five on friday (07/03)

Posted on July 3, 2020 by tara

Happy Friday! We’ve been enjoying our long weekend by balancing some house projects with having fun. There has been a lot going on here lately, with milestones, birthdays (last week and next week), and resuming our schoolwork already. Here are some of our favorite things lately!

ONE. Kaelyn lost her very first tooth this week! We noticed it was very loose the night before her birthday, and then it came out three days later! She was reading a book and it just popped right out. We never found it, and she said maybe she swallowed it. Oops.The tooth fairy still came and brought her a dollar!TWO. Kaya met a big milestone this week, too- she learned to ride her bike without training wheels! It was really no big deal for her. Daddy took her pedals off a few weeks ago to get her used to balancing it on her own, and when he put them back on this week, she zoomed away without any trouble. She loves riding her bike even more now. THREE. Nella needs her little tricycle fixed, but she’s been having fun driving her puppies around in the toy car. She was looking so cute that I just had to take a few pictures. Look at her toes peeking out underneath! And she was wearing her Elmo shirt, of course. THREE. We took about a month off of school, and it was so much fun to see what activities the girls came up with for themselves during the break. There was A LOT of art, crafting, playing outside, and Calico Critter town-building.

I just love seeing them be so creative.
Eve’s version of watercolor painting is literally just painting with water. I gave her her own paints, but this is just how she preferred to do it. Paint until the paper falls apart! I showed Kaya and Kaelyn how they could use crayons to draw and then paint watercolors over it. They had some fun! Nella asked me to paint some fishies with her. I love when she asks to do things together. FOUR. What’s better than puppy snuggles in a hammock? Probably not much!

Our poor Scout has been having some extra vet visits and treatment for what could be early kidney disease. We did some subcutaneous fluids at home with her, and she goes back for bloodwork in a couple weeks. Hopefully, the levels that were elevated will come down. We sure love our puppy. FIVE. I painted everyone’s toes for the first time in a very long time. It was actually a first for Evie! She loved it so much. There’s just something extra sweet about chubby little toddler toes with sparkly colors on them. So many toes! I love these little things with my girls.

Happy weekend!

five on friday (06/07)

Posted on June 7, 2019 by tara

Happy Friday!!! I’ve just managed to squeeze this post in before the day is through!

ONE. We had our church “carnival night” a couple of weeks ago, and the girls had the best time ever. I loved seeing their happy faces the whole evening. Who wouldn’t be excited about snow cones, popcorn, and a water relay race?Treats galore!Kaya and Kaelyn helped color the sign for the snow cone stand before it started. They are such great helpers!TWO. We’ve been attempting to work out in the yard a little more now that the weather’s been nice. I showed these girls how to pull weeds, and to my surprise, they thought it was so much fun. I’m hoping this is an activity they’ll love for a long time to come!Apparently, pulling weeds can turn you into a monster!At least this monster has a very cute smile.We also started some seeds in containers! I know we’re a little late for this season-wise, but we started the lima beans indoors as part of our plant unit for school. Since I knew I had some leftover seeds from when we attempted to grow a real garden two years ago, we figured we’d plant them and see what happens. From left to right: cucumber, two beans, and two tomatoes. They are growing just a little and I have hope for these tiny plants.Kaya loves her beans and takes care of them diligently every day.As does Kaelyn!THREE. Baby Eve had a big milestone this week… her first-ever pony tail!!! It’s the tiniest thing ever, but it just made my heart so happy all day long.Those eyes!To take pictures, I have to distract her with random objects, like my lens cap. FOUR. Kaya and Kaelyn are still working hard at swim lessons, and this week, I finally got them some goggles that actually work properly. They have been wearing these around nonstop and playing “swim lesson” all day long!Nella borrows them sometimes and gets in on it, too!FIVE. Freyja and Claire were having some skin problems a couple months ago, but after a vet visit and a few rounds of meds, they are looking (and feeling) like their old amazing selves! We’ve been really enjoying seeing them so happy. Nella loves to prepare veggies for them. She also calls them the “Whee Whees!” since they make a “wheek wheek” sound when they’re hungry. Carrots for everyone!I can’t believe these piggies are almost 4 years old already!

Happy weekend!

eve’s first food

Posted on April 23, 2019 by tara

Eve had her first taste of solid food a few weeks ago! I had to dedicate a post just to this, because there are so many funny and adorable faces that I can’t narrow down the photos.

CHEEKS! She had no idea what was coming!
Her first food was Gerber vanilla custard. I thought maybe she’d like it if we started with something sweet. It was also nice and thick, so it was easy to spoon right in!Of course, she mostly just spit it all out. I’m not sure she swallowed anything for at least the first week of trying food.Cutest little sour face!Because we’re so ambitious, she also tried Cheerios and spaghetti later that same day. She still spit it all out, but she definitely enjoyed the experience of grabbing food and tasting it. Those dimpled little fingers!

five on friday (12/28)

Posted on December 28, 2018 by tara

Happy Friday!!! The very LAST one of the year! I can’t even believe that another 365 days have come and gone, but here we are. I’m happy to sneak in one last “Five on Friday” before we ring in 2019!

ONE. We’ve had a lot going on over here lately… but our biggest adventure was taking a trip to SPAIN at the beginning of December! I have a whole lot to share about our travels, but for now, I’ll just leave this photo of one of my very favorite places on the Costa Brava! It was so refreshing to leave home and do something completely new, although I definitely missed my kids (minus Eve, who was lucky enough to tag along). TWO. After we got home from our trip, I was ready to do all the Christmas things, since we had already missed about half of the pre-holiday festivities. We baked and delivered cookies, watched several Christmas movies (which is definitely a good activity when you’re dealing with jet lag), and went out looking at Christmas lights. I missed these munchkins so much, so I was extra grateful for the special time we’ve had together. I can’t believe Christmas Day has already come and gone, but we’re still looking forward to some family time between now and the New Year.THREE. Grandma Gina and Grandpa Skip came up to visit for a couple of days this week! The girls enjoyed snuggling, watching Shaun the Sheep (as they always do with Grandpa), and showing off their Christmas presents. (Also, 3 out of 4 kid smiles is as good as we could get with this picture… Nella has a 1-minute tolerance level for picture-taking these days!)We also enjoyed some Sweet Frog! This might be the girls’ favorite place ever. Even Nella knows what the sign looks like now. She gets excited before we even go in!FOUR. Oh, these sisters. They’re always playing “babies”, and I just think it’s the funniest thing when they pretend to be pregnant and walk around with these fake baby bumps. My mama heart just loves these pictures, and I hope that one day, in 20 years or so, they can recreate this for me for REAL! Besties.FIVE. Nella. She’s as crazy as ever, but this flaxen-haired beauty got her first haircut a couple weeks ago!Because she’s so energetic and doesn’t want to sit still for a photo, the best picture I could get of her new ‘do was when she was lying down. It was so hard for me to cut it (I was obsessed with her absolutely wild curls), but she was eating her hair and having some digestive troubles, so it had to be done. Her tummy seems to be a lot better, and we think her hair-eating habit is broken. Don’t worry, her new hair can be completely unruly, too!SIX. Just because there needs to be a little more Evie in this post… 😉

Happy Friday!!!

eve’s first day

Posted on September 13, 2018 by tara

Evie is 9 weeks old, and I’m still catching up over here. In a way, though, it’s felt extra special to go through my photos now and be able to relive those sacred first moments we spent together (and also be surprised by some of the shots I’d forgotten I took).
The atmosphere of the hospital room changes drastically in just moments. Intensity, and sometimes chaos, right before the birth, and the greatest feeling of peace and calm in the moments following. I looked forward to and truly cherished the sweet serenity and rest that followed Eve’s delivery.Eve nursed almost immediately after she was born, for a whole hour. I was feeling really grateful that she was born in the morning, at a time when the hospital was still serving breakfast, since we were famished. We ate while she ate! Afterward, she was very sleepy and enjoyed some rest. Flexible little feet! It’s so crazy to think that these little heels were poking me in the ribs just hours before this.I was still feeling very excited from the birth, so it was hard for me to sleep, but I tried to let Michael nap as long as possible. He was such amazing support for me throughout the entire night, so he definitely deserved this. Baby snuggles after waking up. After we rested and washed up, Grandma Gina brought our three princesses to meet the fourth! They came in smiling, with balloons and cards as gifts for their new little sister.This was the moment they had waited for for what seemed like so long.
Kaelyn always talked about Eve arriving right after her 4th birthday, just like Nella had arrived right after Kaya’s 4th birthday. With Eve’s birth being the only one Kaelyn remembers, it was almost as if meeting Eve was a special belated gift for her.Nella was very unsure of everything that day. She was having some tummy troubles and wasn’t really interested in Eve at all. We’re so thankful for Grandma and everything she did for us while she stayed.Evie found her thumb right away! She always had her hands up by her face at our ultrasounds, so this was no surprise.I wanted a picture with all of my girls, but Nella just didn’t want to. Oh well.She did get some Daddy cuddles before they all headed home, though. Kaya cried when they left and truly didn’t want to go. Kaelyn just told me over and over how much she missed us.After they left, Eve was able to have her first bath (there’s a new rule at our birth center that prohibits bathing for the first 8 hours after birth). She was not a fan!She did like getting her hair washed, though. We all tried to get some sleep that night, although Eve was a little more interested in nursing every hour instead of sleeping. Finally, around 2 am, we asked Nurse Julie if Eve could go to the nursery for a little while so we could try to rest. I felt a little guilty at the time, because we’d never sent any of our babies to the nursery before. We ended up sleeping until about 6:15 am, though, which we very much needed, so it turned out to be good for everyone.We woke up to these beautiful, shining eyes, hoping we’d be able to go home that same day.I can’t get enough of these baby toes.Seriously.It was a busy morning while we saw the pediatrician, my OB, and the hearing test administrator. She passed all her blood tests and weight check, so we were cleared to leave when she was just 27 hours old.Daddy buckled her in!No one ever likes the car seat.It’s always so bittersweet to leave. Of course, we’re happy to go home, be with our kids, and rest in our own familiar space, but this is the place where we overcame the challenges of birth, felt some of the most intense physical pain, and also experienced our greatest joy. This little room is a special place for me.One of the nurses walked us out, and we loaded Evie into the car. She slept through her entire first ride.It was a Sunday morning, so we arrived home to an empty house.We couldn’t wait to surprise the girls when they got out of church! They ran to us as soon as they saw that we were home, and then, of course, there were some disputes as to who got to hold the baby.And so began life as a family of SIX!!!

nella’s first day

Posted on November 9, 2016 by tara

I know this was basically forever ago (5 whole weeks already!), but Nella’s first day of life was so special, and I have so many photos that bring back all the beautiful memories and emotions of that day. I finally got to go through them all, and I would be remiss not to include them in our family’s history here.

Besides, it’s hard not to take a million pictures when you have a model who’s so willing. 😉 There’s always such a special feeling in the hospital room when we welcome a new baby into our family. It’s a sacred sense of peace and love that I will never forget. Kaya and Kaelyn were ecstatic to finally meet their new baby sister. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was definitely the very best day of their lives.They truly never wanted to let her go.Kaelyn loves to point out all the parts of Nella’s face.My little girl seamlessly transitioned into her role as a big sister. I just know she’ll always be there for Nella- as a protector, a best friend, and a role model.Nella didn’t have her first sponge bath until much later that night. She wasn’t a big fan! She did calm down once the nurse swaddled her up and washed her hair in warm water from the faucet.
We girls all had a monopoly on holding the baby for most of the day, so I made sure Daddy had his own turn later. She already loves him so much.
The next morning, my girls came back for another visit. They were so happy to see both me and the baby, and Kaya kept hugging me and saying how much she missed me. This picture is most definitely one of my favorites of all time. Kaya had gone to the pediatrician earlier that morning for her four-year well visit. She was nervous about the four vaccinations she had to receive, so we promised her that afterward, Daddy would take her to the dollar store to pick out a reward. She chose a pink bear for herself, and also requested to bring a matching one to Nella. I love her generous and thoughtful heart.

Nella had her first stuffed animal before she was even one day old! The doctor came in later that afternoon and asked us how we were doing and if we wanted to go home. We were somewhat surprised that we didn’t need to stay longer, but of course, we were eager to get home to be with our big girls and sleep in our own bed. We loaded Nella up in the van and were back at home by the time she was 28 hours old! Of course, she had a few people very excited to see her once we arrived. Kaelyn was the first to hold her at home.Those first few days are beyond busy and exciting, and I’m so grateful I got to experience them with my amazing little family.

five on friday (09/25)

Posted on September 25, 2015 by tara

We’ve been spending most of our week playing outside (in drizzle or sunshine), so I just have a bunch of phone pictures for you this week. They might not seem very momentous to anyone, but being outdoors with my kids is my definition of happiness, so these are some of my favorites.

ONE. This is the first year that Kaya has been so aware of the change in seasons. She was fascinated that so many leaves are now on the ground instead of on the trees! She might have carried this one all the way home to show Daddy.
TWO. I feel like this photo perfectly sums up their sisterhood: the little sister looks to the big one for guidance and direction, and the big sister tenderly takes her by the hand and makes sure she’s safe. All while pretending to nurse Kitty, because he was hungry of course. Haha.

THREE. My dad restored this old tricycle to give to all his grandchildren, and since Kaya is the oldest grandkid, she obviously has first dibs. She had her very first ride on it this week and absolutely loved it. We didn’t think she’d make it very far, so she truly surprised us when she pedaled for about 1.5 miles. My kid is hardcore.

FOUR. I have the cutest baby ever… and I just can’t get over how adorable she looks with these little neon sneakers that I picked up for $3.50. Her shirt says #toocute and I think it’s spot-on accurate. 🙂

FIVE. Because we all know how obsessed I am with these Google video compilations… and you know you want to see three crazy girls go down the slide all at once…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GShC55ZkXI4

Happy weekend everyone!

kaelyn’s first food

Posted on March 18, 2015 by tara

Kaelyn finally had her first taste of solid food! I waited until 8.5 months to even make an attempt- partly because that was the age when Kaya’s gag reflex stopped being so strong, and partly just because I love exclusively nursing (and it’s so easy)!

Someone was pretty excited to be sitting in the big-girl chair!
I gave her a little strawberry yogurt. She figured out the process of opening her mouth for me to put the spoon in pretty quickly… but I think she still ended up spitting almost all of it out. She also made some adorably hilarious faces (and a big mess, despite the bib)! _MG_6731 I gave her some Cheerios afterward, but as soon as one was barely in her mouth, her gag reflex kicked in. I guess it just takes my babies a while to get past it!

kaya’s first haircut

Posted on February 18, 2015 by tara

Kaya’s hair has been so unruly lately… and because it’s curly/wavy/frizzy, it’s been so hard to tame. Yesterday, I decided it was finally time to even out the back a little bit.

She was super cooperative while I took a few “before” photos…
And she sat so very still the entire time. When I was cutting close to her skin, I told her “freeze!”, and she did.I’d love to let her hair grow out, but for now, we’re just waiting for the top pieces to catch up to the bottom.
Bye-bye, mullet! kayafirsthaircut02172015 - Copy Kaya really enjoyed the entire process. She turned into a puppy once we were finished! Who knew that grooming a little girl would transform her into a canine? Haha.
Love this sillyhead so much.

five on friday! 10/3

Posted on October 3, 2014 by tara

ONE. My normally super-happy baby had a really rough day on Monday. I think it was due to some gas pain, and she just wanted to cry until she’d fall asleep in my arms. The weather was perfect for a walk, and some fresh Fall air did the trick- everyone was happy after a little time outside! I loved seeing all the golden leaves scattered across the playground, and Kaya was excited as soon as she spotted the slide. This was our hangout spot nearly every warm day this year before Kaelyn was born, and it felt so good to go back.

TWO. Kaya got this watercolor activity book for her birthday… and she has played with it every single day. I have to admit… I almost wish these existed when I was a kid! It’s also great to bring along for entertainment at church since it’s mess-free.

THREE. This happy little girl had her first ride in the exersaucer this week! We started putting Kaya in it at this age (propped up with blankets of course), and although Kaelyn still seems so tiny, I wanted to try it. She obviously couldn’t jump in it, but she loved being able to sit up and even reached out to touch some of the toys!FOUR. This weekend, I’ll be watching our church’s General Conference broadcast! You can watch it from anywhere and it’s completely free. It’s so uplifting and energizing, so if you want to see what it’s all about, you can view it here!

FIVE. My tiny baby has become a big chatterbox. She has so much to say and does it so excitedly! As you can see, she’s also pretty serious about whatever she’s telling me.Happy weekend!!!

Linking up with Natasha, April, Christina, and Darci today!

Michael and Tara

It's Us!

Category Archives: firsts