A gift

We would like to thank boppa for these! Pretty cute, and so retro. :) Lou likes them!

It's a fabulously wet and rainy day. I am enjoying the break from all the sun. Fall is on it's way! My mom came over this morning to hang with Lou while I hemmed her new pants. That made me itchy for a more rewarding project. I do need to start thinking about a baby quilt soon. I have some books from the library and I think I have a pattern, but I have no idea about the fabrics yet. I really wish it was my birthday soon though. I'm just not excited about spending the money on the fabric and batting. I will just have to keep a good eye out for sales and coupons. In the meantime I guess I should just experiment making some quilting blocks with the scrap fabric I have already.

Right now Louisa is avoiding her nap. She had been in there for over a half an hour and did not get to sleep so now her belly is full of milk but she is very awake. She can't fool me though - I know she is super tired. We both are. I took her out and she is now causing trouble (she found tape to unravel.) I can hang in there another half an hour though, to try again. I don't mind late naps that much, because then when we wake up it's all the more closer to when Michael gets home! I am excited for him because a new Catholic church just opened up blocks from his work so next week he is going to try out daily mass at 7am. I hope it works out for him!

Well that was one rambling post! Time to get off the computer and tend to a whiny baby in denial! :)

Monday

Happy Monday to you!!

Coffee joy

Last night I got the pleasure of going to a coffee shop down the street and listening to some live music while sipping delicious mochas. My cousin is in a jazz band and they are a talented bunch of young musicians, I have to say. I thought I'd blog about it because I want to express my love of the coffee shop atmosphere. To me it doesn't represent urban snobbery (although that certainly exists.) Rather, it reminds me of my days in college where I spent 90% of my studying hours at one coffee shop or another. All sorts of emotions are brought back when I visit one these days - from my very early homesickness days of college, to joyful times of meeting with friends, to the final days of senior year dreaming about marrying Michael. There were about 4 different places I would frequent in Pullman and Moscow, and each one had a unique aurora and draw. Is it me or are coffee shop owners brilliant? They know just how to make you want to stay through decor, lighting, etc. Yes, I spent waaayyyy too much money on coffee in those 4 years. Yes, I probably stunted my growth (if there was any growing left in me :) but they were some of the best times ever and I feel grateful for every moment. I should ask Mike to allow me a coffee date to myself from time to time. Not to pretend I am still a college student (although, bringing a book to read would be essential) but just to soak up the atmostphere of peace, tranquility, and yes; yummy coffee.

lollypop lollypop

It's amazing how a lollypop can make the world better after an unpleasant boo boo. I admit, this is actually the second one she's had in one day (shame on me, I know) but it just felt like an appropriate after-nap treat since she had been through a blood draw this morning. She did really well though, and didn't cry until the very end. Anyway, this is only the second time she's even had a lollypop, but it's clearly a universal-type of medicine. Wouldn't it be nice if all life's problems could be solved with a little confection?

A few pregnancy updates for mama;
-We got to hear Josie's heartbeat on Tuesday! Everything sounds wonderful. The head is down at this point, which is good but it's still early so we'll just hope she stays that way through the remaining weeks.
-I am feeling quite well - my biggest complaint is actually more heartburn than I experienced with Louisa. My strangest complaint is a sore belly button. This is also something I have not experienced before. Any tips for relieving it? (And don't say giving birth! :)
-Pregnancy dreams continue. I've had a few frightening ones lately - where I've had to be a protective mama bear against danger. Very common for me just more intense.
-I am getting very excited about holding a soft newborn body against my skin again. Lately whenever I see a newborn I get all emotional and giddy. I am definitely alot more realistic this time around; meaning I know that sleepless nights and lots of work are ahead. Yet the sight and thought of a newborn evokes such strong emotions and I know God will prepare us for all of it.

picnic days

a fashionable, fussy baby ready for bed

Pj's. Never thought the concept would be so complicated...but in a stage in life where diapers come off by way of little hands; it becomes an important bedtime consideration. I am not looking forward to a time when she can actually tell me what she wants and does not want to wear. Already, she has her preferences. For instance, she likes to be able to access her bellybutton. She plays with it to help her fall asleep. We don't mind this - except she is learning the art of being able to wiggle off pj shorts or pants and once those are off, the diaper is soon to follow; yikes! We picked up some of these onsie-type pj's at an outlet mall and I have to say I find them simply adorable. She looks like a sweet little snuggle bug! However, as I tried to capture in these pictures - she hasn't been so sweet the last few nights. She is super fussy by bedtime and I'm sure the inconvenient pajamas we are making her wear are not helping her mood much. :P oh well, what can we do? It's a trade-off I suppose.

Well, nighty night, sleep tight! Hope you have some comfy pj's to wear and someone to snuggle with!

The people in my life

His shirts

Her sleeping place
A little father-daughter bonding.

How I love the people in my life - especially these two!

A wedding in pictures

At least the few I managed to take. Wish I took more! Beautiful wedding, beautiful people. Congratulations Rion and Kristina! (Not that they will see this for a while...those kids are in Jamaica!)

Dreamin'

Just like always, and especially when I am pregnant, I've been having some crazy dreams at night! Last night, I was informed that I was laughing hysterically about something. I was also talking a lot. I have to admit, I do remember much of my dream last night. I can't tell you all of it, but I can say that part of it took me back to when Mike was courting me and he was being awfully sweet. I woke up all giddy thinking about him writing me secret messages on pieces of mail to avoid getting caught by certain mean people. In my dream I wasn't sure if he liked me or liked someone else so when I received his messages I was super thrilled. Anyway, I just wanted to share and remember how being pregnant really ramps up my dreaming. It's great when they are nice dreams, but obviously not so fun when they bring tears. I can get really emotional in my dreams.

Well, this weekend will bring another wedding and I can't wait. I've got to go pack and clean.

Here's to safe travels and wedding bells!

It's all good

My grandma thought Lou was too young to finger paint. I don't know if you can really be too young for this activity - it's just a matter of attention span and how much of the paint ends up in their mouths, right?

I found out yesterday that Louisa can focus long enough to paint a few pictures before proceeding to get the (washable) paint on various parts of her body. But isn't that half the fun of finger painting anyway? I mean, my first graders didn't fare that much better - and most of them would end up mixing all the paint together to create a brown blob if I didn't stop them in time. So...despite my grandma's assertion, I thought it was a fun 10 minutes, and afterward Lou cooled down with the hose. I debated whether to bring my camera. As a friend pointed out, sometimes mommies and daddies might get caught up in capturing cute moments with their cameras and might miss out on actually participating in them. I was also concerned about the messy nature of finger painting. But on the way out I think my need to over-document my first child got the best of me and I grabbed the Nikon :) It was such a pretty setting, too. But I was sure to set the camera down (in a safe location) and enjoy the few moments of paint mixing and toddler joy.
In other news, I discovered that the freezer was left open a crack all night. :( Dang it! So a bit ago I had to throw everything out. In a way, it was kind of freeing to empty it out; especially since I found things that might not have made it to the dinner table anyway. Obviously though, it was an enormous waste of money.

Baby doll

I got this yesterday for her (I've been looking around for one for some time.) I showed her how she could push around her 'bebe.' Then, I come in this morning and this is what I see...Someone missed the point entirely :)

Weddings are fun

These pictures are from the wedding we attended last weekend. It has been a fun summer filled with weddings and baptisms, like I mentioned before. We loved getting to watch our friends dedicate their lives to one another and seeing so many friends from college. Lou enjoyed dancing and getting lots of attention, as per usual :) lucky for us, the fun is not over yet! We still have Kristina's wedding this weekend and who knows who's else's might be in the works in the near future? ;)

Confidence booster

Funny story - so one of Lou's favorite words right now is "hot." She says it with such enthusiasm. So she knows that my coffee is "hot!" Then she started to say mama, too, when she saw me drinking coffee. So for a little while most mornings now, I hear Lou going around the house exclaiming, "hot, mama! Hot, mama!" "mama, hot!"

Oh, here is my new haircut.

Guess I'm one hot mama.

At least according to my baby anyway :)

A new Christian

We had a very full and blessed weekend. We were honored to help celebrate two important sacraments during two events - a wedding and a baptism. Actually, since we go to a Byzantine Catholic church, we got to witness three Sacraments in the same day; baptism followed immediately by Confirmation and first Communion. (If you want any more information the Sacraments you can just click on the picture of our family on the left and it will take you to a great site that talks about them.) The wedding was beautiful and I will hopefully post some pictures later if I can get ahold of them. The baptism was very special, too, since we were asked to be the godparents of baby Caitlin. (Interesting side note: Caitlin shares my birthday, and our godson, Isaac actually shares Mike's birthday!) So that was a great honor. Godparents' role is to help ensure that children grow up in the faith. Basically, if someone asks you to be a godparent it is quite humbling. You realize that they are trusting you to be there for their child as a good example of living a Christian life. Mike and I take this very seriously. Caitilin and Isaac are in our daily prayers and we will always try our best to be there for them whenever they need guidance in matters of faith or anything else, really. I am grateful for the tradition of godparents in the Catholic church, because it emphasizes the need for many good examples for children to follow as they navigate this world.

Welcome to the Christian family, little Caitlin Ann! Glory to God!

Dew

Practice

Our good friends from college recently had a baby and my my, he is adorable! Mommy and baby Cole came over and it was a delight seeing her interact with him. I had said before that she has gotten very nervous and upset when I have recently held babies. This time I didn't actually hold Cole so I'm not sure if she is still not okay with that, but it was quite obvious she enjoyed playing with him on the play gym on the floor. It was totally her idea to lay down and play with the mirror thing. She truly loved playing with him! She kept touching his ears, feet, tummy...

Oh and of course my pregnant mommy hormones were kicking into high gear and it got me all excited for our little bean to be born! Newborns are irresistibly sweet. I just kept watching Cole and remembering all Lou's newborn attributes that I used to love. So yes, I (we) can't wait to have Josie join us. Still quite nervous about having 2, but definitely looking forward to it.

Here is a self-taken belly shot. I don't know if it's just me or if I look huge, but take into account that different angles and lighting can affect a picture. Plus I'm kind of sticking out I think because I'm trying to not get the camera in the shot. (I know - you're thinking, excuses excuses :) I do feel like I "popped" sooner with this pregnancy and in recent weeks I've noticed the baby getting bigger at a much faster pace. Despite feeling big, I am feeling pretty good at this point. I still get tired easily, but the queasiness is all but gone. It's true what my OB said which is that it's easier to "forget" you are pregnant when it's not your first. I often go awhile without thinking about Josie, whereas with Lou it was always on my mind. I don't feel guilty about this, to be honest. I simply have much more to think about nowadays. And of course there are many moments throughout the day when I do think of her, and especially at night when I'm laying there and feel her moving around. Mike still hasn't been able to feel her from the outside, but the time will be here soon when the kicks are strong enough for that to be the case. I have other small things like the re-appearance of sciatica, and feeling awfully bloated sometimes, but it's nothing too bad.

Um, I think that's all for now...I have to get to watching A Baby Story (I've only cried once so far) and then probably a quick nap before Lou wakes up from hers!

Fine motor skills

We have been practicing some fine motor skills around here. After going to a great consignment sale and picking up this brand new easel (thanks gma!) we decided to give it a go. I found it very tricky to have to tape down paper for Lou to draw on, and she usually ended up ripping it up from the table after a while. I know she's still developing an interest in coloring so I'm not expecting her to sit quietly for hours and without tasting some of the crayons. But I was wanting to get her an easel so at least the paper wouldn't move. This little thing is great because it's a chalk board on one side and a white board on the other (for finger painting maybe) and as a bonus it has a roll that you attach paper to on the top.

As you can see by the end I was giving her some help. Hey, coloring is fun whether you're a year and half or you're 25!

Happy Birthday to my dad

Evidence

....of the delicious treats we enjoyed this weekend.

Jealous?