The New Addition To The Collection

Here is this years masterpiece. There is a rainbow, some circles, there was a happy face until she thought it needed more pink, and one really wonky baby foot. He was really really squirmy so it didn't turn out like I had hoped, but oh well! That's all part of the fun. I think it is absolutely perfect!

My Favorite Tradition

I love celebrating Father's Day. Dad's work hard. They do so much and they deserve to feel special. Every year for Father's Day Miss. S has painted a special Father's Day painting for Denny. The first Father's Day she was only 9 months old so I helped out quite a bit. Each year she takes over a little more. This year she pretty much did the whole thing by herself. Well besides a little help from Mr. Z's foot (our son has some crazy feet!).

Out of any holiday tradition this is by far my favorite. S has so much fun painting with the "special" paints and she gets so excited to give Denny something she made with her own two hands. It is truly something special for everyone. Plus don't they look so cute all lined up like that? This years piece isn't in the above photo (Duh! Can't ruin the surprise!) but let me tell you she did a great job. She picked out everything from the canvas to the colors. It was so much fun!

Catching Up

I have so much to catch up on. My parents came to town and disrupted my life in the best way possible. I have several things I've been meaning to post but haven't had the chance to. I'm working on getting my house and routine back to normal but I will be back really soon!

P.S. Does anyone else love the new blogger features as much as I do? The new mobile version and preview button are fantastic!

Monthly Photo Project: 2 Months Old

Can you believe this little guy is TWO months old already? He's gotten so big. I had a lot of fun with this picture this time around because he was making all kinds of cute faces. He is just downright delightful!

DIY Accessories Round Up

I've been searching for fun, easy DIY accessories for a while now. Here are some of my favorites that I've found.

image found via Green Wedding Shoes

1. The most beautiful shoe clips out there. Shown above.

2. You would never guess what this bracelet is made out of. LOVE IT!

3. I'm dying to make this belt. Such a great way to add interest to your little black dress.

4. I've always been a fan of turquoise and I love braids. Therefore I love this necklace.

5. There is nothing more girlie than glittery bows. This headband would add a touch of whimsy to any outfit.

6. A perfect linen summer scarf. Light weight for warmer weather.

I'm trying to get the tutorial done for tomorrow so check back. If not tomorrow then Saturday for sure. I'm still trying to figure out how to manage my time with two kids. Bare with me!

If I had a Million Dollars...

And some place fancy to go.

I guess if I had a million dollars I would have plenty of fancy places to go to right? Actual retail price $2,500 from JCrew.

Deep Discussion: Breast Feeding

I know I promised a DIY accessory a couple days ago and I didn’t deliver. I’m really sad about it but I came down with another killer bout of mastitis. Which brings me to this post about Breast Feeding. I've had a lot of thoughts on this subject the last couple days and I just want to vent a moment.

When I was preparing to have Miss. S I remember having a conversation with Denny about whether I was going to breast feed or not. I told him I didn’t care either way. That I would try breast feeding but if it didn’t work out then I would go to formula. After she was born it was a whole different story. I all of a sudden felt this over whelming desire to breast feed exclusively. Like it was my duty to give this little girl the best nutrition possible for her. There were a lot of other reasons why it was important to me also. However she did not take to it very easily. It took her two weeks of crying, sleepless nights, appointments with lactation consultants, over a pound of weight lost, but she eventually got it. I breast feed her for a year. Those first two weeks though were probably two of the hardest weeks I have ever experienced. It wasn’t smooth sailing after that, but it did get easier. Unfortunately in that year I got mastitis probably 8 times. I know that you are thinking I’m straight up crazy for continuing to breast feed after having mastitis even twice. It really feels like your dying. But I was determined and I felt like I had to.

Now I have this new little boy. He’s six weeks old and already I have had mastitis twice. It’s like nothing I ever experienced with Miss. S. It is so much worse. A couple nights ago I had a break down because of this internal war over to keep breast feeding or to stop. I was feeling overwhelming guilt over wanting to stop. I was in so much pain and I was so very sick that it just seemed like I couldn’t go on with it. There was a lot to consider though with the decision. We already know that he is sensitive to milk. His pediatrician told us to use a specific formula if we choose to go that route. That formula costs $21 for a 12 ounce can. That right there made me think that I had to keep on going with breast feeding. There are so many reasons though as to why I wanted to keep going, but the cost was a big part. Also the knowledge that breast is best. I didn’t want to compromise and give him something that isn’t as nutritious.

I feel like a lot of times woman feel like they have to breast feed no matter what and if they don’t then they feel like they are looked down upon. I know a lot of woman feel guilty if they don’t or they can’t. I know that these feelings are wrong. Formula fed babies are just as healthy and happy as breast fed babies. My sister has fed all three of her children soy (Gasp!) formula and they are super healthy, smart, talented kids. Mothers should not feel guilty about the decision to go to formula. I do feel like there is a lot of pressure to breast feed. From doctor’s, from birthing classes, from the media (yeah not every woman is blessed to have perfect boobs like you Giselle), certain social circles, family members or friends. I think the pressure is pretty unfair. If a mother gives breast feeding a good try and it just doesn’t work for them they shouldn’t be judged in a negative light. There really is no reason to feel guilty… but I did feel guilty…

Until I went to the doctor yesterday. She made the decision really easy for me. She told me flat out to stop. She related her own struggles with mastitis. How with her first child she had it three times the final time landing her in the hospital for surgery. How she almost lost her breast. She highly encouraged me to pump exclusively. Honestly when she said that my heart sunk a little. I hate pumping. She made a good case for it though. Your baby still gets all the benefits of breast milk. Instead of feeding for 40 min. every three hours you pump for 20 every three hours. Anyone can help with feedings. So Denny can take a night time shift every now and then and we can leave him with Grandma if we want a date night. She also pointed out that $21 a can is a lot cheaper than a hospital stay and surgery. So if we needed to supplement with formula then we need to keep that in mind. She said I needed to consider my safety and happiness. If I’m constantly sick or struggling with breast feeding I’m not going to be a very happy Mom. So that’s it. I was sold. Every other Doctor or lactation consultant told me there wasn’t anything I could do. I just had to tough it out. I appreciated her advice so much. Toughing it out was just not working any longer. And you know what I don’t feel the slightest bit of guilt.

So I'm sorry about the lack of posting this week. I could hardly hold my baby let alone type out post. I'll get caught up over the weekend though and hopefully I'll have those DIY's ready for Monday!

Monthly Photo Project

This is not a completely new and unique idea. In fact I originally got the idea from my sister Aubrey. She has taken a monthly photo of all three of her children. I wish I would have thought of it when Miss. S was a baby. I feel bad that I didn't. However I'm excited to do it for Mr. Z. Since seeing my sister do this I have seen many other bloggers out there taking monthly photos of their sweet babes. Sherry and John at Young House Love took weekly (now that is dedication) photos of their little girl with a different fabric back drop every time. I thought that was perfect because I have loads and loads of fabric on hand. I probably won't have to pick out fabric for maybe 6 months. So each month for the first year of Mr. Z's life I'll be taking his picture on a different fabric back drop. For two reasons to document his first year of life and also to improve my photography & photoshop skills. As you can see this first one is a little rough, but my little man is perfect! Hopefully you'll not only see what a handsome little guy he turns into but you'll see some improvement in the photos.

Becoming A Big Sister

Obviously for good reason the posting the last couple weeks has been sparse. Also I haven't been working on any projects. So the posts have been pretty Baby oriented. I'll get back in the swing of things soon. Right now I have a lot on my mind when it comes to this little lady. I thought she was more ready than I was to have a new baby in our home. She's been asking for a sibling for a really long long time. She loves babies. She has been so excited. I thought it would be an easy transition. Well I thought wrong. Her behavior has been subpar to say the least. She has picked up new bad habits. She is reckless around her little brother. She says really mean things. Last night I heard for the very first time her utter the words "I don't like you". I know it will happen again, but man that first time stings. And forget about her listening skills. They have all but vanished. She won't do anything I ask her to do. And she does everything I ask her not to do. Don't get me wrong she still has her sweet moments. It's just her attitude and behavior goes from sweet to ultra sassy in a matter of seconds. I guess I'm looking for some advise. How did you handle the transition from one child to two? How did you help your first child cope with this enormous change? I know it's hard on her. I feel sorry for her more than anything. I just really want to help her. I want her to know we still love her the same, and that we think she is important. I guess the good thing is she really loves her little brother. It's quite cute. I think they will have a good relationship as he gets older. That is a comforting thought.

There's Nothing Quite Like it

Sleep. Ahhhhh. Sleep is good. When we had Miss. S we got none of it. Zip. Zilch. Nada. This little man is 100% different. He sleeps all the time. Of coarse now I just jinxed myself. So I'm knocking on wood as we speak. Even if he decides not to sleep at some point in the future right now I'm really enjoying it. Ahhhhh... sleep. I think I'll go take a nap now.

My Best Project

I'm sure you know by now that we welcomed our little man into the world earlier this week. He arrived on Tuesday March 29th at 2:55pm weighing in at a whopping 8 lb. 6 oz. We are both doing great! Forgive me if I disappear for a few days. I'll be busy loving on my new little munchkin. He is so amazing!

Mommy Guilt & Japan Relief

I must be really tired today or this pregnancy is just starting to take it's toll on my emotions. I've noticed over the last couple days that my patience level is on a rapid decline and Miss. S has been particularly whinny. Not a good combination. That means more shouting and snapping from me. Poor thing. She really doesn't deserve it. I just can't stand to hear another "Mommy" in a high pitched whine. It's driving me bonkers. I'm sure it's from lack of sleep. I wake up about ten times a night now either to use the loo or adjust my sleeping position. I feel really bad. I should be really enjoying these last couple weeks where it's just the two of us. Playing with her, taking her on outings, painting with her or just laughing with her. It makes me sad to think that we won't ever be just the two of us again and this is how I'm spending my time with her. Counting down the minutes until nap time so that we can both get some much needed rest. Generally we really have been having a good time together. It's just been the last couple days. Which is really bad timing. Cause today when she went down for a nap I turned on the news and immediately the guilt set in. I have no right at all to complain about anything right now let alone a whiney child. If that's the least of my problems then I'm pretty blessed. Watching the coverage of the Earthquake/Tsunami aftermath over the past few days has put a lot of things into perspective. Just imagining all the children who lost their parents or the parents who are missing their children makes me ache to my very core. And here I am safe and sound and grouchy. That is just so wrong. It definitely makes me take a second look at how I need to change my attitude. How I need to count my blessings and love the ones who are around me.

As I watch the footage on T.V. of everything that's happening in Japan I'm moved to want to do more. I know that every little bit helps at this time of need. Last night we we were going through all the things we need to give away. We thought for a moment about just walking them out to the trash. Then the guilt set in. I knew we couldn't just throw perfectly good items in the trash when so much was needed else where. This morning I reed this blog post at Tea Rose Home and was reminded that you don't need to donate tons of money for it to make a difference. Even the smallest donation goes to good use. I encourage you to read that post. The author is directly effected by the Tsunami as she is from one of the areas that was hit the hardest. She still has most of her family and friends there. She did a lot of research as to the best places to donate to. I'm adding this button to my sidebar. If you would like more information as to what you can do to help just click on the button.

It will take you to her post and then direct you to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Humanitarian Aid page. I am a member of this church and I know that all donations go towards those who are in the greatest need. I mentioned last week that we had a quilting night with the teenage girls that go to church with us. We were assembling quilts to donate to the church. I can only hope that soon they will be on their way to those who are effected in Japan. Just remember every little bit helps. The people of Japan and any others who are effected are in my prayers daily.

In the Home Stretch

We are in the final few weeks before we have another little baby in the house. I would love it to be a little sooner. I'm sure everyone at this point feels like that. It's crazy to think we will not only have one little person to be responsible for but two. It's exciting, but a little scary at the same time. Most of all we are excited to meet him. We're curious to see if we will have another blondie or maybe he'll look a little more like his Mommy. I'm anxious to see what his temperament will be and what he will bring to our little family. I'm ready to know him.

I still have a couple more projects I want to get done before he arrives. So I'm going to keep blogging every day until I we go to the hospital. Then it might be a little more sparse. Hopefully we'll get our schedule back on track quickly though. Cross your fingers for us!

My Amazing Sister-In-Law

This is Katie...

She's Denny's younger sister. She's pretty awesome. She lives in Los Angeles and has worked really hard to be a professional actress. She's appeared in a slew of nation wide commercials, guest spots on T.V. shows, and several independent films. You know what? Her hard work has paid off big time! A pilot she worked on back in November was officially picked up by ABC Family!!! It's called Switched At Birth and will begin this summer. It will air after The Secret Life Of The American Teenager. If you would like to know more about it here are a couple articles. One on Entertainment Weekly, and the other on The Hollywood Reporter. We are so excited and proud! I can't tell you how awesome it is to see all the hard work she has put into this career pay off. We love you Katie!

Signing Off

Christmas Card Photo 2010

We are heading to Utah for Christmas. So posts will be sparse... if there are any at all. I hope that everyone has a lovely and safe Christmas and New Years. We return home January 3rd. Until then enjoy your holiday season!