Take One & Take Two

First video:  cutest thing you've ever seen.  

Second video:  funniest thing you've ever seen.  

Passports

We might be crazy.

We took Clara to get her passport when she was 6 days old.

Yes, many of you may think we are crazy for traveling with a newborn.  In fact, we took Callie to get her passport when she was even younger- 3 days old!

A couple of months (ie, 7 weeks) after Callie was born, we went on a family trip to Cabo.  My family was going and we didn't want to miss out.  It actually went quite smoothly, traveling with an infant.  She slept almost the whole plane ride, there and back (we were sure to get a direct flight).  And it was fun to take her in the warm outside air for the first time in her life.

And so we're doing it again.  We have a little trip coming up to my favoritest city ever.  We are bringing Clara, just the three of us.

Are these not the cutest (and funniest) passport pictures you've ever seen?

Motherhood...

...the days are long but the years are short.

 I remind myself of this quote quite often.  Is that not the truth? I don't want to wish away these years.  Because I know they're short.  I'm sure they'll be over before I know it.

I definitely have long days.  We stay home now, a lot.  It's winter and freezing out, that's probably part of it.  And it's a lot more work to pack-up the girls (and our trips often end in disaster - either one or the other).  There are many days now I'm not sure if it's even worth getting ready in the morning, because the only person that will see me is the lady at the check-out counter at Target.  =)

The years are short.  Clara is one month today.  And Callie just turned two.  Can you  believe it?  Two already!  Although she's been saying she's been "two" for months. :)  Here's what's left from her party (It was fun! I'll share the details with you soon).

One of the nights before I got married, my grandma Mary Lou stayed the night and slept in my bedroom with me.  We got to talking as we were falling asleep, and she told me something that will probably stick with me for the rest of my life.  She said the best years of her life were when her kids were at home.

That had a lot of impact coming from a 80-year-old grandmother, who has lived most of her life.  So why would I want to wish away the best years?

Yes, I'm looking forward to the day when I will get more sleep.  To tell you the truth, this last week has left me exhausted!  Clara and I both have a cold, and she's been waking up every 2 hours at night, at least.  But for now, I know that sleepless nights is part of territory.  So for now, I'll take it and just enjoy having babies around. Because they are growing up, fast!

I'm about halfway through the book Shepherding a Children's Heart.  Here's one page of the book that has really stuck with me so far (pg 97).  I know it's long, but please take the time to read it...you'll be encouraged, I promise!

You must regard parenting as one of your most important tasks while you have children at home.  This is your calling.  you must raise your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. You cannot do so without investing yourself in a life of sensitive communication in which you help them understand life and God's world.  There is nothing more important.  You have only a brief season of life to invest yourself in this task.  You have only one opportunity to do it.  You cannot go back and do it over.


You live in a culture in which there are opportunities for you to do things unheard of in history.  You are presented daily with scores of options for investing your life's energies and creativity.  There is more than yo could ever do. You must, therefore, prioritize.


Parenting is your primary calling.  Parenting will mean that you can't do all the things that you could otherwise do.  It will affect your golf handicap. It may mean your home does not look like a picture from Better Homes and Gardens.  It will impact your career and ascent on the corporate ladder.  It will alter the kind of friendships you will be available to pursue.  It will influence the kind of ministry you are able to pursue.  It will modify the amount of time you have for bowling, hunting, television, or how many hooks you read.  It will mean that you can't develop every interest that comes along.  The costs are high.  


A good reminder about what one of our biggest priorities is. Encouraging and convicting at the same time, isn't it?

Bath Day

Good morning!  We tried to spell "Hi" with the letters in the tub, but the "i" was no where to be found!  So "hey" will have to do.  :)  We have bath day every other day around here, and boy is it a lot of work with two girls!

It sure is fun though.  There's nothing better than a warm bath in the dead of winter!  We get out the foam letters, Crayola bath tub markers (thanks Ki), and sometimes even the Crayola Bath Dropz (thanks Erica!) that make the water fun colors.  

How funny that I have a picture of Callie here that's just like this picture of Clara. Same towel and everything!

And then some days Callie gets to watch a little show in mommy's bed while I get Clara ready and get ready myself.

Cheese!

Once I had my first baby, I realized I just didn't have time to practice my normal "morning routine" every day. So, I started to wash my hair every other day.  Does anyone else do this?  I would like to say it changed my life...I'm saving so much time by not having to wash, dry, and style my hair every day.

And I discovered this amazing product.  Have you ever tried dry shampoo?  I had been curious about it for awhile, but it seemed too expensive, and then I found Tresemme's Dry Shampoo at Target (only a couple of dollars I think).  You just spray it in your hair and it absorbs the oil.  It also has a white-ish color when it goes on, so it can help camouflage dark roots...yea.

I found Callie some cute shoes on clearance at Old Navy this week.  I think I paid about $2.50 for them. I just love girly stuff.  Good thing I have two girls I can play dress-up with! 

White Chicken Chili

Here's my sister's recipe for White Chicken Chili.  A few people have asked for the recipe, so I thought I would just post it on the ol' blog!  Enjoy!

White Chicken Chile
2 onions, chopped
2 T olive oil
5 chicken breasts (no skin), cubed
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground or dried oregano
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
2 small cans or 1 large can diced green chiles
1 large jar cooked Great Northern Beans (drained/rinsed)
1-2 cans navy beans (drained/rinsed)
2 cups frozen corn
1 can creamed corn
8 cups chicken broth
20 oz Monterey Jack Cheese (cut into small cubes)


Saute onions in oil until clear. Stir in chicken and garlic and cook until done (about10-15 minutes). Add spices, chiles, beans, corn, and broth and cook 10-15 minutes or until hot and gently bubbling. Add cheese and melt. DO NOT BOIL. Soup should be thick. Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream, and cornbread or tortilla chips.

Clara's Birth Announcement

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, here's our little Clara's birth announcement {front and back}.  It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself.  :)





Design by Steph, family picture by Annie, and Clara's picture by moi.  Thanks so much, ladies!  You're the best!  :)

Clara's Birth Story {all two hours of it}

Don't women just love telling their birth stories?  Get a group of moms together and have the topic of birth come up, and I'll guarantee almost everyone will have told their story by the end of the night.  :)  Well, at least that's how it seems to go in my circles.  It's the equivalent of men showing their scars I think for women...listen to what I went through, I survived, and now I have this amazing child because of it. So you can ask me and I won't hesitate to tell you the story in as much or little detail as you like.  :)   But here it is, and here is Callie's birth story too.

So my due date came and went, and I started to get a little nervous- what if I am one of those people who go two weeks past my due date?  I can't handle being pregnant for one more day.  So I started looking up how to "naturally" induce labor- and let's just say I took just about every piece of advice I could find.  :)

December 28th, 2010...

5:00pm.  Did I just feel a contraction?  It felt like a stronger Braxton-Hicks type.  Wait a sec, they're about every 5-6 minutes.  Could I be in labor?  I'm not sure.

5:10pm Called Pizza Hut to order pizza (Kiley and Matt and my mom were coming over for a pizza party).  Still wasn't sure if I was in labor, but then I had a contraction while talking to the pizza guy and though it might be the real thing.

Called the midwife.  She said to take a bath.  If they stop, it's not labor obviously.  If they continue, come to the hospital right away (my history of labor was pretty fast- we just made it to the hospital in time for Callie's birth).

5:30pm Took a bath to see if the contractions would go away. Had Kyle sit near me to "time" the contractions.  They were still getting stronger (not too painful yet, but definitely made me stop what I was doing) and were getting closer together.  Nope, they were not going away. Got out of the tub to get ready to go to the hospital.

As soon as I did, my water broke (TMI, I was conveniently standing over the toilet).

6:00pm Left for the hospital.  Took this picture on the way out the door (in between contractions- if you're wondering how I could manage a half-smile).

On the way to the hospital, took a little "self-portrait" with my phone.  For memory's sake. :)  Still doing okay at this point but contractions are starting to get pretty painful.  Updated my facebook status (is that crazy?). Tried to do the little breathing things they taught us at birthing class.  I think I told Kyle to shut up or something like that when he started counting for me to breath (sorry honey!).  :)

6:30pm Arrived at the hospital.

6:35pm Made it to the hospital room - I didn't need a wheelchair this time!  Dark, quiet, not many people around.  Where is everyone?  I went into the bathroom in our room.  Kyle was sitting outside the door.  I finally sent him to find a nurse and told him to say that our first labor we were 8cm when we got to the hospital. And my water broke already at home.

Ouch!!!

6:40pm The midwife finally got to the room (okay, it had only been about 10 minutes or less but it felt like an eternity).

6:50pm Midwife checked me.  She told me I was 5cm dilated.  I freaked out and felt very discouraged (was hoping I was much farther along).

Can I get some pain medication please?  I can't do this.  I can't do this.  This sucks!!!!  {what was going through my head I think}.  I really didn't think I could do it.

6:53pm I started pushing?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

Is it possible to go from 5cm to pushing in like a minute or two????

7:03pm Enter the world, Clara Lucille.

Beautiful.

Perfect.

Not responding right away (took a minute or two to cry).

She's so pretty!

Kyle cried.

Tears of joy.

I cried.  

We're in love all over again!

Thank you Jesus for a healthy baby girl!

9:30-ish-pm, Clara meets the big sister! Callie climbed up, gave her a kiss on the head, and then wanted my apple juice (it was way past bedtime).  That will go down in history!

And there you have it!  Clara's birth story.  Short and sweet, just the way we like it!  :)

The Tie Bar

I have to share with you a website that the men in my family are slightly obsessed with.

The Tie Bar is a website that sells men's ties, all at $15 each, and they are really nice ties!  There are tons to choose from, and you can view them all with your choice of suit and shirt color.

The men in my family loves this website, and keep sending each other "e-gift certificates" via email to each other.  We actually just got Kyle's tie in the mail yesterday which was from my dad (thank you!), and we love it (we chose this one). He wears a suite and tie to work most days so he can never have enough cool ties (I have deemed myself the cool-tie-picker-outer).  :)

Just an idea if you need a gift for Valentine's Day, Father's Day, or a birthday even.

Another Birthday is Coming...

Someone will be two!  Of course we have to have a little party (just family this year).  Now I don't think I will be able to compete with last year's Petit Boulangerie, but I do want to do something special that she will enjoy and remember (from the pictures I guess).

I'm thinking about making Bakerella's cakepops...



Has anyone made these before?  How did they turn out?  Any suggestions?

Nursery Diaries, Part 2

Finally, the nursery is {for the most part} put together!  {To see Part 1, and my inspiration photos, click here}.  And just to see what we had to work with, here's the gorgeous before picture (catch my sarcasm?):

And after:

Where to begin?  We painted every surface possible (walls- Benjamin Moore Beacon Gray, trim and doors-Benjamin Moore Swan Wing).  And then...I attempted a sewing project that was a little too big for my lousy sewing skills, but somehow it ended up turning out somewhat decent {fabric from here}.  At least so far...just don't tell anyone it's a faux roman shade!).  ;)

You'll see it's really just a compilation of junk and spray paint, like this mirror {before picture of the thriftstore-find mirror here}.  I found some hot pink spray paint at the fabric store and went to town.  :)

And, the best part...my mother-in-law's craftsmanship {I am so lucky to have her help me}!  She sewed the crib bedding with a hodge podge of mostly Amy Butler fabric -great deals on fabric.com (oops don't look at the imperfections  in the crib rail - it's our second crib that I found on craigslist!).  

And two more gorgeous things sewn by my MIL...She (so far at least) sews these beautiful quilts for her grandkids.  She also sewed the pillow made from leftover crib bedding fabric.

I'm not sure what this pink trim is called, but I hot-glued it onto the lamp shade.

Little lampstand is another spray-painted-thrift-store find.  It was black, now it's pink!

Of course, Clara's wall letters.  I haven't put them up yet (or figured out how to make them stay on the wall).  Cute story- the week or two before Clara was born, I got them out of their "hiding place" in her closet (since we hadn't yet announced the name) and when I picked them up, Callie said, "C!"  We had tried to teach her some letters (particularly C for Callie), and I was shocked she recognized the letter totally in a different context!  Oh, letters are plain white and modge-podged with paper also from the fabric store.

Another spray-painted item from our original dining room (with some fun crystals from my mom)...

And of course we're stocked up with lots and lots of newborn diapers, and are going through them quickly!

All right, time to go feed the baby...hope you enjoyed the tour!

My Camera Bag

So I've been lugging around a pretty penny's worth of camera equipment for awhile now without a decent camera bag.  I'm sure I've been pressing my luck, carrying a big camera around without a decent bag to put it in while I've been searching for the right bag (however I've been very careful).  And now I'm happy to say I've finally found the "perfect" bag.  It's a Jo Tote.  I chose this one because it looks like a cute purse but is really a padded camera bag.




The one I got is called Rose and is in this teal color.  I love the padded dividers, and the cross-body strap was a must for me.  If you're looking for a similar bag, I would definitely recommend this one, and they come in some great colors.



Also, something I've been working on for awhile now has been some website redesign and new logo design for my photography site. Since my photo shoots have slowed down this winter, I've finally had the time to work on putting together a new blogsite.  I still have a few tweaks and changes I need to make, but you can see the almost-finished product here. I hope you like my new logo too (thank you!)...I'm really happy with it!

Be back soon!

Good Morning + PW's Good Morning Muffins

Good morning!  Today is my first full day alone with the two girls.  


I had plans to go to MOPS this morning {I was so excited to show-off my new little pink bundle}, but unfortunately Callie woke up with a fever of 101.5 so we have to stay home.  So far, things are going better than expected - Callie's not acting too sick, so maybe she will get better soon.  She's eating fine but is just a little tired.  Somehow I managed to get both girls down for a nap at the same time (hence my time to blog)!  


Oh, if you want to see some pics of our Christmas, including a few of us in the hospital on the night Clara was born, click here to see my sister's blog.  Thanks Ki!  


And a friend came over and took some family pictures for us last week.  Here's a little peak of mommy and baby (so nice to have since I can't take pictures very easily of myself)!  Thanks, Annie!  Oh and another friend is making me some awesome birth announcements {see her website here}...I can't wait to see what she comes up with, and I will make sure to share them with y'all.  Thanks so much, Steph.


I have such awesome friends!

And my sweet sister-in-law Elyse {an awesome cook} brought us some muffins for the first morning we were home from the hospital.  They were sooo good, I just have to share the recipe.  They are Pioneer Woman's, and almost tasted like donuts with a subtle orange flavor.  I'm definitely making these soon, and you should too!


Picture and recipe from PW's blog.





Good Morning Muffins

• Muffin Batter
• 4 cups Flour
• ½ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
• ½ cups Shortening (can Use 1/4 Cup Shortening With 1/4 Cup Butter)
• 2 cups Orange Marmalade
• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• _____
• Topping Ingredients
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon (plus 1 Teaspoon) Melted Butter
• ¼ teaspoons Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Place in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter to mix in shortening (or butter/shortening if desired). Mix marmalade, orange juice, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour into dry ingredients. Beat eggs and pour into the bowl. Mix all ingredients together gently, using fewer than 10 large strokes.

In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients.

Fill muffin pans with batter. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping ingredients over each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until done. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Random Thoughts

• I am having so much fun taking pictures of Clara. Newborn pictures are some of my favorites, so you can find me about once a day stripping her clothes and diaper and taking lots of pictures.  The best time for newborn pics is the first ten days, so I've been trying to make the most of it!  
• Thanks to my mother-in-law, who's been helping out this week, the adjustment from one to two has gone much better than I anticipated!  Callie's been having lots of fun with grandma, and I haven't lifted a finger around the house!
• SO FAR Clara has been an easy baby.  She sleeps all the time are rarely cries.  At night when she wants to eat, she makes little grunts and sounds instead of crying.  Maybe we got lucky?  I guess we'll see!  I guess I shouldn't speak too soon! :)
• SO FAR, Callie has not been so easy.  I guess the combination of just having Christmas, grandparents have been in town, just started her "terrible twos," and throw a new sister in there, and she's a little out of sorts {aka, attitude}.  I keep reminding myself that this is probably a bigger adjustment for HER than it is for US.  
• Kyle went back to work on Monday.  He has a busy month at work with a lot going on. I'm a little sad our "first week at home" is over.
• When I was pregnant with Clara, part of me was a little afraid I wouldn't love the next child as much as I love Callie.  I just couldn't imagine another baby being the center of my universe and loving her the same.  Boy, was I wrong... She's just perfect and we love her SO much!
• Callie has somehow turned into miss vocabulary.  She's talking in full-out sentences.  Oh, and she is starting to recognize letters {like the letter C for Callie and for Clara...I was putting up Clara's "wall letters" a few weeks ago and Callie said "C!" when she saw me holding it.  I was pretty impressed!
• Clara loves to cuddle.  We got her this blanket and oh my goodness, she just loves being wrapped up in it and she LOVES to sleep right next to or on top of one of us.
• My sweet baby stinks!  She's clean, but her umbilical cord is still attached and is starting to smell...yuck!  Anyone know how to fix this?