I try to get into pictures with Kaya sometimes, so that when she’s all grown up she can see us together (and know that her mama really was there, and not always the one taking the pictures…)
I felt like playing with my $3 camera remote (I finally got a new battery for it), so here we are! (Yes, she’s eating Cheesits. No, of course I don’t bribe my baby…)
Jax is still practicing his photo-bombing.
He loves to take the craziest pictures of himself. Seriously, this is what happens when I leave him with the camera for .02 seconds. (Even when I’m taking the photo, he still makes an insanely goofy face…)
He’s disgusted by olives. Someone served him a Greek salad while he was on his church mission (which meant that he had to eat it to be polite) that had tons of olives with olive dressing. He doesn’t even like to look at them now.
He’s not a runner, but it’s not by choice. His legs start to hurt so easily because he did too much running in a short period of time when training for high school wrestling and injured himself…
…which is why he’s a cyclist. He’s completed a 65-mile and a 100-mile “Tour de Cure” and I’m so proud of him.
He has this amazing ability to care for others. I’ve never seen anyone understand people and their needs the same way Michael does. He can discern what’s in a person’s heart, and then he perfectly consoles them, even when there are extreme emotions involved.
He’s a software developer, which means he spends a lot of time on the computer… but he has created some amazing websites and apps! He is so fortunate to love his work as much as he does.
He doesn’t do anything halfway. When Michael commits to something (whether it’s a project or even our marriage), he gives it his full effort and whole heart.
He’s the best daddy in the whole world. At least, that’s what Birdy and I would say. And we’re the only two who get a vote on that, so it’s definitely true.
Love you, Buddy! 🙂
Linking up with Becky today!
Happy Friday! Here are five awesome tidbits from life lately:
ONE.
Kaya’s smile is so contagious. We’re a couple of grinning fools together and I love it. She was so happy just because I tucked her into the car seat with her blanket.
TWO.
Juni has had a rough week and had to spend Wednesday night at the vet due to bladder stones and a urinary tract infection. Poor baby. Luckily, they were able to get the stone out without surgery. It was 4 mm in diameter- HUGE for a tiny guinea pig! We’re all happy she’s home now.
THREE.
I went “treasure hunting” (or thrifting, as normal people call it) this week, and found a few great deals- a Banana Republic skirt (with the tags on, original price marked as $88!) for $3.75, and this busy ball popper toy for Kaya for $3.95. It still needs batteries but she gets SO excited just looking at it!
FOUR.
I have pumpkin everything on my brain right now. Lelia and I have made pumpkin bread AND pumpkin cookies in the past two weeks. Mmmm. I bought five cans of the stuff this week so I’m looking to create even more ooey gooey deliciousness soon.
FIVE.
This little girl is suddenly doing all sorts of big-kid things. She colors, says a few words, and even started drinking some whole milk this week. It warms my heart to see her learning and growing so much (although I do wish time would slow down just a little)!
I’m linking up with Amanda today for something fun! Remember that “Never have I ever…” game you might have played back in the day? It used to be so easy for me to win when I was younger because I had no super-amazing experiences like I do now. (Like exploring Europe and getting married and changing dirty diapers)… Anyway, here we go!
Never Have I Ever…
-Eaten a hamburger.
I’ve tried… one bite makes me feel sick. This renders me Un-American according to some people.
-Taken a photography class.
Photography is my biggest hobby. I do shoots when the opportunity arises and have been asked if it’s what I studied in school. Nope. I’m completely self-taught!
-Run more than 8.5 miles.
I wanted to train for a half-marathon a couple years back, but then I was pregnant. And then I had a newborn and little sleep. Maybe in the future?
-Been to a college football game.
This is a tragedy considering that I’m a Hokie… and Hokies pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe football. I’m just not that into sports.
-Drank alcohol or smoked.
This one’s against our church’s code of health, but even before I became a member, I just never had interest in it.
-Broken a bone.
I’m pretty clumsy at times… but luckily, I haven’t been klutzy enough to break anything or go to the ER. Here’s to hoping it stays that way!
And just because I like getting sappy in pretty much every post lately… Never have I ever loved anyone more than I love these two.
Happy Thursday!
When I saw that the topic for “Kid Tested, Mom Approved” today was a craft, I honestly had a little bit of a hard time coming up with something. I really wanted to give Kaya the chance to create something, but at 11 months old, it doesn’t seem like there’s a whole lot she can really “make”.
I thought about it for a few days and decided that we would finger paint. I whipped up some paint using this recipe, taped a piece of paper to the kitchen floor, and let her make a giant mess.
I suggest you wear only a diaper junky clothes for this activity too. Just because you’re not the one painting doesn’t mean a messy little monster won’t grab all over you with her blue hands.
Eventually she just started painting the floor…
After all the blue paint dried (which really didn’t seem to take that long after I cleaned up the floor and Kaya had a bath), I mixed up orange paint and put some on both of our hands so that we could make “mommy and baby” fishies.
I know it’s not going to be in a museum anytime soon ever … but I think I’ll cherish this forever.
I’m linking up with some awesome ladies today to talk about baby style!
For our family, it’s all about saving money while still looking cute, so I’m going to share a little of my experience on shopping without spending a fortune.
Carter’s is definitely my number one favorite place to shop for Kaya. They really have a great variety of outfits, and their clothes seem to be the most true-to-size. They also last really well despite all the crawling, food spills and diaper leaks that tend to happen with a baby. The best part? Usually they have some sort of sale going on, and if you pair that with a coupon code, stuff is pretty cheap. I’ve bought brand new outfits for less than what you’d pay for them used.
We also love The Children’s Place. Everything is of really good quality, and I’ve found a bunch of great things on clearance. $3 jammies, tops and dresses? You can hardly beat that! It’s good to plan in advance when you see a good sale- I have things saved away for her to wear next year!
Also, don’t be afraid to buy used. There are some stores that specialize in buying and selling used kids’ clothing, so check if you have any in your area! I’ve found things that are brand-new there (like jammies and snowsuits) that cost so much less than if you bought them at the original retalier. Even clothes that were used can look new, since babies don’t wear anything for very long in the grand scheme of things. I especially like to buy Kaya’s more formal dresses there. The one she wore to Kevin’s wedding cost $6.50! (and I found the perfect pair of gold Old Navy sandals to match for 50 cents, but she hardly wore them all day, so no picture of those…)
Motherhood looks like an anxious baby waiting to start the day at the break of dawn.
A smile bigger than the universe, just because her two very favorite people came to greet her.
It looks like a bear hug, and then a new diaper.
Cracker crumbs and bananas covering sticky little hands (and anything they can reach).
Toys are scattered all across the floor, but she’d rather hold a real set of keys.
Her little arms reaching out for me when she’s tired or bumped her head.
Tears streaming down her cheeks because nap time should have already started, but she was too busy playing.
It looks like my own curly hair that’s a little straighter at the ends from tiny fingers stroking it as she falls asleep.
Eyes fluttering deep into dreamland.
It looks like peanut butter all over.
More playing and a lot of laughing.
A dance party for two (and a dog).
More snuggles and more sleeping.
A blanket outside with toys and books strewn over it.
Dirty little hands and feet from crawling around in the grass.
A slobbery kiss.
It looks like a race to the front door when Daddy comes home.
Playing chase down the hallway.
Big smiles.
Food everywhere and water dripping down her chin because she’s still learning to use a sippy.
It looks like Daddy changing her into pajamas.
One last hug.
More nursing and snuggles until her little body melts into mine, warm with sleep.
A kiss and an “I love you more than anything” before tucking her in.
Motherhood looks a whole lot like LOVE.
(and if you could see my heart, it’d be the size of the moon)
Linking up with Becky today!
Tuesday Topics this week is on “nine travel essentials” and since we are just getting back from our trip out to Utah, I’m excited to share a few things that we found useful (especially with a 10-month old baby)!
1. Some kind of GPS. We used the maps on our smartphones all the time when we were out west. I’m not so good at following directions when people just tell them to me, so I love that the GPS has step-by-step instructions.
2. A snack for the road or flight. We always seem to be driving at lunchtime, so we usually bring something to tide us over until we get wherever we’re going. When we’ve flown, I like to bring granola bars as a snack (especially when it’s early in the morning)!
3. Books/magazines to entertain the baby and yourself (especially when flying).
4. Baby bibs, spoons, sippy cup/bottle. Pretty self-explanatory, but for some reason I was so worried I’d forget these things before we left.
5. A water bottle. I have a pink Nalgene that went pretty much everywhere with us on our trip. It was especially appreciated when we were walking around the zoo for about three hours!
6. Comfortable walking shoes. (Photographing a wedding in heels is not the most comfortable thing ever…)
7. Sunglasses and sunscreen.
8. A camera! It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this made it on my list 🙂
9. A travel buddy! Having a buddy makes juggling a baby and luggage a whole lot easier. And of course, having Michael around made everything about a thousand times more fun 🙂
Tuesday Topics this week is on a lifelong dream! I’ve had so many goals and aspirations throughout my life so far, but the one ambition I can always remember having is this…
I’ve always wanted to help animals. I have had a special love and connection with them ever since I was a little girl, and I’ve forever had a desire to heal the sick ones, feed the hungry ones, and love those that had no one else.
me and my childhood dog, Shadow
When I was small, I thought that the only way to help animals was to become a veterinarian, so that’s what I set out to do. In my college years, I realized that that wasn’t exactly what I wanted as a career.
While my current focus is on being the best mother I can be, I hope that one day I can do more- maybe volunteer at a shelter, foster some puppies or even consider working as a veterinary technician. For now, I’ll just keep advocating adoption over buying pets. I’m so grateful for all the amazing rescue organizations that have helped so many pets find loving homes, especially my Jax.
Linking up with Lauren and Tiffany!
I’m pretty excited about the subject for Tuesday Topics this week… travel! Four years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad in Europe, so here are a couple of my very favorite places from my experience there. (I do wish my photos were better, but the camera I had back then was probably worse than the one on my current smartphone. Yup.)
1. Riva San Vitale, Switzerland
This is where I lived, had classes, ate meals, and most importantly, made new friends with people I will never forget. This was our villa:
And here was our backyard! Aren’t the palm trees beautiful? (Not all of Switzerland is snow and mountains like most people think)!
Although there really isn’t much to see there from a tourist’s point of view, Riva was our home base during our stay in Europe, and it will definitely always hold a piece of my heart.
2. Santorini, Greece
I didn’t know anything about Santorini before arriving there, but out of all the places I saw in Europe, it quickly became my favorite. We were there in March, which is the off-season, so it wasn’t busy and we were able to enjoy having the island mostly to ourselves!
I love the buildings on the coast.
And the architecture…
As well as the sunsets…
We ate SO MUCH in Greece, and I am always on the hunt for authentic Greek food in the States now.
We drove four-wheelers all over the island, visited beaches, and even hiked up a volcano! I hope one day to be able to go again and do it all with Michael.