North Shore Family Vacation

Last weekend we took our first annual camping trip to Temperance River State Park up Minnesota’s BEAUTIFUL North Shore.  We reserved 5 campsites and filled them with family and friends for a weekend of fun and adventure.  It was Tanner and Emmy Lu’s first camping experience and I have to say they did AWESOME!!  Tanner slept thru the night (with the help of my battery operated I pod radio and some Rock-a-bye Lullabies)  and Emmy Lu woke up only a couple times a night to eat then went right back to bed.  It was definitely LOTS of work keeping up with the kids and chasing Tanner around all weekend while also taking care of Emmy.  However, I think the experiences are so great and worth the work for the benefits their little brains got.  There were tons of new sights, sounds, faces, experiences that they unfortunately won’t remember but will help shape them into little outdoor, adventure loving people.  The MN State Park system lets you book campsites 1 year out so this morning we already booked our campsites for next year Aug 9-12, 2012.  We also had so much fun that we reserved 2 more sites.  Here are some pictures of our adventures.

Don’t forget the list…

It is true, without my lists, our lives would be in absolute disarray. 

 

I USE LISTS FOR EVERYTHING.

 

I once drove 4 hours to a music festival, got about a half hour away and realized I had forgot my tickets at home because it “WASN’T ON MY LIST!!”

This week’s list involves everything that I need to pack, buy, or prepare for our family’s camping trip up the North Shore.

 

As you can see I have almost everything crossed off and ready for our departure this afternoon…Blogging wasn’t even on the list.  It was just an extra.

 

 

Doppelganger

Tanner is young but he already has his little doppelganger in Emmy Lu.  Here are some pictures of my two kiddos at about the same age:

 

 

 

 

Cousins

When I was little I LOVED playing with my cousins!!

As an adult I still see most of them very frequently and really enjoy the time I spend with them.

Tanner and Emmy Lu are so lucky to have cousins on BOTH side of the family.

I hope they all get along and remain part of each others lives as they all grow up.

It will be so fun to watch.

Cousins on my side: Jada 6, Tanner 15 months, Savannah 10, Emmy Lu-newborn, Saniya 4, Caiden 7 months (Missing-Makayla 16)

 

 

Cousins on Paul’s side: Tanner 16 months, Xavier 18 months, Gabe 4, Emmy Lu 1 month

 

I am VERY thankful for family and it makes my heart sing knowing that my children will get to experience a big loving family on both sides.

Who has more fun?? I’ll let you know

After YEAR and YEARS of being blonde (all shades-platinum to a more subdue golden bronze), I made a BIG change yesterday and went darker!!

 

EEK!!

I was a little nervous but had been thinking about it for a few weeks and just went with it.

 

I took the leap and my AWESOME hair stylist tried to match my natural color as much as possible.  Although she had to go a tad darker because who goes to bed at night wishing they were a dark dirty blonde/light brown. 

I have to admit that I LOVE it!!

I am still a little taken back when I look in the mirror, but I am getting used to seeing a brunette.

 

So with out further ado…Here’s the new me.

Impromptu visitors

My sister and her girls took a nice little trip up north to come visit us yesterday.  It was a nice little impromptu trip that was MORE THAN WELCOME.  Tanner has so much fun playing with his cousins and they provide him with more stimulation and entertainment than boring old mommy could any day.  It is also so fun to see my nieces and hang out with my sister.  It was just an overnight trip and they left this afternoon but those girls sure did pack in as much fun as they could while they were here.  Sadie even held Emmy Lu so I could enjoy the lake a little bit this morning.  What a treat!!!  I am glad they live only 1.5 hours away and can come visit on days like this.

My swimmer dude!!  Tanner LOVES the water and LOVED this tub suit Sadie brought him. 

He also had to play on this floating dock section just like the big kids do.

 

Swimming with Mommy

 

Saniya and Emmy Lu

 

Savannah

Wouldn’t let go of his “Tra-cor” the entire time.

 

Jada and her toothless grin…gotta save this one for her graduation

 

Saniya striking a pose…I have about 20 shots of her and her different expressions…Move over Zoolander!!

 

Auntie Sadie and Emmy Lu

 

In the Trenches Taking Grenades…

My children are in cahoots and I am pretty sure they are plotting my demise.

I am a mommy of a 16 month old and a 1 month old.

I have been running on auto-pilot for at least the last few days.

Sleep is a luxury I just can’t afford right now…Not with these two monsters..uh…I mean angels.

I have broken down and given in to the coffee gods.

Motherhood is definitely not a job for the  weak or weary.

These children give me immeasurable joy, love, and happiness all the while they are sneakily and slowly sucking the life from me.

I am in the trenches taking grenades left and right.

 

All joking aside..I am secretly loving it because I know that before I know it, they won’t need me as much.

They won’t cry for me and run to me.

I know that all the life and energy they are getting for me is giving them the building blocks for lives of their own.

 

I’ll remember all this next time I JUST get Emmy Lu to sleep and suddenly hear Tanner playing in his crib saying “Mama, mama…car??” BOOM…here comes another bomb…

1 month old

She’s 1 month old.

She just started her first pack of size 1 diapers.

She smiled at me yesterday. 

She has us all wrapped around her little finger and doesn’t even know it.

Our Sweet Emmy Lu

Baby Boom!!!

My wonderful friend Annie and her husband Shane, who I took maternity photos for in June had their beautiful baby girl, Charlie Rose McConnell on Monday afternoon.  Here was one of my favorite pictures that I was not able to share until after the birth, since they were keep the little cutie’s name under wraps.

I am SOOOOO happy for them and their families.  This little girl is a first for them and I know will bring them all of the wonderfully crazy things that parenthood has to offer.

 

I also did ANOTHER shoot with some of our best friends, Jeff and Malinda.  They are expecting a little girl in just a little less than a month.  They are two of my favorite people on this planet and parenthood will for sure only make them more exceptional than they already are!!  (Did I mention that I set them up??? I am pretty proud of this) I guess I just saw how awesome they were individually and guessed right in thinking that the awesomeness would be even better together.

Malinda is one of those pregnant ladies who looks like she swallowed a basketball.  She has not “puffed” up in other places too like some of us are so lucky to experience.  She is a beautiful woman and makes a great photography subject.

 

 

 

I have one more photo shoot to set up with another friend who is due with yet ANOTHER girl in Sept.  I can’t wait and am more than excited to welcome these women into mommyhood!!

15 month and 2 week check ups

In my last post of venting about how I despise being sick I forgot to mention some good news :)  Among the puking, etc and WITH the help of my wonderful mother.  Both kids had check ups yesterday.  I am happy to report that besides the flu bug, Tanner is an extremely happy and healthy little boy.  Here are his stats-

Height:  31.5 inches  55%

Weight: 25 lbs 4 oz  57%

Head 19 1/8 inches 84%

He was NOT happy about his shots but was quickly distracted by the toys and kids in the waiting room and seems fine today.

 

Emmy Lu is also doing great!!  Having some nursing issues with Tanner and his weight gain as a newborn, I was particularly nervous about successfully nursing this time.  It is something I strongly believe in and REALLY REALLY wanted it to work.  Good news- IT IS!!!  Here are her stats:

Height:  20 inches

Weight: 7 lbs 13.5 oz (she has reached her birth weight PLUS some which they say is really good)

Head: 14 inches

 

Happy, Healthy, Beautiful Children!!!  What more could a mommy ask for??

Sick Days

As a stay at home mom, this is my definition of a sick day. (Note: It does not include ANYTHING about taking time off to lay on my couch)

Sick Day: (noun)  A day you spend either;

a) cleaning up puke (multiple times), wiping running noses, changing less than solid diapers, while trying to sanitize each and every solid surface in your house until Daddy finally gets home and can give you at least a TINY break (because sick kids ALWAYS want their Mommys)

OR

b) feeling miserable because despite your best efforts you somehow caught the bug your child had- now they are feeling better and want to play so you suck it up, put on your big girl pants and count the hours in the day until Daddy gets home.

 

Lucky me, have had a sick week in my house.  Tanner fought off another double ear infection before the 4th of July weekend, THEN this past week he caught some other bug which involves LOTS and LOTS of vomit, crankiness, fever.  He is usually such a happy-go-lucky guy that it is usually hard to figure out when he isn’t feeling good.  This week-not so much…between the projectile vomit, the crying, and slight fever, I was quick to catch on.

Today, I am now feeling this bug…ICK!!  I have been muscling my way through it because as a mom to a nursing newborn and a attention demanding toddler- let’s face it- I don’t have time to be sick.  I am just SOOOOOO thankful Tanner and Emmy Lu are easy going children and can bear with me on these (hopefully) few and far between sick days.  (But hey, even with these “sick days” I still wouldn’t trade all the time home with my kiddos for anything!! But a day off on a day like today sure would be nice).

Here’s to feeling better SOON!!  I have too much stuff to do.

Big Brother

Tanner is turning out to be a GREAT big brother to Emmy Lu.  He insists on giving her many many kisses a day, although we are still working on the “gentle” aspect of it so he does not just head butt her with an open mouth.  When Emmy Lu cries, he is the first one heading over to see what is wrong and making sure everything is ok.  Here are some pictures of my little munchkins.  Have I mentioned how IN LOVE I am???

 

 

 

 

Twenty Eight and Feeling Great

Today I turn 28 and boy oh boy do I have some great things to celebrate.

I am not celebrating with some big party.

I am not celebrating with a fancy dinner.

I am not celebrating by having a cocktail.

However, I am celebrating by spending the day with two of the most beautiful, sweet children in the world.

We are having a quiet day full of cuddling, playing, loving each other, and waiting for Daddy to join us.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Each year, my life gets better and better. I can say with all honesty that I know- with the core of everything I am- how extremely lucky I am.

Of course things are not always perfect, BUT on days like today, it is REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to find anything to complain about.

This past year has brought along some BIG changes (relocation, baby, new jobs, etc) but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

I can only hope that upon turning 29 I will feel just as lucky, loved, happy, and complete as I do now.