It’s Thursday again (the days are going too fast, right??) and time for another photography post with Theme Thursday: Girls. It seems like I am always posting pics of the boys and Bella is due for some blog time.
I remember when I was pregnant with Bella I secretly hoped that my firstborn would be a girl but when we went to my ultrasound, the doctor couldn’t tell. He said if he had to guess, it looked like boy. I was just happy to see my little peanut dancing around on the screen and I filled the baby’s closet with blue outfits and cover-alls and various other boy things.
Well, her birth was a surprise on many levels. I had just finished my eight month and had one month left in my pregnancy. My dad, my mom and one of my brothers drove up from So Cal to attend the baby shower my mother-in-law was giving. The night before the baby shower I was feeling really tired and the braxton hicks that I kept having didn’t seem to let up.
After a restless night I told Brian we better call the doctor because although the pain was sporadic, it felt like something out of the ordinary was going on. Before I could reach the phone my water broke and contractions came at full force. Eventually Brian and my brother (who was sleeping on the couch at our apartment) got me to the car, drove me to the hospital and got me checked in. When the nurse walked into the room and looked to see how I was doing, her face looked up in alarm and she called out that I was ready to have the baby NOW. The doctor and nurses rushed around gathering equipment and before I could fully comprehend what was really going on (I think I was still in shock and denial) I was told to push. Shortly after, I heard the unexpected words, “It’s A Girl!” And there she was, 3 lbs and 12 oz of sweetness screaming her lungs out. We still laugh today that Bella’s baby shower became a birthday party. (You can read the longer version of Bella’s birth story here. Just scroll down to September 2001.)
After 11 days in the NICU, we were finally able to take our sweet girl home. It feels like such a short, short time ago.
My baby girl at 3 months.
Last night I grabbed my camera and told Bella I wanted to take a photo of her for today’s theme. She asked me to take one with both of us. I told her I had been cleaning all day, my hair was a mess, I had no make-up, let me at least fix myself up a little…blah, blah, blah. She grabbed my hand and said, “You look great, mom. Let’s do it together.” So for the second weekin a row, my heart melted at such child-like love. So as Brian and the boys were running around the house re-enacting Jedi light saber duals, we ran out on the deck and snapped this photo. Mother and daughter bonding as female allies in a house of boys.
My baby girl at 11.
Then we grabbed some extra light sabers and joined the battle. 🙂
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
September is always a busy month for us with family, school and parish activities scheduled. Here’s a recap of some of the highlights with a Sunday afternoon {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up.
Note: The {pretty, happy, funny, real} can apply to many photos so I’ll do them in order rather than category.
– 1 –
Happy birthday, baby! – Yesterday was my sweet Bella’s 11th birthday. Has a decade and a year really gone by so quickly?? I remember when I was holding her in my arms like this…
Now my sweet girl stands next to me like this. Happy birthday, baby!
– 2 –
I Heart Autumn – We are so ready for Fall! I decorated our front porch to welcome the season and our visitors.
It is also the perfect time for Pumpkin Picking. Thanks to Brian rearranging his schedule, he was able to babysit the younger boys so I could attend Andrew’s school field trip to The Farm where they have a few farm animals, a pumpkin patch, crops and an organic produce/ products store. We had a lot of fun, although the sweetest part was the ride on the bus when he held my hand and rested his head on me with a contented sigh. It was the kind of moment that mamas live for.
Checking out the animals.
He found his perfect pumpkin.
– 3 –
Fiesta Fun – September is also the time for our parish’s annual Fiesta. There is delicious food, mariachi music, numerous booths and a kids’ carnival. What more can you ask for?
Andrew is practicing his swing.
John-Paul on the other hand thought it was “Whack A Mole” as he swung the bat over his head like a club.
JP had better luck pitching his curve ball.
Meanwhile Matthew was waiting his turn to be let loose at the playground.
– 4 –
Random Funny Shots -September must have been a busy month in the delivery rooms years ago because we have received countless invitations to birthday parties this month. One party was particularly fun because the whole family was able to attend. I find this shot of Brian funny because he is having as much fun as the kids with his race car game.
I know when John-Paul has been playing with my phone because I will find photos like this. He literally took 77 photos (I counted them) of Angry Birds in various poses.
– 5 –
Is It the Kid’s Bedtime Yet? – Tonight when we come home from dinner at my in-laws I plan to get cozy on the couch with Brian and watch the new (for the USA) PBS show Call the Midwives. I’ve heard good things about it. Here is the trailer.
– 6 –
Go Pack Go! – As I am typing this I can hear Brian cheering for the Packers as the game is on right now. They have been in a comfortable lead but I fear that is changing because I hear a lot of “Oh Come On!!” coming from the family room. There goes the Packer lead. Funny how the Packers are the only ones that can get my mild mannered hubby all fired up. He turns a bit more like me for those few hours. hee hee
– 7 –
Last one – I was going to do a quick take on a bit of Downton Abbey news but I’ve run out of time so I’ll save it for tomorrow. I leave you with a pretty shot of a flower that caught my eye this week.
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
It’s been a busy week (AGAIN) so it is time for another Saturday morning {pretty, happy, funny, real}/7 Quick Takes Mash-up.
– 1 –
{happy}
All the kids are officially back in school. Bella started the 5th grade – and moved out of jumpers and into skirts. (Although, after this photo day she is wearing her favored uniform pants since she doesn’t like skirts. Oops, a little like her mama.)
Andrew started Pre-K and was all smiles when he found out he got to get out earlier than Bella. (He only goes half-day.)
– 2 –
It’s funny that I imagined myself having all this free time and I had my plans of continuing to clean and organize, I thought of all the projects I’d start and blog posts I’d write but I’ve done nada! First of all, between three kids attending two schools with three separate school schedules, I spend a good portion of my day lugging kids in and out of the car. In fact, yesterday when I took John-Paul to school, I must have been on auto pilot because I accidentally drive him to School A instead of School B. Luckily, I had enough time to turn around and head in the opposite direction. Anyway, add in a few errands into the mix and I have to drive right back to School A & B for the 1/2 dayers and literally don’t get back from “taking them to school” until 1:30, unless it’s a speech therapy day, then add an extra hour. By 3pm I’m finally putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. Thankfully next week Brian and my father-in-law will be doing a couple of the shifts so that should ease things up.
– 3 –
My other misconception was that mothering would be easier with only Matthew in the house. Egads, I am more exhausted just watching Matthew than I am caring for all four. He is at that “Cyclone Stage” where he runs around the house leaving a path of destruction everywhere. At least with the kids at home he is occupied playing with them and there is always another set of eyes to lets me know when he is causing trouble. We are both getting adjusted. In the meantime, this is what happens when I try to get some housework done.
{funny}
Put in a load of laundry – find him on the table throwing puzzle pieces.
Put my breakfast dishes in the dishwasher – find that he gave himself a yogurt facial and shampoo.
Try to make dinner – it’s his invitation to dump out the kitchen cabinets, again.
The first few times, this is cute and photoworthy but as I pick up the dumped cookware he runs and dumps out a book shelf. As I am putting the books back on the shelf, he opens the dishwasher and climbs inside. I get him out and wipe his dirty feet prints off the washer and he runs over and dumps over the trash can. I pick up the trash and find in the rubbish the remote control, my serving spoon and his lost shoe. He’s too young for a time out chair and I’m not into spanking but even a little swat on the bottom does nothing. I tried throwing him in his crib and fencing him in but he climbed out and knocked down the barricades. I don’t remember any of the kids being this persistent in giving me a heart attack. I don’t understand how someone so small and cute can be so strong and relentless. So we’ll see how we manage together as the weeks progress.
– 4 –
Okay, since I am getting my complaints off my chest, let me just add one more thing. Normally, the boys get along fairly well but every once in awhile Matthew likes to tease John-Paul by taking one of his toys and running away with it. John-Paul, unable to fully verbalize his displeasure, will resort to screeching at the top of his lungs and grab his toy back. Matthew in turn will yell and screech at the top of his lungs. They were so loud I got flashbacks of those nature shows where the monkeys, chimpanzees, or gorillas go crazy. The boys sounded just like this…
I ran into the room and broke it up and I swear I am still shocked that the neighbors did not call child protective services or the animal control center.
– 5 –
{real}
Somehow all this craziness has made me want to enjoy some of the quieter moments of mothering and homemaking. On the weekends or during a moment of uninterrupted, blessed naptime, I have been feeling domestic and cooking and baking more. I think it is partly because of the weather. Normally we have warmer weather in September but there are still those days when the fog starts to creep in…
It looks like this.
Until it completely covers the mountains behind us.
That is when I am most likely to go baking crazy.
Here we used up all the over ripe bananas with Banana Blueberry Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. In fact someone was asking me for the recipe for the cookies (I tried making them a little lower in fat) so I’ll post it next week.
– 6 –
I also dusted off my bread machine and have been making fresh bread for the family. Last night we had Italian wheat bread. The smell of bread baking is lovely!
It went fast.
– 7 –
{pretty}
Well, with all the mommy craziness, I certainly need more of God’s grace to get through it. I took this photo at the Mission’s garden and it reminds me of a mama and her baby.
It also reminds me of St Therese of the Little Flower. I have to remember that my life with Matthew (and all the kids) is my specific road to sanctity. God knows exactly how selfish, self-centered and impatient I am. He gave me just the little guy I need to help me chip away at those faults and give me opportunities to practice patience, charity and selfless giving. (It also helps to repeat my motto, “And this too shall pass.”)
With that, I must get off the computer and practice some virtue in the form of a stinky diaper that needs to be changed, breakfast dishes that need to be washed and countless piles of laundry to be tackled. 😉
Have a great weekend!
Well, another week and another 7 days of no blog entries. I seriously doubt I will get back to my normal posting until after all the kids return to school. (The rest start the day after Labor Day.) John-Paul started this week and he was a little apprehensive at first but by the end of the day he had fun and was all smiles.
JP after his first day of school.
Meanwhile Matthew was at Target trying on new hats.
“Evening, ladies.”
– 2 –
This was also the last week of JP being 2 years old! Today my little man turned 3. It seems like such a short time ago that we brought him home from the hospital.
JP at 1 day old.
Bella & JP
Andrew & JP
– 3 –
These days you can find him giggling and playing and making us laugh with his developing vocabulary.
Although, he has mellowed out a little in his old age and has taken to books. He carries one around with him all the time. The other day I told him he had to go outside and get some fresh air. My sister snapped a photo of his version of getting fresh air.
– 4 –
As you may have noticed, I love taking photos and I hope to one day get a “real” camera. Lately, it seems all I ever have on me in my iphone and I have been snapping away. Usually I use Instagram and occasionally Hipstamatic and Tadaa to filter my iphone photos. The only thing with these apps is that you can only use them on your phone. I wanted to find something that I could use online to quickly filter a photo. I started using Pixlr.com. It is a great little system with three levels, depending on how comfortable you feel with editing. I used it on the photos posted in Takes 2 & 3. (The one of him reading was done darker with JP closer to my hair color. 😉
– 5 –
Speaking of photos, this weekend is the fun and exciting Snapshots from a Sunday from Clan Donaldson. There is a different take this month and I am touched that Cari thought of me when deciding to experiment with a different format. Instead of each of us getting a different hour in the day (hello 3AM), we will all take photos at the same time – 4:00 PM (Eastern Time). Should be fun!
– 6 –
Okay, let’s just add one more photo topic. If you are looking for photo hints while snapping your kids, check out How to Take Great Pictures of Kids over at Slow Mama.com. (And congrats to Zoe & B on the adoption of their two precious girls from Ethiopia.)
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
– 1 –
As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve been away from blogdom for two weeks. It’s been super busy here and blogging was the first thing to fall to the wayside. However, I am itching to get back and I have a small window of opportunity so I’m doing another {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up. Enjoy!
– 2 –
Part of the reason I was so busy is that I was enjoying the company of two of my sisters who drove up from So Cal. I loooove when they are able to visit us! The first evening they were here we had a girls’ night out and went to see The Dark Knight Rises. Loved it.
It’s a little fuzzy since it was taken in the dark but you get the idea. 🙂
– 3 –
The second day we took the kids to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the kids favorite places to visit, especially Andrew.
{pretty}
Walking on Cannery Row in Monterey.
Sharks at the Aquarium.
Can you spot Nemo?
Fish
– 4 –
{happy}
The kids at the play area of the Aquarium.
John-Paul having fun on the slide.
Matthew tries on a Nemo costume.
My munchkins.
Bella and Andrew with my sisters Jacinta and Bridgette. Bella looks so much like my sister. I’ll sometimes catch myself calling Bella “Jacinta” by mistake. (Thanks to the girls for letting me post a pic of them on the blog. Not everyone wants to plaster their images all over the internet. Go figure. heehee)
We also had a beach day, which made all of us happy.
The kids at play.
Bella and I with my sisters Jacinta and Bridgette.
– 5 –
{funny}
John-Paul, as usual, could not step out of the door without his books.
We were finally able to convince him to put them down long enough to play in the sand.
Andrew loves sharks so we thought it would be funny if he took a picture with the Sharkman on Cannery Row.
– 6 –
Okay, I know it is no way near Halloween but these are too funny not to post.
I went to Costco this week and they already had their costumes out. Andrew was dead set on being Spiderman and when I saw Costco had them a lot cheaper than other stores, I knew I had to get it now while they had his size. John-Paul wanted to be a super hero as well so he picked out Captain America. I think they are hilarious.
John-Paul and Andrew
I was looking for a super hero costume for Matthew that didn’t have a mask and this Thor one seemed perfect, right down to the hammer.
Love those muscles. LOL.
– 7 –
{real}
Lastly, tomorrow is my birthday! I will be 35…again…and again….and again….and…you get the picture. 😉 However, Brian has to work late tomorrow so we celebrated last week while my sisters were here. They brought up a gift basket from my family filled with items they knew I would love – Itunes gift card, stationary, journal, notepads etc. The best part of the gift, though, was the card in which they all signed and wrote little notes to me. It was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. I miss them so much!
Since the girls offered to babysit, Brian and I were able to go out on a lunch date. Woohoo!
I finally got that pizza I was craving with tomatoes, roasted peppers, garlic, chicken and feta cheese. Yum!
We topped it off with a shared dessert – peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream. Mmmmm.
Andrew & JP
