mother’s day 2014

I know I’m a little late posting about Mother’s Day, but we were out of town spending a fabulous week at the beach, so I’m going to catch-up a little now 🙂

This Mother’s Day was the best yet. I got extra hugs, kisses, and compliments, and just felt a little extra-loved all day long. Kaya didn’t want to take a picture with me, but that’s pretty typical these days.
05112014collage1 I actually woke up before Michael (which is typical), had breakfast, and started getting ready for the day when he drowsily told me that he had hidden away donuts as a breakfast surprise! Luckily, there’s no law against eating donuts for lunch 🙂Processed with VSCOcam with a5 preset

Michael was super sweet and gave me a little at-home pedicure. He actually did a really great job- my toes looked so pretty for our beach trip!

I even got to take a nap, which is something I definitely cherish these days. I’m not sure I’m going to get any sleep at all in just a few weeks when our new little girl gets here! It’s so crazy to think that next Mother’s Day, I’ll be trying to hold two girls in my arms for a picture (although I’m sure Kaya will be running away from the camera by then…)

blog every day in may | day 18: my dream job

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If you’ve been reading my blog for even two seconds, you’ve probably figured out that I’m already doing my dream “job”- being a mom! I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with my babies, teach them, and care for them the way that only a mother can.

However, for the sake of this post, if I had to have a job outside of the home, I’d love to be…

A professional photographer.

I’ve always had an interest in photography (and I actually do have my town business license to cover any money I make over the year, even if it isn’t much). For now, though, I’ve decided to just keep it a hobby. I do shoots for friends and family when they ask, but otherwise, I haven’t currently been trying to build my business. My number one focus is on being the best mom I can be.

Maybe when my kids are older (and I have a little more time… right), I’ll grow my business and be paid to photograph the wonderful moments in other peoples’ lives.

But for now, I’m just enjoying capturing our own little moments.

baby #2: 33 weeks

(written May 17th)_MG_2633Baby’s size: Supposedly about 19.5 inches long and 4.5 pounds. Our ultrasound results put her in the 29th percentile for growth. She’s just a little girl!
Maternity clothes?: Yep. Either maternity or bigger sizes than I’d usually wear.
Gender: Princess 🙂
Symptoms: Honestly, I am feeling pretty great for being 33 weeks pregnant. I remember that starting around 32 weeks or so last time, I definitely had moments where I just wanted to be done. Now, I sometimes I even forget I’m pregnant, so I’d say that’s a pretty good indication that I’m mostly still comfortable.
Sleep: I’ve had so many bad dreams lately it’s not even funny (but when are nightmares funny, anyway?)! The dreams aren’t even baby-related.
Movement: All the time, and some of it is getting uncomfortable! I still love feeling her though.
Cravings: Ice cream still wins!
What I miss: Nada.
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Nauseous sometimes.
Belly Button in or out?: It is looking pretty weird these days. Not quite in, not quite flat. Kaya thinks it’s hilarious whenever she gets a glimpse of it.
Exercising?: Ran 20 miles and walked 6.
Mood: Excited… but definitely feeling the time crunch.
Best moment this week: Vacationing at the beach with my family 🙂
Comparison:
33 weeks with Kaya! (also, I try not to read my weekly post from last pregnancy until I write the post for this one, but this week, they are eerily similar! Weird.)33weekcomparison

blog every day in may | day 17: road trip essentials

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There are some things I just can’t go on a trip without!

For in the car on the way…

1. Music. It can get me through hours in the car. I’m usually constantly changing radio stations or CDs and that’s entertainment in itself.

2. Snacks/a lunch. I like to drive straight to wherever we’re going rather than stopping to eat. I’m also pretty frugal and just feel healthier overall when we bring a meal with us.

And for at our destination…

3. My camera. I don’t think I’ve ever gone on a trip without it!

4. My own blanket. I have a fleece blanket I always use, and if I don’t have it, sleep quality isn’t half as good. During pregnancy I also need my body pillow!

5. My vitamins. I’m a stickler when it comes to taking them every day, and any time I’ve forgotten them, it kind of nags at my conscience a little.

blog every day in may | day 16: things that make me uncomfortable

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1. Calling people on the phone. This probably categorizes me as an introvert… but it’s faaar out of my comfort zone. I never answer calls from phone numbers I don’t know (I figure if it’s important, they’ll leave a voicemail). If I need to make a call, I usually somehow try to convince Michael to do it for me. Sad but true.

2. Getting my picture taken. I’m definitely the girl who likes to be behind the lens the majority of the time. Now that we have our own little family, though, I’ve tried harder and actually want to be in more pictures.

3. Making small talk with strangers. Now that I have a cute kid out and about with me all the time, even more people try to start conversations with me. I’m actually a little shy so I’m never sure what to say!

blog every day in may | day 15: my dream house

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We’re currently still renting, and I know that the first house we buy probably won’t be our perfect “dream house”, but I’m still so excited for that day, because it’ll be ours. Still, though, it doesn’t hurt to imagine what I’d like in a dream home!

1. A big, fenced-in yard. It’d be so nice to just let my kids (Jax included) run freely outside without worrying about cars.

2. A cozy porch. Sitting around outside with family on summer nights (maybe even making s’mores over the grill) is definitely where I want to be! This porch looks perfect to me:


3. A big kitchen with a breakfast nook. I want to be able to prepare meals while my kids sit nearby and eat breakfast, tell me about their day, or do homework.



4. A play room/craft room. I want a place where we can play and create things without worrying about the mess we make.

5. Extra land for a little barn at the back of the house (and horses in it, too, of course). I’d still love to have a horse of my own someday. It’d be so great to just walk out the back door and be able to get my horse time in. I’m also sure that our kids would love it as much as I would.

Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 14: my favorite way to wake up

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On most days, my alarm goes off early so that I can get my run done before Michael heads off to work. I love being awake and out before most of the world is. I run into the sunrise and enjoy the birds’ morning melodies.

Running in the morning is definitely one of my favorite things, but I also cherish the mornings when there’s no rush to get out of bed. Kaya comes into our room with sleepy eyes and bed head, so willing to cuddle for a few minutes. That first good-morning hug is something I anticipate almost from the moment she goes to bed at night.

Lately, I often wake up feeling Peanut’s wiggles in my belly. In the quiet of the morning, I love knowing she’s there and doing well.

Soon I’ll be snuggling my two princesses every morning 🙂

Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 13: three things on an island

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When I read the topic for today’s post (“if you could have three things on an island with you, what would they be?”), I knew there were so many different directions I could go with it. Should it be three items that would help me survive? Three objects I just can’t go a day without using? Some other assortment of three?

I guess I somewhat combined all that logic and came up with these three items:

1. My scriptures. I read them every day and definitely notice a difference in how my day goes when I devote time to studying them. If I was on an island with nearly nothing, I’d need some spiritual strength for sure!

2. A pot to cook things in (over a fire, but then I might also need matches to get it started…). That is, if I was skilled enough to hunt anything down or forage for edible foliage. Cooked food is way better than raw!

3. My camera, so I could document everything someone stranded on an island does and blog about it later, of course!

Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 12: summer wish list

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I’ve always looked forward to summertime. When I was a kid, it was a break from school and a chance to go swimming just about every day. Kaya loves playing outside and going to the pool too, so it’s a lot like reliving childhood for me.

Hopefully, this summer we’ll get to…

visit the beach
go out for ice cream
swim at the pool
go camping
cook out with friends
make s’mores
watch fireworks
go berry picking
take evening walks
oh yeah… and have a baby!

blog every day in may | day 11: dear 5-year-old me

Dear Five-Year-Old Me,

Being 5 is pretty great, isn’t it? You’re in preschool, and you just became a big sister. I’m not sure if anyone was as excited as you were to meet your baby brother.

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You’re your mom’s special “little helper” now that your brother is here. You love to feed him bottles and don’t even mind helping with diaper changes.

One day, though, you’ll start to think that you don’t want to be a mother yourself when you grow up. Having a career seems so much more important. Don’t devalue your education, but also don’t allow it overtake every aspect of your future. There is so much more to life than just getting good grades and big paychecks.

Even after you get married, you’ll start to wonder if you were really meant to be a mom. Hang on to those memories and feelings you had when you’d help out with your baby brother. Your loving attitude and ability to nurture make it obvious that this is what you were born to do; it just won’t always seem so evident to you.

Nineteen years from now, you’ll have your very own little girl. The love you’ll feel for her will be incredible. You’ll finally have an idea of what your own parents feel for you. On a small scale, you’ll better understand how much your Heavenly Father truly loves you.

Stay true to yourself. You can do anything you commit your heart to.