father’s day weekend 2016

Posted on June 30, 2016 by tara

We kicked off our Father’s Day weekend with an amazing dinner, cooked by a great family from church who invited us over. I’ve been dying to try this lemon pound cake, so that’s what I brought along. It was moist and lemony- definitely not a disappointment!
Michael spent Saturday morning doing what he always does since we acquired our own yard- mowing the lawn! Father’s Day didn’t get him out of this chore. Sorry, buddy.

We spent the afternoon at the pool, and after the girls had their nap, we surprised Daddy with some very small gifts. He was leaving for his trip on Saturday night, so we obviously had to celebrate a day early!

Kaya absolutely loves giving presents, and she always insists on the recipient closing his or her eyes beforehand in order to make it even more exciting. I just love this genuine joy: Both girls made him a card with a big giant fish on it.“Dear Daddy: You’re a great catch! ‘Fishing’ you a Happy Father’s Day!” It was definitely cheesy, but he loved it, and Kaya was so proud of her craftiness. We also surprised him with a new photo collage for his cubicle at work. He was in need of some updated pictures! We gave him this book to read with the girls, and our littlest bookworm snagged it immediately. We also supplied him with a few sweet treats for his flight out to Seattle. Thankfully, he isn’t opposed to sharing his stash with a couple of Swedish Fish fanatics before he had to leave town. We enjoyed a little pizza and some Wii games before we had to drop him off at the bus that would take him to the airport. On Sunday, we girls were all on our own… but church went smoothly, and we made sure to take a few silly selfies to send to Daddy.

We all wore matching coral-colored outfits. I really wish my babies could stay exactly as they are now and always think that matching with their mom is cool. 🙂

Happy Father’s Day, bestie!

baby #3: 23 weeks

Posted on June 27, 2016 by tara

Baby’s size: Just over a foot long, and she weighs about 1.25 pounds! Apparently, this is the equivalent of a chinchilla or a large mango. I kind of can’t believe she’s so big already!

Maternity clothes?: I switched to maternity pants this week… ahhhhh-mazing. I’m still wearing some regular tops, but I’m mostly going for comfort these days, so loose shirts (maternity or not) are my favorites.

Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: Just feeling my belly stretching and growing.

Sleep: Good, it just seems like I never get enough! I nap whenever I get the chance.

Movement: Her craziness continues. There’s no way I could forget she’s in there because she makes herself well-known with all the kicking and punching! Michael and Kaya have both tried to feel her move, but haven’t had any luck so far. She’ll stop kicking as soon as any hand other than mine tries to feel her.Cravings: Nothing in particular this week.

What I miss: Just running faster!

Anything making you queasy or sick?: I’ve had quite a bit of nausea this week. There aren’t any specific triggers, but I just don’t feel so great at certain times of the day. Usually I wake up and my stomach is already turning.
Belly Button in or out?: In.

Exercising?: Ran 30.8 miles, walked 2.2 miles. My longest run was 6 miles. Fitbit total steps: 103,790 steps.

Mood: This week was a little crazy with getting ready for the birthday party and hosting guests, so I was a little stressed at times, but overall, feeling good.

Best moment this week: Celebrating Kaelyn’s second birthday!

Looking forward to: Fourth of July and seeing more family!

Comparison: 23 weeks with Kaya; 23 weeks with Kaelyn. I’m thinking that my belly looks pretty much the same across all three pregnancies so far (even though I have felt a lot bigger this time around)!

five on friday (06/24)

Posted on June 24, 2016 by tara

ONE. We experienced a first this week- an entire four days away from Michael! I know that four days isn’t that long, but it’s definitely the greatest amount of time that I’ve been with the kids all on my own. He went to “DockerCon” out in Seattle for work, so he was all the way across the country! I was nervous about being alone, but we did alright. We even managed to have some fun! 😉

Of course, everyone was ecstatic to see him walking up to the front door on Wednesday afternoon when he returned.

TWO. We kicked off the first official day of summer in the best way possible- at the pool! I actually remembered to bring their sunhats and toys (two crucial elements of a good time), and they were having so much fun that they basically never wanted to leave. We picnicked and people-watched. Kaya kept watching the older kids in the big pool and saying (multiple times) “WOW! They are having SO much fun!” Haha.

THREE. This was actually last week, but we went to the coolest dinosaur activity at the library. The event was advertised as meeting “real dinosaurs”, so I knew it would probably be very fun, or very disappointing. We lucked out, because the group that put on the presentation was awesome. They had a guy in a huge, realistic-looking raptor costume, baby dinosaurs hatching from eggs that the kids could pet, and then these animatronic triceratops that the kids could ride if they read a story out loud. Kaelyn kept saying “ROAR!” all throughout the activity, and Kaya was eager to kiss and pet every dinosaur she got close to. I love how magical these simple events are for them.

FOUR. “Take our picture!!!” was Kaya’s request just before I snapped this. They were pretending that Kaelyn was a baby named “Baby Gaga” (not to be confused with a certain celebrity) and were playing so sweetly together. I love these cute sisters.

FIVE. We did it- we picked a paint color for the family room! I guess I’m going to keep everyone in suspense and wait until it’s finished to reveal it- hopefully next week sometime! I’m so excited to work on our house to improve it and truly make it our own.

Happy Friday!!!

Linking up here!

poolside

Posted on June 23, 2016 by tara

We spent early Saturday afternoon at the pool! It was our first visit of this summer season, and I have to admit, I think I was just as excited as the kids were about finally going swimming.

I didn’t think we’d get a chance to go to this pool again (because we had already moved), but our old apartment is still vacant- which means that we are still paying rent up through the end of July, when our lease officially ends (unless we or the complex owners find someone who wants it before then). Anyway, this means that we still have access to community amenities- including the pools! Might as well enjoy it while we can! 🙂
This is one of my favorite places to be with my kids. As a child, my own summer days were spent at the lake or the pool, swimming with my brother until we were too tired to swim anymore. I love doing this with my own babies now.
Kaelyn enjoyed some splashing, but mostly just wanted to sit at the edge and kick her feet in the water. I cherish these afternoons spent as a whole family… and these girls sure do appreciate some quality time with their daddy.Michael found a rubber ducky in the pool drain, and Kaelyn was over the moon with joy, since rubber ducks are one of her favorite things right now. I packed up a lunch for everyone, so we enjoyed a poolside picnic after swimming. Grapes, cucumbers, yogurt, salad, sandwiches, and Goldfish crackers- it was quite a smorgasbord!The girls were exhausted at the end of our outing, so we all enjoyed a peaceful nap afterward. These are the best summer days.

up on blueberry hill

Posted on June 22, 2016 by tara

Last week, on the most humid day of the year thus far, we headed up to the local blueberry patch. I’ve been looking forward to this activity for a couple of months now, and I was so excited that the fruit was finally ripe and ready for picking. Each of our girls carried their own bucket and received instructions from the farm owner on how to gently pull blueberries from the bushes. The berries were sweet and juicy, so there was a lot of taste-testing straight from the bush. The lighting up on this hill during the golden hour was pretty much a photographer’s dream. It was a little slice of heaven on earth, so I took as many pictures as my kids would allow. I love their berry-tasting faces. Picking berries was serious business for Kaelyn… although she mostly ended up with tiny green ones in her bucket. She gets credit for all of her time and effort.When she wasn’t pulling green ones off the bush, she was doing this…
I love those little cheeks. Michael probably picked most of our gallon-sized haul on his own… obviously, since I was too busy taking pictures, and Kaelyn was too busy snacking on fruit. Kaya probably filled one quarter of her bucket, which I think is impressive for a 3-year old. She was definitely focused on her job.Kitty had to come with us, and ended up riding along in Daddy’s pocket. _MG_3115 I love this sweet, spunky little girl. Watching my family find joy in something so simple fills my heart to the brim. These little moments are the ones that will stay with me forever. Seriously… how adorable are they?Don’t worry, there’s an equal amount of crazy to go with that adorableness…
Summertime and these simple outings are some of my favorites.

when friends move away

Posted on June 20, 2016 by tara

Families move in and out of our town constantly. It’s a social norm here to expect to know someone for only a few years, and then watch them head off toward new horizons.

Just because I’ve said so many goodbyes doesn’t mean it gets any easier with each friend who moves away. We knew that our good friends, Katherine, Matt, Mia, and Luke would be leaving as soon as they finished medical school, and the day finally came a few weeks ago. I tried hard not to think about it in the preceding weeks, but in the end, my tears inevitably came pouring down. I really don’t think that I’ll ever not cry in this kind of situation.

These little girls started it all– the group of mothers who were brought together by our babies, so close in age, looking for companionship and the kind of support that only other new moms can give. When they were tiny, we would call them “best friends”, but I never could have imagined how truly sweet and caring their relationship would become.

We were able to spend one last hour at their house before they left. The girls had just as much fun as ever, and of course, we had to take a few photos. It’s amazing to see how much our babies have grown! If that wasn’t enough cuteness for you, Google Photos automatically made a GIF! We attempted to use my selfie stick for a group shot… and ended up with some pretty hilarious ones. I’m so grateful for all the fun memories we’ve shared. Thankfully, they moved within driving distance, so hopefully we can visit sometime in the near future! 🙂

baby #3: 22 weeks

Posted on June 18, 2016 by tara

Baby’s size: About one foot long and almost one whole pound! Apparently, her facial features are done forming, and she looks like a miniature version of the baby we’ll meet in four months!
Maternity clothes?: I wore a few more maternity tops this week because they are typically much more comfortable than regular clothes… so why not? I can’t believe that some of these shirts fit me right up until the end of my last pregnancy… my belly already feels humongous at times, and I’m worried I’m going to outgrow everything! My shorts still fit but are a little tight when they’re fresh out of the dryer… maternity bottoms coming soon, I think.
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Symptoms: Nothing major… sometimes my belly feels a little sore, but I suppose it’s just growing pains!
Sleep: I’m getting good rest when I’m actually sleeping…
Movement: Her craziness continues! My pregnancy app says she’s asleep for 12-14 hours of the day… well, I don’t have a clue when this girl gets any rest, because she’s already moving when I wake up in the morning, she has dance parties throughout the day, and she’s always kicking again right before I fall asleep. I cannot wait to meet this wild kid!
Cravings: Cookies, milk, and pizza.
What I miss: Running faster! I am getting slower and slower by the week.
Anything making you queasy or sick?: I’ve been waking up nauseous, and then feeling sickish again around dinner time… For the most part, my appetite has been down and many dinnertime foods don’t sound appetizing to me. I feel like it’s so weird for me to feel this way again when I’m already so far along.
Belly Button in or out?: In.
Exercising?: 24.9 miles of running; 8.5 miles of walking. My longest run was 6.5 miles, and my Fitbit total step count was 103,071.
Mood: I cried reading the news this week… but there have been some very sad stories.
Best moment this week: Going to the pool for the first time this summer!
Looking forward to: Kaelyn’s birthday party next weekend!
Comparison: 22 weeks with Kaya; 22 weeks with Kaelyn

they make each other laugh

Posted on June 16, 2016 by tara

I took all these photos near the end of April (before we moved), but just never had the chance to post them until now.

These two girls do just about everything together, all day, every day, and I love seeing the growing bond they share. Kaya teaches Kaelyn everything she knows.

They love to snuggle (most of the time…)… and are the absolute goofiest when they’re together.Sometimes, they don’t always want to share…
_MG_1239

… but at the end of the day, they each make each other laugh the hardest.I never knew how full my heart would be from watching our two little girls together. I can’t wait to see how much happiness our third princess adds to their dynamic.

weekend

Posted on June 13, 2016 by tara

The weather on Friday evening was perfectly cool, so we started our weekend off with some outdoor playtime and daddy-daughter snuggles in the hammock. Sometimes, you smile so big that you just can’t keep your eyes open…Of course, they had to do a silly pose for me, too.
Saturday morning was the hottest we’ve seen of this season so far. I got in a 6.5-mile run, and Michael went out to work in the yard and also help a new family at church with moving. While he was out, Kaya pleaded with me to “do preschool”, so yes, we did some “math” on a Saturday. We played this game and she loved it!

On Saturday night, Michael was the pianist for a baptism, and then we had a family date to Red Robin. Kaya was so excited and kept exclaiming “family date! family date!” all while we were out. I’m so glad she loves spending time together.

We ran some errands at Walmart, Home Depot, and Target, and I picked up some paint chip samples to take home. I really wish we would have gotten some actual sample paint to test out on the walls… but it was already late and we still had a couple of stops to make, so hopefully we can take care of that one night this week.

Sunday morning came too early for all of us. In fact, I randomly woke up at 5:45 to find Michael still asleep next to me, when he was supposed to be ready to head to bishopric meetings at 6 am. Luckily, he’s quick to get ready, so he was still on time.We miraculously arrived at church about 5 minutes earlier than we usually do! I gave a talk in sacrament meeting on “the importance of a living prophet”. I was very nervous and basically just ended up reading from my notes, but I received some positive comments afterward, so it must not have been all that bad! 😉

Kaya drew this picture in her sunbeam class! I have been so impressed to see how her art has evolved from just circles and random scribbles into recognizable forms. We ended the weekend with lots of book-reading and even more snuggles. This little princess is becoming a real daddy’s girl.

baby #3: 21 weeks

Posted on June 11, 2016 by tara

Baby’s size: 10.5 inches long and almost 3/4 of a pound! Apparently, the same size as a baseball cap.
Maternity clothes?: I did wear one of my smaller maternity shirts this week, just to see how it fit. It wasn’t ridiculously large, but I still have some room to grow into it. I’m still wearing my non-maternity shorts, but my belly is getting big enough that if I’m not paying attention, my shorts are sliding down and my shirt is riding up…
Gender: Our third little princess!
Symptoms: Nothing really, but I’m still nursing Kaelyn, and that is starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
Sleep: Sleep has been sporadic this week… partly because Michael has been up late working on a project, and I try to wait up with him, and partly just because I seem to keep having nightmares about her coming too early.
Movement: It’s official- this baby is CRAZY! She seriously spends most of the day kickboxing in there. I can clearly feel fists and feet flailing and have already seen my belly shaking from the outside. Also, I finally felt her kick my hand on the outside!
Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies, Nutella, donuts.
What I miss: Not necessarily pregnancy-related, but with 90-degree temperatures, I’m missing having pool access in our old neighborhood.
Anything making you queasy or sick?: I’ve had a few nauseous moments this weak, but nothing debilitating.
Belly Button in or out?: In.
Exercising?: Ran 24.2 miles, walked 4.1 miles with the kids. Fitbit step total: 92,170. I’m really feeling great, without any sort of hip pain so far, so I’ve been taking advantage of this absolutely perfect weather. My pace isn’t fast, but I’m getting it done, and that is good enough for me right now.Mood: I’m really falling more and more in love with this little girl with every little wiggle and kick that she makes. It has been a very busy week though, so honestly, my stress level has been up, and I know it won’t go down until I get things checked off of my to-do list.
Best moment this week: Hearing that my friend Brittany had her baby girl! I only wish they still lived closer!
Looking forward to: I’m really excited (and almost feeling impatient) to meet our little girl now that Brittany had her baby. I just want her to be here already so I can cuddle and kiss her!
Big sisters: Kaya wanted to get in a picture with me this week! She loves the baby, tells her she’s “so cute”, and kisses my belly. I asked Kaelyn if there is a baby in mommy’s tummy this week, and she clearly said “no”! Haha. I think she’s in for a surprise in a few months.Comparison: 21 weeks with Kaya; 21 weeks with Kaelyn

Michael and Tara

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Monthly Archives: June 2016