A Belly Story

This video makes me melt. I love that Isaiah is just so sweet, and i am so excited to see how he handles becoming an older brother. I know there will be difficult times where i will feel torn between our newborn needing me and Isaiah, but i'll just take one day at a time. A part of me is sad that my days with giving Isaiah my full attention will come to an end, but i am also so curious to watch how he will grow in the time after the baby is born. He is such a big helper and is learning so quickly that i am confident that if he regresses at all, that it wont be for very long.

On another note, Isaiah has been a champ at potty training! He not only has been cloth diaper free during the day since he turned 2, but has been staying dry at night for about a month now. Thanksgiving weekend i decided it was about time to go without cloth diapers at night. He has been dry ever since! It is going to be so nice to have a little diaper break for the next couple months.

I am Thankful

All my siblings but 1

Thanksgiving weekend.... it was SO enjoyable, but went by so quickly! My brother Matt from Hawaii, surprised us all with a visit. My sister and and Niece were also able to make it for the weekend. My Grandparents and Uncle and Aunt and cousins were there as well.
Matt and my mom made a 'Turduckin'..... which is a chicken stuffed into a duck which was stuffed into a Turkey. Hard work, but i highly recommend it, it was delicious!

I made Green Bean Casserole, Pumpkin Rolls and Pilgrim Hats. They were so good that they were eaten up before i could get my camera out to take a picture.... a little bummed about that. I have a tradition that i started 2 years ago of making some kind of unique dessert or treat for each holiday, its just so much fun!

I also spent the week before hand working on a Thankful Tree for my moms centerpiece. It turned out so gorgeous, the picture just doesn't do it justice.
Friday we spent some time with my dads side of the family, which was long overdue.

A few things that i am thankful for:
* Dan- he has been working SO hard for us since he transitioned into his new job a few months ago. 14 hour days are becoming pretty normal around here for him. I really miss him though, and wish that we had more time to spend as husband and wife. At the same time i am not taking for granted the fact that God has really blessed us with this opportunity for a bit more income during this season.

*Isaiah- He keeps me inspired and laughing throughout the day. The faces that he makes just crack me up, he has quite the unique and goofy personality. Through him, i have learned patience, peace and so much about myself.

*Baby #2- i think its obvious how thankful i am for another gift of life.

*Our car- Dan recently had a few things fixed on it and i was just thrilled. I don't take it for granted at all that we have nice transportation.

Many, many more things, but i could go on forever. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to revel in how much God has blessed you as well. If you have more than you could ever hold in your arms, than you have something to be thankful for.

I am now off to decorate my house for Christmas time. I am officially a day late! We just need more snow now!!

I have pretty much failed at keeping up with my blog the last couple months, even after making a lame promise that i would. I have definitely missed blogging, but i'm not going to beat myself up over it. It happens.

I'm not going to do any kind of catch up because that might take forever... i'm just going to talk about the things on my mind right now.

***Isaiah has a cold today, and was up most of the night coughing, and has been wheezing all day. I am fine with colds, but when he starts wheezing is when i get nervous. Especially without having a car or insurance.

***Lately i have finished and started a couple craft projects. Some of them are for Christmas gifts so i'm not going to say much about them, and some are all for me :-) I just finished a wreath for our front door that i am in love with!

***By writing in my blog right now i am completely avoiding doing the dishes, the only chore that i absolutely despise with a passion. I even have a shirt that says:
"I only have a kitchen because it came with the house!"
But when i'm done writing...............

***I am really disappointed that i didn't have a garage sale this year. Next year!

***Being pregnant is one of the most amazing experiences EVER! I realized the other day when talking with my mom that i am half through this pregnancy and i began to cry. It is going so fast and i know i am going to miss it after our little one is born.

***BUT at the same time i cannot wait to hold my baby in my arms for the first time and continue to get to know the wonderful little creation that God has placed in our lives. I can't wait to look into its eyes and give it its very own name. I am so excited to experience birth again!

*** I am finally embracing the cold weather, and am looking forward to the holidays more than ever!

***My husband and i just celebrated our 4th Anniversary and it was wonderful. Simple, but wonderful. He brought me a bouquet of flowers. My favorite yet! Its a beautiful combination of deep yellows and pinks. We went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, Zeytins. It was so yummy! I realized that our 3 favorite restaurants are all very similar. Little Africa, Mediterranean Grill and Zeytins. I wish i could eat food like that every day!!

***For Holloween Isaiah was a Monkey and he was supposed to wear this red velvet vest with it to match the crown, but he didn't want to. I am way to crunchy of a Mama though because he didn't eat any candy! I am going to put it off for as long as i can, and hopefully he wont care for it in the future. Riiiiight.








***Lastly, we have had fun doing all sorts of fun activities since the fall weather set in. The look of pure joy on his face in this picture almost makes me want to cry. I love it!

Until next time!! haha

Monkey Boy

I have a 2 year old....as of last month. Leading up to Isaiah's birthday i was full of emotion. I couldn't believe i was going to be a mama of a 2 year old... because of course, that makes ME 2 years older. The last 2 years have been full of wonderful moments made with our sweet little guy. He is constantly making me chuckle, hold my breath, let it go, and shake my head at all the unique little mannerisms that he has somehow acquired.
I have never felt afraid to have a two year old, it just seems silly to be apprehensive of an age... i would rather hold onto confidence as a parent. Isaiah has definitely tried to push his limits with me and strain for independence which i look at as a positive thing. I would rather him do it now than later.... (which he probably will do it later anyways.)
He is definitely changing into a little boy... full of excitement, energy, fearlessness and silliness. He loves to throw things, jump off things, run, and yell very loudly. My job is to allow those things.... but to teach him when it is appropriate. For a while i thought he was going to err on the side of caution and be an introvert, but to my surprise he is changing into quite the opposite. I loved him then, and i love him now...  Mama's love is so unwavering.

So for Isaiah's birthday, it was hot. We decided to grab some dinner and drive up to the little theatre nearby and watch the new POOH movie. It was so adorable, and he sat still and barely blinked his poor little eyes! Afterward i took him to the park to play for a while.
The following Saturday we had a birthday party for him under the pavilion in the park with both sides of our family. It was a Monkey theme with bananas everywhere and a very cute cake. He loved all the presents he got, and definitely all of the family that surrounded him. It was a successful day with no rain!

His reaction to opening a present with a toy monkey inside!

He loves this wheel barrow

Blowing bubbles

To read why else the #2 has been so big in our house.... stay tuned for my next post!

Peepy da Potty!

"Peepy da Potty!"

"Poopy da Potty!"

Yes... those are currently the most popular words coming out of my little guys mouth. If you say it the right way it could be a pretty cool song.... or a chant.

Anyways! Isaiah is doing great as far as potty training is going. He had been seeming so interested in going to the bathroom, and pretend playing that he was going potty. I have never allowed him to even be near the toilet, and so he would seem a little hesitant any time i would set him up on the seat. So a couple weeks before his birthday i went and bought This Potty Chair. I am so glad i didn't get any random potty. The seat is so comfy and i really like that it has the lid. Plus it can be transferred to the toilet very easily, not to mention it takes a snap to clean it! (i personally love Safety 1st products)

Enough with my Mommy Review!!

He loves it and caught on so quickly that i can't even keep up with him. He will randomly pause his activities throughout the day and say "Peepy da potty" or "Poopy da potty!" He will run to the bathroom and before i can even get there he already has his undies pulled down and is sitting patiently on his Throne of Elimination. lol  

I'm so proud of my little guy, he catches on to things so quickly and i love that he does things because he finds the simple joys in them, not because he is going to get something in return or because he HAS to do it. He is learning so fast and i love challenging him to learn new words and explore new activities. Being a Mama of a 2 year old is so much fun.... and i will come stomp on your foot if i hear anyone say something along the lines of "good luck with those terrible twos". Sometimes i feel like its the parents who allow the 2's to be so terrible.... because they certainly don't have to be.

To read why else the #2 has been so big in our house.... stay tuned for my next post!

The summer of Weddings!

The number 2 has been pretty big in our house lately.
Why? You might ask....

Well first off i was in 2 very eventful weddings this summer.
I can't even say how exciting it was to celebrate with both of my friends Mandy and Jerika on their wedding days.

Mandy had a beautiful and intimate chapel wedding where i had the blessing of being able to stand next to her as her Matron of Honor. We stylishly made our way downtown to the St. Cecelia ballroom that seemed to be overflowing with flowers and love! After the toasts, we danced the night away until they whisked off on a horse and carriage. My heart was absolutely bursting with joy for her!
side note: i gave myself a very big pat on the back for (hopefully) being the best MOH ever! lol

Jerika had a lovely ceremony in a large church where she was definitely ready to kiss her groom. ;-P
She had a simple cake reception (yum) and then we moved on to a more intimate outdoor reception. Jerika is from the Dominican Republic, so she had a lot of her culture tied into the celebration, such as the food and dancing. It was so fun to watch everyone shaking their hips DR style. Especially my husband!
It was so fun to watch 2 very much in love couples kiss their lives away (in a good way)
AND now i have 2 beautiful purple bridesmaid dresses... which just happen to be my favorite color.

 Thank you both from every corner of my heart for asking me to share in your Wedding day!


To read why else the #2 has been so big in our house.... stay tuned for my next post!

I promise!

I can't believe it has been almost 3 months since the last time i have blogged... how sad. At least it is to me. I feel like the need to blog is always in the back of my head. New ideas and happenings spring up that i would love to share. I wish i could say it is all because i just can't find the time, which is partially true, but i really just get distracted as soon as i sit down to type something up. I absolutely love following other blogs, and find it so much easier to sit and read about another persons life, then to type out my own. I need to make the promise to myself that i will blog once a week from here on out. I love to do it, and i know that i am allowing some of my inner creativity out when i do.

So here i go.... I Promise!

A Non-dairy Mama

Mothers Day was my last day to indulge in anything that had dairy in it, and indulge i did. With a large chocolate malt to be exact.
Choosing to go non-dairy has been a long time coming. Since Isaiah was born i've wondered if he had any allergy to something, and his doctor seemed to think he was, but was giving me no direction. I have had slight eczema since as long as i can remember behind my arms that will come and go every now and then. Isaiah has had the same since he was born, but has never gone away.... until now! Its been a little over a week now and both of our eczema has cleared up, and our skin seems softer all over. To my surprise it has been so easy to find alternatives to dairy products that we were eating before, and i really don't feel like it has been a big change to our meals. Over the last couple years i have learned so much about health and eating a whole, and balanced diet. I feel so good when i choose to eat healthy and organic food verses eating GMO'd, chemically enhanced and food full of antibiotics. Good not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. I feel pride and confidence when i make the decision to feed my family and myself meals that will not only impact their state of health, but their health in the future. God has given us only one body on this earth, and has told us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength" and i truly believe that means taking care of our bodies the best we can.
Anyways, obviously eating healthy and organically is something i am passionate about, but its about more than just me.
I was recently connected with a local Mama via Eats on Feets on Facebook. She has been in need of a non-dairy milk donor for her 7 month old. My heart lept at the idea of being able to help her out. I have wanted to donate milk ...for a while now... but i really didn't know how to go about it and didn't want to just give it up to any random hospital. We are talking about my liquid gold here. It may sound funny to someone who has never nursed before... or maybe even to someone who has, but i don't take for granted my ability to nurse my son. It is amazing to me that God created us women to be able to beautifully feed our children something that is SO GOOD for them!
Anyways, this local women and i have been chatting back and forth and i am hoping to connect with her in the near future to give her some of my milk. Her daughter has been through a lot, and in turn it has been a difficult year for her parents, but i have only seen pure faith and trust in God in this women.
So like i said it isn't just about me, or Isaiah, but about a sweet little girl who is in need of non-dairy milk to help heal her body, and i am so excited to be apart of that!

Here are some pics of my 3rd Mama's Day, i'm so proud to be a Mama.

My Mama, and my best friend. ♥

A very inspiring mama in my life!

The only picture of my baby and i :-( He had just woken up from his nap.

My hubby is a real daddy: sporting the baby bottle haha!

Isaiah with his Auntie Christy

Twirling with my Niece

Toddler bed!

About a week ago i found an awesome deal on a toddler bed, and an Organic mattress. I was thrilled! Isaiah's crib doesn't change into a toddler bed, so i knew i had to find something. This toddler bed was exactly what i had been looking for. On Sunday evening i took down Isaiah's crib and put his new bed up in his room. It is soo cute! It's so tiny, and makes his room feel larger, which could never hurt. He seems to have fallen in love with it as much as i have, and didn't act fazed at all that his crib was gone.
So i got him ready to go "Ni-night" and we curled up in his little bed. I couldn't help but watch him as he slept, and a little part of me was sad as i left his room that night. I am so proud of Isaiah and how independent he has always been. I feel as if he has led his own way in taking the next steps in infancy and toddler-hood, which are small ways of giving me confidence about his future.
Anyways, Sunday night Isaiah slept until 5:30, but last night he slept all through the night! It was amazing! There have only been about a dozen times that Isaiah has naturally slept through the night on his own since he was born, but i have always been confident that he would begin when he was ready. Hopefully last night was the beginning of something lovely. :-D
If not, oh well, he is sleeping in a toddler bed, and i am so proud of my little guy. He is only 21 months old, and still nursing, and so if he wants some liquid gold in the middle of the night, that is perfectly fine with me.

So happy!

He was telling Bear that he needed to go Ni-night.

Mandy's Kentucky Derby Bridal shower!

On June 11, 2011, which is exactly 25 days and 619 hours away (aah!) my best friend is getting married! Sometimes i still can't believe it, we were just in high school together!

I am her matron of Honor and i cannot wait to be standing beside her on her wedding day! As usual we have to have a couple parties to celebrate this happy time so i threw Mandy a bridal shower. May 7 was the date of her shower as well as the date of the Kentucky Derby, and since Mandy is in love with anything Kentucky (since her family lives there) it turned out perfect.

I made a couple fun things for the party, and had a blast preparing for it, and decorating the club house.
When the guests began to arrive i had them each take a photo with Mandy wearing a Derby hat, and holding a big yellow sun umbrella. The photos were taken with a Polaroid camera that i borrowed from a friend, (thank you Leslie!) The Polaroids were sent back on the cover of Thank You cards that i had made for each of the guests.

We then played a couple games, ladies won some prizes, we ate some Very yummy food, and watched Mandy open all her lovely gifts. It was a wonderful afternoon, and it felt so good to be able to bless the beautiful Bride To Be in that way. Enjoy the pics of the shower!

Greeters Table

The banner read "Mandys Run for the Altar"

The amazing Derby Pies, SO good!

 

The "brides" with The Bride.

opening her gifts!

Mom, and Mom to Be

beautiful Kara, one of the other Bridesmaids!

I love you Mandy!!

 I can't wait for the big day!!!  ♥♥♥