to think that maybe going back full time wasn't such a bad idea. Afterall, it was only a 3 hour difference, 2 of which you'd sleep right through!
Another email to school and the reply informed me that there was ONE full time position open. I snatched it up and nursed an upset stomach all evening. I only wanted what was best for all of us....but the choices (though I was blessed to have any at all) were driving me crazy.

In the interest of time, we'll fast forward to the summer. I headed to school with you in tow. Tears filled my eyes as I moved books, organized bulletin board items, and cleaned desks. My heart was divided. Here was this environment I knew so well and then there was you, a little helpless person who depended on me for everything. I hoped and prayed I was making an OK decision. What if I picked you up at the end of the day and your tiny face was tear-soaked? What if you cried for ma-ma and no one came to hold you? What if you wondered where I had gone or, if even for a split second, wondered if I'd ever come back? (That thought alone nearly cracked my heart in two.) What if you were lonely at day school?
My guilt was a constant companion. I was going back to work and leaving you with complete strangers.

And here is where I will tell you about God sending you what you need even when you are too overwhelmed to ask for it.
About a month before school started, I got an email from a friend of mine whom I taught with for a couple of years. She had her baby one month before I had you. Her email informed me that she had decided to stay home with her daughter and was interested in keeping another baby. Would we be interested? I couldn't believe what a wonderful opportunity this was! If a baby can have a best friend, Ansleigh is certainly yours. The two of you are so close in age that you had a delightful time playing with each other anytime we got together for a play date. I knew enough about Rebekah to trust her completely with your care. She was full of ideas about the many fun things she would do with you girls. We compared notes and were happy to learn that you and Ansleigh had nearly identical sleep schedules. After working out the logistics, we celebrated again, and this time I knew in my heart that we were making a good decision.

Don't get me wrong, I cried as I put you in your first day of school outfit. I talked to you all the way to their house that morning, assuring you that I would be back to get you at 3:45pm sharp. Though you immediately started playing and laughing when we got there, it was wise of me to leave my eye make-up off as I cried all the way to school. I cried because I missed you, cried because I hoped you would be ok, cried because I felt thankful for someone so special to care for you....

You've been staying at Ms. Rebekah's house for many weeks now and I have been back to work for as long. I must say, though there are rainy days that make me want to bring you down from your crib and spend the whole day in our big bed cuddling with you....most days we are all three very content with out situation. You are so happy there, playing with someone your own age, doing pudding painting, blowing bubbles, taking your naps..... And I am doing pretty well, too. I am teaching seventh grade for the first time in my life and am enjoying the change and challenge. Trust that I look at your pictures a gazillion times a day and think of you just as many. I wait patiently for the emails Rebekah sends twice a day letting me know that you are down for your nap and telling me about various other accomplishments you've made. I talk about you at lunch and leave after the last student to come and get you. It makes me heart smile to come through the door and see you playing contentedly with a little mirror image of yourself. You are the picture of happiness! We chat for a moment and then head for home, having a rather one sided conversation about our respective days. Our evening time is spent carefully and wisely and our weekends have taken on a new and meaningful purpose.

This letter is much longer and possibly a wee bit more boring to you than the others, but I wanted to record the journey of your ninth month so that you and I can look back on it togther someday when you are standing in the same spot. My hope is that you will have inherited your dad's deep rooted confidence and that you will make a choice and not waver. But if by chance you are like me, maybe this letter will help you decide. Or at the very least, it will serve to let you know that you aren't alone.
We are so blessed to have Rebekah caring for you Isabella. You aren't old enough to realize it, but I want you to remember it. You are growing to love the first of many good people who will make up the giant puzzle of your life. I hope you will look back on this time fondly, and most of all, I hope you will know that my decision was made with your best interest at heart.
I have wanted what was very best for you since the moment I saw your face.
I love you,
Momma

the glue that holds me together....

2008-09-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

too dark!

too light!

I have been at the computer for hours in the past couple of days...editing photographs. As I was sifting through the thousands of photos looking for the ones I needed, I came across this set of Tommy and Isabella. Before one of my shoots last month, I had a small (read: large) freak out! I had changed all my settings on the camera for a previous evening shoot and when I went to test the lighting and exposure before the morning shoot I was scheduled to do in TEN MINUTES....everything was all wrong. I got nervous and started changing things that I shouldn't have even been touching...and then the exposure got worse.....and I freaked out MORE....

Back to the glue....
There was Tommy...voluntarily sitting against the backdrop for me while I worked my way around to some decent shutter speed/f-stop combinations...I took picture after picture....getting more and more frustrated. Then we plopped Isabella up there to sit and clap while I worked feverishly to get things back to where they needed to be. I snapped and changed settings, snapped and changed settings... all the while looking through the lens at the two souls that are always there when I need them....to calm me down, give me perspective, keep me straight.....to pose for an emergency portrait session, if need be.

They are the glue, those two...I don't know where I'd be without them.

****
Mr. Ike hit us hard! We only lost our brand new gazebo!!...but still have all of our family and friends...so we consider ourselves blessed. Hope all of you are safe and sound and making the most of all of that romantic candlelight.

another 2 tags...

2008-08-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

Random photo of my first baby, complete with eye boogers.

Admit five fears, rational or not!
1.I don't like to be by myself much. Tommy is amazed (as are most people in my life) that I won't really even go downstairs by myself unless I really, really need to (and even then, I tell him to listen for me if I yell for him.)
2. A chill runs up my spine when I have to stick my hand down the kitchen sink drain. (This only happens when I have turned on the disposal and it has come to my attention that there is obviously something down there that shouldn't be.) Once my hand moves passed that rubbery drain guard and into the dark unknown....I am shuttering. Do I believe that something down there will get me? Who knows...but I hate to do it.
3. Opening biscuits...or cinnamon rolls. The idea that I am going to pull the paper off the tube, yet I can't pinpoint the exact moment when it will *POP* makes me grit my teeth.
4. It goes without saying that a balloon popping really startles me.
5. I never, ever sleep with a closet door open. Ever!

The ABCs Meme:

A- Attached or Single? Married.

B- Best Friend: My husband, my mom!

C- Cake or Pie: Neither, Creme Brulee please.

D- Drink of Choice: Iced Tea, Diet Coke, coffee.

E- Essential Item: my cell phone and my datebook (it contains my lists!)

F- Favorite Color: Green. Favorite clothing colors: black, brown, white, grey, cream. (I try to buy colorful items...but I never wear them.)

G- Gummi Bears or Worms: neither.

H- Hometown: Florence.

I- Indulgence: shopping, reading blogs, massages, pedicures.

J- January or February: January is sort of blah. February at least has Valentine's Day.

K- Kids: Amazing. Simply amazing.

L- Life, for me, is incomplete without: Faith in God, family, fun.

M- Marriage Date: 7.31.

N- Number of Siblings: 1 baby brother whom I love so much. (His wife is a great sister-in-law, too.)

O- Oranges or Apples? Hmmmm...I could do without either. Let's go with apple...and make it in a martini.

P- Phobia/Fears: Seriously, I would get carpal tunnel if I tried to type them all.

Q- Favorite Quote: Whatever souls are made of, yours and mine are the same.

R- Reasons to smile: I am smiling anytime I am with Tommy and Isabella.

S- Season: Fall, by a landslide. I've always loved the fall.

T- Tag Ten: Blake, Jefiner, Angie, Libby, Allison, Meg, Amy, Whitney, Casey, Chesnye, Jess C., Erin T., Christina, anyone else?

U- Unknown fact about me: I don't have my ears pierced...that's not really unknown, I guess.

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? What a terrible way to say "meat eater." And yes, I eat meat.

W- Worst Habit: P.R.O.C.R.A.S.T.I.N.A.T.I.O.N. ties with W.O.R.R.Y for my first place worst habit.

X- X-rays or Ultrasounds? Ultrasounds for babies!

Y- Your Favorite Foods: All of my buddies expect me to say grilled chicken sandwich (which is my old standby) but I am going to say Italian.

Z- Zodiac: Sagittarius

eight

2008-08-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

Isabella...
After having you on Tuesday morning, we spent two more nights in the hospital (which is normal, before you get worried!). It was a very full 48 hours which seemed to pass in a blurry haze. I remember little parts of those days so vividly. Then there are other parts that I wouldn't believe ever took place if not for the stack of photographs that document each hour. That first night after all of our visitors had gone home, your dad and I realized that we were totally exhausted! We hadn't really felt tired up to that point...but once we slowed down for a minute...we were both groggy and drunk with love. The nurses suggested we send you to the nursery so that we could get a good nights rest. We hesitantly agreed and watched them wheel you away in your tiny see-through bed. Even though the lights were turned down in our room, the hallway and nurses station continued to buzz throughout the night. I could hear the muffled sounds of babies crying and I prayed it wasn't you. I heard other mothers being wheeled up from labor and delivery and I related to the utter joy that they were experiencing. After lying there for a bit, I finally joined your dad (who had been snoring since his head hit the pillow) and fell fast asleep. It seemed like only a few minutes passed before there was a faint knock on the door and I awakened to see you being rolled back into the room for your feeding. You were so very warm...all swaddled up in your blankets. Your tiny eyes were nearly covered by your hat and the bracelets that linked us together as mother and child swallowed your fragile wrists. The nurse was gone in a flash and left us to ourselves. You ate while I breathed in the scent of you and tried with all my might to hold my eyes open. Even after you were safely back in the nursery that night I must've woken up twenty times...jolted awake by a nightmare that I had fallen asleep with you in my arms and that you were about to roll off of the bed. I would sit straight up and look all around to make sure you weren't there.
On the second night we decided that since we would soon be on our own at home, we should try keeping you in the room with us. Not too hard, right? Wrong. We were inexperienced swaddlers and I think you could feel us trembling with a lack of confidence. You cried and squirmed and popped right out of the blanket we wrapped you in. I cried and wondered what we were doing wrong. After several attempts at getting you to sleep, I finally pushed the call button. To the rescue...a nurse, and coincidently, a seasoned mother of three young boys. She came in and sat on the edge of the bed. With my head in my hands, I explained that I seriously thought we'd need to extend our stay in the hospital based on the fact that we couldn't soothe you. It was a sob story she had heard one hundred times before, I'm sure....but she listened on anyway. She found the perfect words for the moment and assured us that no one knew you better than we did. She wasted no time swaddling you up tight and putting her magic-post-partum-nurse spell on you and you drifted right off to sleep. We whispered to each other for a few more minutes. She gave us advice as a veteran mom and shared a bit about her children. We were lifted up by her kindness. We all three slept soundly for almost two! whole! hours! before your little voice cried out. Your dad and I both swung into action...armed with all the advice we had been given just a few hours before. Only nothing was working. I rocked you, spoke softly to you, patted your back. Your dad changed you, held you close, swaddled you. And still you cried. This time though, we didn't hit the call button. We were determined to do it on our own. Afterall, the very next night we'd be in our house where there certainly wasn't any help working 3rd shift outside our bedroom door. We kept trying. One of us would think of something and say Oh, let me try this while the other one looked on from the opposite bed. After more failed attempts than we wanted to keep track of, and as a sort of last resort, we swaddled you tight and inclined your bed a bit and just placed you gently inside. With your cart positioned right in between our beds we were both able to watch your every move . We were both trying to be so quiet. We breathed into the pillows so as not to make a peep. We would look at you, then look at each other, then look back at you in total silence. Ten minutes later your eyes closed and you slept. We waited a few minutes to make sure it was real (you had tricked us before with the whole fake sleep thing!) and when we were fairly sure that you were really asleep and that we as your new parents had helped you get there, we celebrated! We both raised our hands in the dim light and gave a thumbs up . We had done it....you had done it! It was a small victory, but it was one of our firsts and it is burned onto my heart forever.
***
I tell you this long story only because I want you to know that we have raised our thumbs to you so many times in your eighth month. It seems like daddy and I are always looking at each other and shaking our heads in amazement. You just learned to sit up...and there we were, right behind you with our thumbs in the air. You traveled here and there and everywhere and held it together on an airplane with a broken air conditioner...and again, we held up our thumbs to you. You spent hours and hours on the beach in Florida in some seriously hot weather without so much as a complaint. You took all of your naps right there under the umbrella....and you couldn't see us because you were sleeping...but our thumbs were in the air. We blew in your face and dunked you under and you came up smiling from ear to ear....big time thumbs up for that one! You delighted people at tables all around us each night at dinner and daddy and I gave a discrete wink to each other which meant the same thing...thumbs up, baby girl.

I bet we'll be doing this your whole life.
Know why...because no matter what, we'll always be your biggest fans.
You've never stopped making us proud since that morning when we first met...eight months ago.
Two thumbs up to you...for who you are growing up to be, for all of your little victories, and for all the many ways you've taught us how to love.

greetings from sunny Florida!

2008-08-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying our last vacation of the summer. We are having an amazing time. It is so good to be with family. We hadn't seen Justin and Libby for waaay too long. The weather has been beautiful and Isabella has been so good despite extreme heat. We have only been here for 3 days so far and have had 3 amazing dinners at various local restaurants. Breakfast is always nice, too.....we all sit around and sip on our coffee while talking and catching up....enjoying the incredible view.

Mom...hope your first day back to school went well...enjoy the photos of your grandbaby on the beach!

Sunset while shopping last night.

Aunt Lib...grabbing a nap. (Al....I took the Bff necklace off of her before I took this photo!)

Justin....he can't get away from technology no matter how hard he tries.

Dad...are you alive? How many beers have you had?

Dad and Tommy discussing investments and drinking some brewskis.

Ella playing in the shade.
Spending time with her unky...having a serious talk.
Dad giving Isabella a ride.

Splashing in the pool with momma!

She would rather lick her toys than actually play with them.

Happy baby!

European topless baby!

Someone is teething and therefore licking everything!

Cooling off in the pool.

More to come in the next few days....we take one million photos a day! My family is where I acquired a love for photography!

2008-07-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

a few random things...
i have one opening for a lexington shoot in august
and
one opening for a northern ky shoot in august (update: NKY slot filled)
email me if you are interested.
we watched The Things We Lost in the Fire last night
seriously great movie.

seven

2008-07-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

enjoying the houseboat, july 08

No, no, no.... forget what I said about your sixth month being my favorite. Your seventh month is! This time I promise.

At seven months, you have shot up in height! (Shot up meaning, of course, an inch or two.) These extra couple of inches pushed a couple of your baby rolls right out the door. We were sad to see them go. They were so incredibly cute. Bathtime isn't near challenging enough anymore. I can nearly do a surface wash on you now whereas before I had to tackle the crevice between each roll. Just so I won't be bored...you learned how to splash. No one bathes you and comes out dry! Each time I look at the water marks all over the wall in the bathroom and kitchen, I am reminded of your constant growing. The obsessive part of me wants to repaint. The sentimental part of me knows that those marks will make it hard for me to ever move from this house.
bathtime in the kitchen sink, july 08

You kicked off month seven with a string of da-da-da-da-das. This made your dad crazy with happiness. He smiled and laughed and spent a good amount of time coaxing you to say it "just one more time." We didn't know if you actually knew what you were saying, but you certainly enjoyed the shower of attention that followed this new babble. You said it enough times that it was decided that it should be recorded in your baby book as your first word. Your dad didn't rub it in too much...but he sure was proud. You love him so much. Some days when I hear the garage door open at the end of the day I scoop you up and take you out to the landing to greet him. When you catch sight of daddy getting out of the car, you begin to bounce and pant and squeal. This makes his day, I just know it. He's almost always on the phone and so he tries to wrap up a business conversation while smiling from ear to ear. He kisses me, then he kisses you, and then he always says, "Let me wash my hands." This means he is just seconds from lifting you out of my arms and you seem to realize what is about to happen. I hope you will live the rest of your life knowing that you have the most wonderful da-da-da-da a girl could ask for. Sure, he rolls up his sleeves and changes your diaper...and he knows how to do the airplane with carrots on a spoon...but more importantly, he loves you and me with everything he has. I hope his love lights up your life like it does mine. When I think about your dad...it seems fitting to me that da-da was your first word.
silly girl, july 08

Just as I was beginning to have some she-likes-you-better-than-me-and-I'm-the-one-who-takes-care-of-her-all-day thoughts...you started doing something that I have secretly been looking very forward to. You started reaching for me....as in lunging toward me when you are in someone else's arms...as in diving back toward me when someone tries to take you from me. The first time it happened I thought my heart would burst. "Let me walk by her again and see if she does it again," I kept saying. Sure enough...you did it again and again. It's funny, but the fact that you love me so much never ceases to amaze me! It's hard to explain...but it's true. Each day I just can't believe that I am yours and you are mine...and that you find comfort in my arms. Maybe this is because in my life before you, I was generally the one seeking comfort rather than providing it. This is not to say that I don't try to comfort others. I do. Unfortunately though, I am such a worried, anxious sort of person that I am probably not high on the "provides comfort" list. You have awakened a new part of my soul...something I didn't think I was capable of...something that I've always had, but never used....a little pocket of comfort and safety for someone else. The fact that you expect this from me has made me so much stronger. I hope you'll always find solace in me. I sure will be here....always.
waiting for lunch, july 08

Lately, your dad and I have been wondering if your freshman roommate will make fun of you for wearing a sleepsack to bed....or for sleeping in a positioner. (Because we plan to withhold spending money from you if you refuse to follow our rules. And our rules include a sleepsack and a positioner!) Even though everyone and their brother has told us that you are OLD ENOUGH TO ROLL OVER IN YOUR SLEEP! we still can't seem to let go of the worry that something will happen to you in the night. It's ridiculous...and deep down, we know this, but it is so hard to let go! We've talked about it many times. Tonight's the night, we'll say. And then, just an hour later, we are zipping you into your little sack and placing you in between your two bumpers (in our room still...shhh, it's a secret.) We can't even help ourselves. Tonight we decided (read: your dad decided) that we don't care what the books say or what other parents say. We are going to keep doing what we're doing until we feel comfortable changing it. So...having said that...I hope your college roommate is kindhearted because we will be sending you to the university of your choosing with some sleep safety items. PS: We're hoping that you choose a campus that has good video monitor reception, too. Just sayin'.....you know, in case you need us!
so happy, july 08

all the babies from our small group at church, you are the oldest but the second smallest!

You are starting to outgrow some of your toys! I have already stored away a shameful amount of outgrown clothing and now the toys! The swing that you basically lived in for the first 8 weeks of your life now bends significantly under your weight. You reach back and hold onto the bar which makes the lullabies turn into a theme song fit for a horror movie. Your highchair tray is hopelessly scratched due to your love of banging hard things on other hard things! You'd pass up a dolly, blocks, or even a book for a regular old restaurant napkin that you can rip into one million tiny pieces. Your dad and I have had many peaceful meals thanks to a simple straw paper or two. Who needs Fisher Price when you have paper waste? Way to be green, baby girl!
watching daddy work in the yard, july 08

I can't wait to meet you again tomorrow morning. You are new and yet familiar every single day. In this way, I find comfort in you. The sun will rise, and I will lift you from your bed and bury my nose into your neck. It will smell like Bisquick (just like always) and I will drink it in and utter an insignificant thanks to the God who blessed me with you. And our day will begin....
We will eat and play and hold onto each other. You will insist on being perched on my hip and I will struggle around wondering what items on the to-do list can be done with only one arm. You will cry when it is naptime and I will run around like a crazy person trying to pack as much productivity I possibly can into however long you sleep. You will wake and I will say, "There's momma's baby" just like always.

And you will be loving me...and I will be amazed.
looking for the ticklebug, july 08

I said I'd be grateful...not punctual!

2008-07-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

We are at the houseboat celebrating the fourth of July and dad reminded me that I forgot last week's TuesdayLove entry! Ooops!

Becky M.

Thank you for hiring me as a nanny for so many years! Now that I have my own baby I am astounded at the amount of trust you had in me! Thank you for having faith that I would take good care of the girls. Thank you for trusting me with a tiny little Carlie Jo. Thank you for trusting me to take them places and not lose them! We had lots of fun summers together and I will always be grateful for the experience I gained with your family. I feel like I was better equipped for motherhood because of the responsibility and nurturing that I learned from you. You have been, and still are, a very important part of my life (as are the girls!)

Something new...

2008-06-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of gratitude, I have decided to start a new blog tradition. Each Tuesday I will highlight someone who has been or is currently influential in my life. Might be a family member, might be a friend, might be someone who doesn't even realize that they have had an impact on my life. I might share a favorite memory or I might make a list...either way, I have decided to keep it fairly short so that it doesn't become overwhelming. I will randomly pick people from the list so that the list order is in no way indicative of the person's importance. Since I don't have pictures of everyone, I have decided to always include the same graphic on these posts. If I do have a picture...well...that will be a bonus. I will call these posts TuesdayLove. I am looking forward to the gratitude that I will feel as I call up old and not so old memories. I am also looking forward to publicly recognizing people who have added so much to my life. Clearly not everyone I will mention reads the blog...but as my mom always told me...It's the thought that counts.

Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.

-George Eliot

And...if you are so inclined...feel free to copy the graphic and add TuesdayLove to your blog schedule. We all have so many to be thankful for....

First randomly chosen person.... Mary Akers (my mom's cousin.....so my second cousin??)

Mary....I will never forget staying at your house in the mountains when I was a kid. You had robes for all of your guests and I was absolutely fascinated by the idea of it! My mom never wore a robe (not that she ran around naked, she just didn't wear robes) and so I never had a robe. That first morning, I picked out a robe of yours and drank hot chocolate in the kitchen with you and mom and grandma. I felt so grown up and so special all because of your purple chenille robe. The next morning, to my surprise, my robe didn't drag the floor two feet behind me. Instead, it fit me perfectly. You hemmed it to fit me and said that I could take it home! I couldn't believe it. It made my day! Thank you for your kindness. I've often tried to make someone else's day in that same way. If I have ever have a little guest who is infatuated with my robes I promise to be the little elf in the night who cuts and sews and makes her day. Also, I've always loved your many houses. Of course, the one in the mountains was amazing. (Except for the fake anteater on the landing.) But, the beach ones always inspired me. I loved the little bungalow that you and Al lived in. I remember it as an A-frame with a loft to sleep in. There were neat little interesting things everywhere and I always thought to myself...I want to live in a place like this. Thanks, too, for helping me make my Susan B. Anthony doll in the fourth grade. And...I've always loved your laugh, as well.

As you might have noticed, I have decided not to care too much about run-on sentences and such while I write my TuesdayLove entries.

six

2008-06-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm late again, lovey! You're surprised, no?
How can it be that half a year has passed since we first met? I will always look back on your sixth month as The Month of Rapid Growth and Change. Daddy and I took you on your first airplane ride on your 6th month birthday (it wasn't exactly to celebrate your 6th month birthday, but it was a nice coincidence, don't you think?) and maybe it was the altitude in beautiful Colorado or the hotel water..or something...but all the new experiences began to transform you in to a little girl. Your baby features are giving way to real life characteristics. You are alert and particular. You even flirt! The young man who sat behind you on the plane really caught your eye. You made a game of smiling at him and then diving for cover in my chest. The flight attendants loved you. The hotel concierge loved you. The taxi drivers loved you. Daddy and I were proud to be with you! You were spreading smiles all across this new city. I love your happiness, Isabella. It is contagious...a proverbial ray of sunshine. ('Cept when you're hungry.)

Our trip was a success. Our room had a breathtaking view of the mountains and we had sweet and simple fun hanging out, just the three of us, in a big comfy bed. We ate delicious food, went to unique little pubs, shopped, rested, watched the sunset, walked and swam....and you hung right in there. You even slept soundly in an unfamiliar port-a-crib that was more metal than mattress.
We were so pleased with your traveling performance that we arrived home at midnight on Friday evening and headed to the lake for a long weekend at 9am the next morning. Again, so many new experiences for you! Making rounds up and down the dock with your Pop Pop, getting rocked to sleep by the gentle waves of passing boats, bathing in the kitchen sink, and even swimming in the cooler! Pop Pop kept saying you were a natural. I think he's right. You seem quite at home and at ease on the water. A chip off the old block.

We are enjoying many playdates this month, too! It is so fun to see you interact with other babies your age. You smile and lunge toward your little friends. I wonder what you are thinking when you see a teeny person just like you. I hope you will enjoy many fun times with your friends. I am so looking forward (but not rushing toward) having your friends to our house. I will help you set up tea parties and forts made of blankets just like my mom used to do for me. And, I will come and get you, no matter what time it is, when your courage wears off at a slumber party. In fact, you might not even have to call! Your dad and I might already be in the driveway. We'll be missing you , too, I bet.

You are almost sitting up now! You are still too unsteady to be left unattended....but sitting or standing up with help is what you prefer. You fancy yourself a "big, big girl!" Maybe this is due to our repeated sing-songy "How big is Baby Ella" games fashioned after your favorite How Big Is Baby Elmo book. This is bittersweet for me as you used to prefer being cuddled in my lap. Often times when I am holding you now you arch your back and begin an awkward slide down my legs. I knew this time would come. Even though I think I savored every moment of you being content in my arms, I find myself second guessing. Did I cherish it enough? Because I think it is almost over. Pretty soon I will probably have to promise you candy or a sticker or something for just a few minutes on my lap. Okay, Okay...I am jumping ahead a little bit...I admit. I have a tendency to do this with you. Sometimes when I see you playing with one of our friend's little boys I look at your dad and say how will you ever give her away on her wedding day? As if you and the other infant have been sitting in your respective swings talking about where you will get married and what type of home you will settle into! Momma's dramatic, little one....always late and very dramatic.

So many times over the course of the past month people out in public have asked me, "Is she your first?" They all ask it in a way that makes me think it is written all over my face...that you are my first and that I am so madly, deeply, crazily in love with you! What gave it away, I want to ask. Is it the fact that I am stopped in the middle of the grocery aisle just staring at you while you sleep, oblivious to people trying to get their carts around me? Is it that the light has been green for 30 seconds and I am paying no attention to it because half my body is in the backseat playing patty cake with you? Is it my industrial size pack of antibacterial wipes that gave it away? What is it?
They never give a reason, of course. Instead, they just shake their heads and smile. "I thought so," they say as they watch us carry on. Sometimes their eyes get shiny and I know in my heart that they are thinking about their all-grown-up-firstborns.
Oh, it's not that I will love your siblings any less at all....it's just that I feel like we started from scratch with you! You have been so patient and sweet...letting us practice on you, gathering the recipe and the ingredients as we go along. We've fumbled around with everything from breastfeeding to swaddling to temperature taking...and you've just kept on being your perfect little self. You've kept on growing and developing in spite of all of our inexperience and naivety.
You are our first. And.... firsts are just inexplicably special in a first-y sort of way.
Another thing perfect strangers will say is, "She is the happiest baby!"
And this time my eyes get shiny as I think to myself,
"And I am the happiest mother."

I love you, Ella Bella!

**All photos from 6th month photo shoot.

five

2008-05-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

baby blue eyes, april 2008

Hey there sweet pea!
It should come as no surprise to you that I am late with your 5 month letter. Being late is one of my best talents. I'll most likely be late to many events in your life. I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive me. I hope you'll think to yourself, "She'll be here...she's just late again." And I hope you won't tell your dad when you get a tardy slip on the first week of preschool. He frowns on lateness. (But, I'm working on him.)

Why is your letter late? I've been busy loving on you, of course. That, and celebrating your dad's birthday, and enjoying Derby festivities, and many photo shoots, and a little shopping, and some cleaning, and several thousand loads of laundry. You know, the usual. Also, I was hoping that if I slowed up on the letters....you'd slow up on the growing up. But, you are relentless. You grow and you change every hour it seems. Proof: You no longer fit in your cradle. See picture below.

too big, april 2008

Maybe I have said this before but this...this is my favorite stage! You laugh now. It's a short and quick little laugh...but it is a contagious one. I tickle you and make loud, crazy obnoxious noises and straightaway your neck disappears and you laugh. The first time it happened I thought I was hearing things so I spent the next half hour singing and dancing trying to hear it just one more time. Turns out, you only wanted to laugh once that day. Now we hear it all the time, though. Much like your voice, your laugh is the sweetest I've heard. You are going to be funny.....I just know it.
laughing at daddy, april 2008 (maybe because he has his orange shirt on again!)

As if the laughing wouldn't be enough for one month, you decided to start rolling over. Up until the other day you haven't shown much of a desire to be anywhere but on your back. Then, just like that, you rolled over. I put you on the kick and play mat and looked back from the kitchen to see you on your belly with a bright red face! I let out an impulsive celebratory scream and almost scared you out of your onesie. I quickly put you back on your back so you would stop straining and then I waited around the corner with the video camera, paparazzi style, to try to get your new trick on film. Sure enough, you did it again right away. You remind me of myself once I learned how to do a backhandspring. I couldn't stop. I was so proud of myself I would just go out in the yard and do them just because I could! You are doing the same thing. Only problem is....you hate being on your stomach. The order of events usually goes something like this.
You roll over.
You pop your head up and look around.
You realize you are stuck.
You begin to strain and make your face bright red.
You spit up.
You cry.
I come and roll you back over.
You start all over again within 5 seconds.
There is a life lesson hidden in here, baby girl. If you keep doing what you are doing...you're going to get more of what you've got.
We'll keep trying to teach you how to roll back to your back until you get it. In the meantime, your dad and I will always be around to try to help you get "unstuck." That's true in life, too. You can count on us.
cheeks, sleeping in the swing, april 2008

The morning after your dad's birthday party, Gigi had you on the floor here in the great room playing with you. She stood you up in front of the mirror. I have done this many times with you but this time was different. You looked at yourself and a huge grin crept across your face. You were so happy to see you! You bounced and squealed and leaned in closer. This carried on for several minutes. That old familiar lump climbed the stairs to my throat as I watched you in front of the mirror. It is my hope that you will always be that thrilled with the person who stares back at you from the glass. I hope you will always be that proud and happy with yourself. When you are a teenager, you will (if you are anything like your ol' mom) stand in front of the mirror and complain whilst throwing a thousand clean, but inadequate outfits all upon the floor. You will wish you were taller or shorter or skinnier or more blonde or more brunette or more blue-eyed or more anything. I will try to remind you of your beauty (and, beware, I'll probably say something my mom told me so many times.... about how inner beauty is far more important than outer beauty.... and it will annoy you...but it is very true) I will run to an old photo album and come back to your room with this picture in my hand. It will remind you that you were once very pleased with your reflection.

hello gorgeous!, april 2008

Maybe I am being dramatic....but this next milestone aged you by years! I might have sat in the kitchen and cried if it weren't for how seriously cute you looked.
mmmmm, may 2008

You had your first taste of rice cereal at 5.5 months! And...the jury is still out...but we think you like it. You'd rather go straight for the bottle when you are really, really hungry.....but at lunchtime you willingly open the hanger that is your mouth for the little puddle-jumper airplane spoon. It's absolute cute overload when you open your mouth for a bite and then proceed to squeeze most of it out of your lips while you "chew."

After just a few days of "eating" you are really getting the hang of it. I even fed you rice cereal at the race track the other day! How is it that my tiny baby is old enough to eat semi-solids in public? Next thing I know you'll be feeding yourself!
going for a walk, may 2008

I am so glad you are mine, Isabella Grace. Each night before I go to sleep I stand beside a sleeping you and I put my hand lightly on your chest to feel it rise and fall. Our room is dimly lit by the glow of a little nightlight, yet it is enough light to see both halves of my heart sleeping soundly. You in your bed, your dad across the room in our bed. I stand there and hope that somehow, someway God knows how thankful I am. That He knows that my cup absolutely runneth over.
I love you so, so much!

PS. Not so much a milestone, but a very important bit of news, nonetheless...you got your first pair of gauchos this month. Each time I put them on you I say the very same line....
"Ewwwwwwwwww....I could eat you up for breakfast!"
I would attempt to tell you how cute you look in them but there simply aren't any words to describe it. I regret that I didn't get them in every color they had!

gauchos, may 2008
(with daddy's birthday balloons)

a day for mom

2008-05-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

Grandma 90, Mom 59, Sara 30, Isabella 3 months
4 generations of love

The only way I know how to be a mother is by having had the best one to teach me.
One who taught me by always putting my needs before her own.
One who taught me by holding me to a high standard.
One who taught me by putting notes on a heart shape in my lunch box.
One who taught me by laughing with me.
One who taught me by showing me practically the entire 50 states.
One who taught me by sitting on a curb and eating ice cream with me...with sprinkles.
One who taught me by always being there....always.
One who taught me by buying me special first day of school outfits.
One who taught me by cheering me on every chance she got...(every chance she still gets!)
One who taught me by being my mom first and my friend second.
One who taught me by crying in church. (I never understood it then. Now it's me who cries.)
One who taught me by trusting me.
One who taught me by giving so freely of herself.
One who taught me by teaching me that it is time, not money, that people need most.
One who taught me by having fun wherever she is.
One who taught me by hosting giant birthday parties for me each year wherein 10-15 loud girls piled onto the living room floor and talked on the swatch phone into the wee hours of the night.
One who taught me by always looking out for me.
One who taught me by showing me that an education was essential.
One who taught me by doing so much for others.
One who taught me loving so unconditionally.
I could literally go on for hours...but it is midnight now and since I am a momma....I must get my rest.

This mother's day...my heart goes out to this tiny angel who is the very one who made me a mother. I must give the glory first to God....for deciding that I was worthy of raising this precious soul....and then to my husband for helping to create her. Being her mother is the best and most fulfilling work I have ever endeavored to do.

Happy Mother's Day...to my mom and to my mother-in-law.....and to all the many wonderful mothers I know!

Catching up on 2 tags...

2008-05-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Minky.
maybe i should try to get to bed earlier.
i love the smell of Tommy, Isabella's head, fall air, the ocean, Italian food, my dogs, and lastly...the "new smell" be it a new car, a new house, new shoes...whatever.
people would say that i’m sarcastic. (not sure this is good)
i don’t understand why someone won't let me over when I have my blinker on.
when i wake up in the morning I always try to start by thanking God for the day.
i lost my willpower to give up soda.
life is a great blessing.
my past is part of who I am .
i get annoyed when I pick the slowest checkout line at the store. (Seems to happen every time.)
parties are so much fun. I love to entertain and I love to be entertained.
dogs...make our house a home. They are also very hard on a house.
cats .....are not my favorite animal.
tomorrow ....is a blank canvas...something to look forward to.
i have low tolerance for ...... animal cruelty, drunk driving, child abuse, and vegetables (except for corn.)
i’m totally terrified of .....sad things.
i wonder why I am a worrier.
never in my life did i .... think I would love motherhood as much as I do.
high school ..... seems so long ago.
when i’m nervous I get miserable, lightheaded, nauseous, cold.
one time I ... laughed so hard I cried.
take my advice: eat sprinkles with your ice cream.
making my bed happens less than it should.
i'm almost always thinking about some new creative project I'd like to do.
i’m addicted to bows for Ella, internet shopping, Graeters, taking photos, and lists
i want someone to clean all the floors and bathrooms in my house each week!

The rules: List as many random current items about yourself as you are old. Tag five other people by leaving them a comment on their blog.

1 My current favorite shows are 60 Minutes Dateline, 20/20, 48 Hours Mystery, The Office, and The Bachelor.
2 Speaking of the Bachelor, I really like Shayne even though I think she might be a little crazy. Her mom is who tipped me off on this. Yikes! Lips!
3 I am sad about poor Eight Belles. This sort of thing really gets to me.
4 I love iced tea.
5 I need new makeup.
6 I still have nightmares. Isn't one supposed to grow out of this sort of thing?
7 I always wear heels.
8 I love photographing people.
9 I wish I knew more about gardening.
10 Shopping for Ella is way more fun than shopping for me.
11 I love shopping, period.
12 I love vacations.
13 I love Wrigley's gum.
14 I love horse racing on a warm summer day.
15 I love outdoor seating at a restaurant (bonus points if it's on the water.)
16 I love decorating with pictures.
17 I love holding Tommy's hand.
18 I am currently completely grossed out by the many earthworms that slither into our garage. 19 Earthworms are disgusting, I think. I am not even interested in where they fit into our ecosystem.
20 I wish we recycled more. (ok...at all)
21 I have tons of ironing that I should be doing.
22 Most of the time I find the news very depressing.
23 I love sending and receiving old fashioned mail.
24 I love traditions.
25 I love happy hour with Tommy.
26 I love my daughter's smile.
27 I love quotes.
28 I would be lost without my planner. (My lists! My lists! )
29 I HATE getting gas (and it's even worse now that is costs $70+ for a full tank.
30 Friday is my favorite day of the week.

Wowza....I am old. Now, I am going to break the rules and tag people by leaving your names right here. If you think this sort of thing is a complete waste of time (which it probably is) and you don't want to do it...no problem. If you do, we'd all like to come and read your post. I tag (sorry, my blog link-er is acting wierd and I am too tired to wait for it) casey w, whit p, susan v, alison k, amy (of joel and amy), angie h, staci h, blake t, allison t, jane w, rhonda, jennifer k, erin t, jessica m, meg t, chesnye, christina m, jus or lib, and dad. Anyone else I forgot? Pick one or both of the tags and post on your blog. (Copy and paste the top one...it's easier.)

G'night.

29 on the 29th

2008-04-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to the love of my life.
I am so thankful that there is beautiful you.
You are, without a doubt, my greatest blessing.
Hope your day is the happiest.

**We celebrated with a successful surprise party on Friday night! More photos to come!**

2008-04-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

dancing with daddy, april 08

We are back from a very fun weekend in Grand Rapids where we got to meet baby Wade for the first time! I have pictures of the babies and Jack but am too scared to download one. more. thing. to my laptop! I am in the middle of proofing photographs for 4 clients and would be more than in trouble if the computer decided to give up. Once I get a few orders finished and cleared out I will post pictures of the weekend. Until then, you can sneak a peak at the newest Thompson over on their blog. We enjoyed our trip, as always! This was Isabella's first road trip and she did quite well. She only freaked out once...and that was when we were two hours from home on the way back and I totally pushed the envelope by insisting that we make a quick stop at the outlets. Outlets are never quick though...and she was way done with sitting in her carseat. She continued to cry....even after I showed her that I was, indeed, shopping for her! Uh, hel-lo! You may not cry while I am buying you cute clothes.
Anyway, glad to be back safely. We have a busy week ahead. All the way home from Michigan we concocted a rather large to do list containing all the things we've been meaning to do around here but continue to put off. We decided...no more procrastinating! We are pretending to be on a serious deadline. By Friday---everything must be completed. We knocked out two of the biggest items on the list tonight...one of which was painting the powder room ceiling. I've only been meaning to do that since we moved in!! The other item was a nursery decoration that needed to be created an hung. While we were upstairs Tommy and I mused that we have spent an awful lot of time and funds on a room that never gets used. Oh well. At least when we take her up there to get ready...things look nice. We have many more things to accomplish. It's a good time for getting things done. The weather is outstanding. We had the windows open and the radio playing while we worked tonight. Spring is lovely, really. So fresh. We officially have our flip flops out.
Speaking of flip flops.....is it tacky to paint a baby's toenails? I'm guessing you are nodding "YES" frantically at the computer screen right about now....but I thought I'd ask. I'm so tempted.