the pieper life

A Mother of Three

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 21:46:00 +0000

It took us a painfully long time to name our newest daughter (nearly a whole day!), and because I don't want all that deliberation to go to waste, her blog name will be Addie, which is a nickname for our runner-up name.

I never understood the appeal of sharing birth stories until I became a first time mom and suddenly it was a rite of passage of sorts to share all the details with other moms. When sharing my experience, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to skew the story to emphasize my strength and courage, or if I would earn more points if I played up the drama and had all listening ears horrified by the end. Truthfully, I still don't know which one is more impressive. If you find out, you can let me know.

It all started at about 1 am Friday morning. I was having a hard time sleeping and I realized that I was having what felt like Braxton Hicks contractions, but at pretty regular intervals. When I started timing them, sure enough, they were regular and getting closer together. I didn't feel any pain aside from the discomfort from the tightening, but I was sure that we would have a baby that day which of course did not help me fall back to sleep. I remember tossing, turning, and timing contractions until about 3 am, when I finally fell asleep.

I woke up at 5 am and began timing my contractions again. This time the contractions were a little more painful (like a mild menstrual cramp) and began lasting longer and coming closer together. Now I completely gave up on sleep and took a shower and began packing the last few things into my hospital bag. I woke Joseph up around 6 am and told him to get ready because we were going to have a baby!

Lucky for us, my mother-in-law was visiting from Idaho and so we were not scrambling to get the kids up and off to a sitter before we left for the hospital. Our kids are habitually early risers and so we were able to kiss them and tell them we were on our way to the hospital. J was especially tickled when we told him that today would be the baby's birthday.

We left home about 6:30 am and headed to the hospital. I was relieved when we made it there before the morning traffic, but I was also nervous because I had stopped timing my contractions and now that we were in the parking lot, I was sure they had stopped all together. Curse my pride, but I knew I would be so embarrassed walking into the hospital thinking I was in labor with my third baby, only to have them send me home. So, my patient and loving husband walked laps with me for about 45 minutes around the hospital and surrounding blocks until I was sure something was happening.

In the elevator ride up to Labor and Delivery, I continued to be so nervous that they would send me home. We made it upstairs, checked in, and they gave me a robe and a sectioned off portion of a triage room. The nurse continued asking me questions and I could tell she didn't think I was in labor. She hooked me up to the monitors and then said she would return in 20 minutes to check me for dilation.

When she came back to check me, we were all surprised when she told me that I was dilated to 8 cm and it was time for them to find me a room. She admitted she didn't think I could be that far along based on how I was acting, but I was just celebrating the fact that I wasn't crazy and we would be having a baby soon. After that the nurses were very quick about hooking up my IV, finding me a room, and calling the anesthesiologist.

In my delivery room, the anesthesiologist came and went and we were told that it was a busy day in Labor and Delivery and our doctor would be in as soon as possible. By 9:30 am we were settled in the room, happy with an epidural, and patiently waiting. We passed the time by trying to agree on a baby name and trying to find something worthwhile to watch on TV. We failed miserably at both.

The nurses continued to check on us, but after a few hours not much had changed. The doctor finally came in around 12:30pm to break my water and help things along. After my water was broken, the nurse had me move to my side to help the baby flip so she would be in the right position. Soon, I felt a big movement and I knew that she had moved. It wasn't long after that I realized that my right side was completely numb from the epidural, but my left side was left numb. In fact, after she flipped my contractions became MUCH stronger and suddenly I could feel it on my left side. OUCH! By the time the nurse came back in I told her that I was very much feeling my contractions on one side and I really needed to push.

She immediately called for the anesthesiologist and the doctor, but she told me to be prepared to have the baby without either of their help. She put on gloves and said that she would deliver the baby if necessary. At that point, I was in a lot of pain from the contractions on my left side and it took my complete concentration to breathe through the contractions while trying not to push. The anesthesiologist made it and adjusted my epidural, while the doctor ran in and got ready.

Thankfully, soon I was much more comfortable and the doctor gave me permission to push. After pushing for about 30 minutes, our dark haired little baby girl came into the world! The doctor and nurses were surprised and said, "That is a big baby!" to which I couldn't believe because my other two babies were right around 7 lbs. Sure enough, after taking guesses our baby girl was weighed and she was 8 lbs 6 oz, 21 inches long.

Because I delivered at a Baby Friendly hospital, she was weighed and then given right back to me for skin to skin, before she had even been wiped off much. They let me have what they call a "golden hour" where they left me alone with the baby to snuggle, kiss, and begin breastfeeding. It was heaven to hold her close and check out all her little rolls.

Later that afternoon, Joseph brought the kids and Grandma to come and meet Addie. And just like that, my hospital room filled with children and I realized that I was the mother of three.

Read Ellie's birth story here.

Quiet Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0000

I've been a mother long enough to know that when your child is missing and being quiet, it means that messy mischief is most certainly going on. (Last week, it was large bottles of baby powder emptied on the floor and two guilty children.)

But sometimes, as I go running looking frantically for the child that is suspiciously quiet, I find them with a book. And then my mommy heart is happy. And then I obviously go find my camera to capture the moment in as many possible angles as I can.

When I was pregnant with J, I was an Early Childhood Education major with big dreams of how to best raise a child. Our impending parenthood paired with my coursework in child development and pedagogical strategies assured me that we would know what would be best for our child and we would implement it every time.

(Insert mild eye-rolling and laughter here.) Needless to say, our visions of parenthood quickly changed when we became parents.

One of our main priorities as new parents (that actually lasted) was to make intentional decisions in the lives of our children. We wanted to have valid reasons for at least most of the things we included in our children's lives. So when we moved a few months after J was born, we sold our television and haven't owned one since.

All this is to say, we filled our home with books instead which has made these quiet moments of reading and enjoying books a daily occurrence at our house. I have LOVED exploring the world of children's literature with my kids and I love that we quote books instead of movies at our house. I feel a great bond as a family because we have many friends in common, like Trixie, Mercy Watson, Benny Alden, and Wolfie.

I should say that I do not feel that television is evil or parents who watch television with their children are careless. I feel like all parents have those one or two things that they are passionate about (organic snacks, stylish clothes, cloth diapers, and on and on....), and my thing just happens to be reading and limiting screen time.

There are times, like every day at 5 pm when I am trying to make dinner, that I wish I had a television and Daniel Tiger to get me through! But I know myself and feel I would use the television too often to entertain my children and so I have to just abstain all together. Thanks to Gretchen Rubin, I understand this tendency about myself.

And if my kids grow up thinking that only hotels have the luxury of a television, that is just fine by me.

Mr. Four

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 11:30:00 +0000

As of last week, we have a four-year-old living at the Pieper residence.

But this is not just any four-year-old, as he informed me during his annual birthday interview (see age 3), he is a biker now. And I should have believed him, all the signs were plainly pointing to the fact.

After waking up and seeing his new balance bike tied with a red ribbon, he was on it and scooting to the table for breakfast. Then he was on it to scoot to his room to get dressed. he scooted back to the living room. And I even witnessed some scooting into the bathroom.

The first day it was so adorable to see this boy so very much in love with his bike that had so quickly become part of his identity. That first night, it was parked tenderly at the side of his bed. When he woke up the day after his birthday and scooted to the table for breakfast again, I wondered how long I would let this go on.

It was comical to me that we had been listening to Charlotte's Web on audio book because suddenly I felt that J was Fern and the bike was his new little Wilbur that would soon become too rowdy and too much of a hassle to keep in the house. When I mentioned that the bike should stay the night in the garage, I was quick to add that it would be a warm, safe place for the bike to sleep.

As of now, he is content with the bike staying outside all the time and loves to ride it whenever he can. I am a proud and content mama and I cannot help but think that this bike has given me a few more years before I need to get him a dog (or a pig).

Birthday Interview

How old are you? four-years-old
What is your favorite thing to do? ride my balance bike (keep in mind these was a matter of hours after receiving it)
What do you want to be when you grow up? a bike rider and ride to work like Daddy
What is your favorite food? birthday cake and birthday pie
Who do you like to spend time with? Mommy and Daddy
What do you do really well? take care of breakable Christmas ornaments, and ride my bike
What makes you laugh? Ellie saying, "Me-mouse!"
What is the best time of day? sleeping so I can grow
What are you afraid of? lightning and thunder
What do you like to do with your family? go somewhere
Where do you like to go? to see Super Grandma and Grandpa
If you had one wish, what would it be? a balance bike with pedals
If you could have any animal for a pet, what would you choose? a turtle named Wilpert

A Little Love Day Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:30:00 +0000

Do you know what I bet everyone LOVES to see?

Pictures of other people's kids. This is probably a slight exaggeration(with some sarcasm), but I'm sharing anyway because these are the little people I love. And you should love them too.

I don't know how it happened, but I found myself planning a Valentine's party for J and Ellie and their little friends. Because J's birthday is just a few days after the day of love, I figured it would be a fun way to celebrate and fill my house with little people all at the same time.

We started with a picnic, heart sun-catchers, and a few rousing games of Don't Eat Pete! (Have you ever tried explaining the rules of Don't Eat Pete to an adult? It is impossible to even imagine how it would be fun. But those little kids were DYING of laughter. It was one of the silliest things I have ever seen!)

All children were asked to bring a mailbox/bag and valentines to share. It was so adorable to see little hands rushing around handing out candy and cards while little eyes grew wide with the promise of sugar.

Then we headed outside for a wonderful homemade heart-shaped pinata which the children enjoyed whacking on their turn and walking too close to when it was not their turn.

J had his little heart set on sharing cupcakes with his friends, and I'm so glad it made his day when they sang "You've Had a Birthday" and he blew out his candle.

Temple Going

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 11:30:00 +0000

We take our weekends pretty seriously around here. With Joseph's busy season in its full tumultuous swing, our one day of pure bliss and Pieper family do-whatever-we-want-day is Saturday.

Last Saturday we filled to the rim with library, Target, Krispy Kreme, and grocery store runs. After a crazy fun morning and afternoon naps, we decided (after some prompting from Ellie) to take a family field trip to the temple grounds.

Visiting the temple here in Sacramento really is the whole package.
Large grassy places to play, check.
Fountains, check.
Wild turkeys and geese to chase, check.

On this particular Saturday it was very overcast with a determination to rain. We wandered. We explored. I relished the beautiful moody clouds.

I ended up with J by my side as I was photographing the temple. I loved hearing his thought process as he quietly snuck around looking for traces of turkeys. Every sound he heard MUST have been a turkey hiding around the next turn.

Much to our dismay, the turkeys managed to evade us. Do the sounds of small children scare wildlife?

We returned home with pockets full of acorns and a sincere, indescribable appreciation for the knowledge that because of temples, our family can be together forever.

Mom in the Frame Project

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 23:11:00 +0000

After completing another 365 project last year, I felt a little burned out. I love photography of course but the daily task of photographing, editing, and then posting can get overwhelming day after day.

When 2016 rolled around, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Then January 1st became January 11th and I still had not decided if I was going to start a daily project (a 366) this year. At that point I felt that it was too late to begin and then panic set in.

Looking back, the collections of photographs that I have from years of completing 365 projects (2013 and 2015), are truly some of my most prized possessions. And I know now that I regret not shooting everyday in 2014, the year Ellie was born and changed so much!

This year I have decided to focus on the one thing that was missing from the many photographs I have created and shared over the years... me! So I'm becoming more comfortable with my tripod and shutter remote and getting in the frame with my children.

I know it sounds like a vain sort of endeavor, but I really think I am doing it for my children. I *think* they might treasure these photographs some day.

I have joined Kristen Duke's Capturing Joy Photo Club for encouragement and a weekly prompt. This week's theme was "cuddling" and as you can tell, my children have a different interpretation of the word than I was expecting.

If you are working on a similar project, I would LOVE to see it! Please send me the link and share the love.

The Doctor is In

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 23:24:00 +0000

I've never been one to put much effort into holidays (besides Christmas and birthdays), but after seeing J's eyes light up when we hung paper bats from the light fixture, I decided to change my ways. He exclaimed, "We have a Halloween house!" with so much joy that it melted my heart.

We went to the library and scoured the shelves for Halloween books with a pumpkin sticker on the spine. (Our favorites being Creepy Carrots, Click Clack Boo, and I am a Witch's Cat.) We painted pumpkins and snacked on the roasted seeds.

The Pieper family enjoyed a week of Halloween festivities, which was just fine with me considering the time we put into the costume development process. (When J finally settled on doctor and not euphlosephalus or elephant, my time at the sewing machine was thankfully reduced.)

Ellie girl had her share of the fun as well with several costume changes for each activity throughout the week. She was a Super Girl turned puppy and was quite adorable as both. What can I say, this girl loves to wear anything and everything (and sometimes at the same time).

We enjoyed a play date at the park in costumes, a church Halloween Carnival, and of course the night of trick or treating itself.

After the first house and a HUGE handful of candy, J was ready to call it quits and start eating. When we told him he could go to more houses for more candy, he couldn't believe it. For the rest of the night we could hardly make him stop! If he witnessed even the smallest glimmer of light in a house, you had better believe that he was marching up to the door for his share of the sweets.

I don't know a doctor could have such a sweet tooth.

Although we only trick or treated a few houses, we all had SO much fun! And as a sort of Halloween Scrooge myself, I can't believe that I am actually excited for this spooky time of year to roll around again.

Miss Ellie: Month Ten

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 21:55:00 +0000

Dearest Ellie Dear,

Ten words to describe you at ten months:

Toothless
Here we are at ten months and still waiting for those two front teeth to arrive. But you don't let that stop your sampling of just about anything the family is eating.

Predator
Your brother is obsessed with learning about animals right now. The food chain and the concept of 'prey' and 'predator' is especially appealing to him. On good days, he lets you be a predator too, crawling and growling around the house looking for prey (usually Mommy or invisible gazelles).

Independent
Now that you are crawling and mobile, obviously you are old enough to go outside by yourself, right? You seem to believe so, but I'm not buying it. You find it especially offensive lately when the back door is closed and you are not allowed to roam freely, grazing from the garden and your favorite rock pile.

Adorable
But really I've always said this. As you've gotten older, the adorableness of your personality shines through more each day. You seem to have this funny sense of humor which always makes others smile.

Determined
You. just. never. stop.

Sassy
We use to get away with taking things from your hands, or pulling the old bait and switch, but not anymore. Suddenly you know what you want and if we try to take the toy, cell phone, or keys from your tiny grasp, we hear about it. You know that you have a voice and you make sure it is heard.

Destructor
Just ask your brother.

Dramatic
Yes you can crawl, but if you decide you are done crawling and want to be held, you lay your head on the ground and sob. Then, you look up with the saddest little face to be sure your parents are watching. This is repeated until you are picked up or distracted.

Upside down
Funny way to describe you but it is true.You like when your Dad holds you upside down and when he isn't, you try to replicate it by throwing your head off my lap or the couch.

Heaven
Cuddled up with your warm chubby body as we begin or end the day. Yes my dear, you are heaven.

Miss Ellie: Months Eight & Nine

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 04:23:00 +0000

Dear Miss Ellie,

I remember keeping track of and always waiting for the next milestone with your brother. I was so excited for him to begin rolling, crawling, walking! It was all so new and so exciting.

But with you, my darling dear, I find myself wanting to slow down time and keep you my baby forever. Those chunky cheeks, pudgy hands, and sweet baby babblings bring me so much joy.

These last two months I feel like you have quickly grown from the "I'm an angelic cooing baby" stage to the "Hide your shoes and vacuum this floor because I'm mobile and putting everything in my mouth" stage. Sigh.

You continue to be the first thing J is thankful for in his prayers.

You have quickly mastered the Cheerio to mouth milestone, usually you have one hand in your mouth and the other already reaching for another Cheerio.

Your usually cheery self became very frustrated for about a week while you struggled to crawl, spinning in circles or getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. But then you got it, and now you are crawling and getting into just about everything, with a HUGE smile on your face (and sometimes your tongue sticking out in concentration).

J is having the most difficult time with this adjustment. "She was right there..." with a look of disbelief on his face. He is on constant high alert, moving his books, train tracks, and legos to higher ground.

Still no teeth yet, but you have two little bumps on your lower gums that I look promising. (Promising teething, miserable nights.)

Just today you pulled yourself up to the couch, the dishwasher, and the toy box. And when I put out my hands for you to steady yourself, you kindly push them away. Why crawl when you can walk, right?

Mr. Three

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:18:00 +0000

This interview was administered at the kitchen table during snack time. J was in an especially silly mood and so every answer was sprinkled with giggles. I did not transcribe the giggles because "ha ha" would not have done them justice.

These photographs were taken on our bed when I asked him to jump for me. Turns out three-year-olds do not like to cooperate without bribery. Enjoy!

Birthday Interview
How old are you today? three years old
What is your favorite thing to do? nice things, go outside and play
What do you want to be when you grow up? get a movie and be a doctor

What are your favorite foods? strawberries, graham crackers, butter, and apples
What do you do really well? hold alligators, build with legos and eat
What makes you laugh? throwing Ellie away

What is the best time of the day? snack time and lunch time
What are you afraid of? just the spirits
What do you like to do with your family? open presents

What do you like to learn about? tents and dinosaurs
Where do you like to go? Florida and the library
What is your favorite book? the Magellan penguin one and Mercy Watson

Under Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 00:09:00 +0000

Friday was laundry day at the Pieper house. As I was putting the clean sheets back on our bed, two littles were caught under the covers.

I love these photographs.

I love that starting another daily photography project encouraged me to get under the sheets and photograph their laughs and giggles.

Capturing these small details of our everyday lives has been so good for me. These are the moments I don't want to forget.

Miss Ellie: Months Six & Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 23:48:00 +0000

Dear Ellie,

If the biggest news that happened last time was you losing your hair, the biggest news this time is that your hair is growing back! Now we still don't have the long, dark, wavy goodness you had a few months ago, but I'll take it.

So what has happened in your miniature pieper life these last two months?

YOU:
- celebrated your first Thanksgiving with your first spoonful of oatmeal. And have since tried rice cereal, sweet potatoes, and bananas from mommy. And chocolate pudding from daddy.

- flew on your first airplane to Las Vegas.

- celebrated your first Christmas morning with lots and lots of crunchy wrapping paper and bows.

- started talking! I'll ask, "Ellie, are you the most adorable baby in the world?" And you say, "yayayayaya...."

- are starting to go places. While still on the cusp of crawling, you are a master of rolling and spinning around to get most things (edible and not) into your mouth.

- visited Idahome for the first time where you learned about dogs, snow, and doting grandparents.

- learned how to give kisses by grabbing the sides of my face and pulling it towards your own. Your mouth is open and exceptionally slobbery of course.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but you and J are just about the cutest together. Sure sometimes it becomes a screaming scratching battle, but more often than not you guys are laughing uncontrollably.

"I love you sweetie," he says. "You are a porcine wonder," he says.

A Day in the Pieper Life

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 14:00:00 +0000

6:15am- I'm woken up by Ellie shrieking happily in bed. She is instantly forgiven when I see her smiling face in the dark. While I feed her I say my morning prayers and notice the light coming through the window. I grab my camera and decide to photograph our day.

6:40am- Change Ellie's diaper and get her dressed. Take down diapers that were hung to dry and fold and put away. I hear J make noises in his room but he must be staying put until his alarm beeps.

6:55am- J's alarm beeps and I go into his room to say good morning and open his window. "The sun is waking up!" Then it is time for breakfast. J gets out a bowl and spoon and asks for cereal. I start water boiling on the stove for my (and J's eventual) oatmeal. I unload the dishwasher while I wait for the oatmeal. Joseph leaves unusually early for work to drive to a client site.

7:15am- Oatmeal is finished and J wants some too (moms always know). His goes in the freezer to cool off. He puts his dishes away in his cupboard while he waits. After eating I load the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher.

7:35am- Ellie goes down for a nap. J helps me make the bed. He plays Legos while I get ready for the day.

7:50am- I join J playing Legos. We build a train and a huge tower.

8:30am- Ellie wakes up and joins us in J's room to play. We listen and sing along to primary songs. We clean up the Legos and play cars instead.

9:00am- I feed Ellie and discuss the day with J.

9:30am- We decide that it is too cold to play outside so he settles for fingerpainting. We check on his pet snail and caterpillar.

9:45am- Trucks! (I love how he lines them up because they are all friends.)

10:00am- Ellie goes down for her second nap.

10:05am- Bananas for snack time. I clean the kitchen while J goes to play. I'm called in for an emergency intervention between McQueen and the ambulance. Someone was pushing and would not say sorry. We talked through things and all parties were satisfied with the results.

10:45am- I finished cleaning and join J to play. He asks for the marching song. We march around his room to "The Saints Go Marching In" on repeat about 100 times. Workout for the day, check! J gets tired out too and asks to wrestle(rest) and read in bed. We read Mercy Watson to the Rescue.

11:45am- Ellie wakes up and I feed her.

12:30pm- Lunchtime. J makes his own peanut butter sandwich, and even put the jars back in the fridge when he was done. And I only saw him lick the knife once!

12:45pm- We take our lunch and a blanket outside and have a picnic in the backyard.

1:00pm- I load the lunch dishes in the dishwasher while J hangs upside down on a chair. (He's eating second lunch inside. This boy is always hungry). I vacuum the living room while the kids sit at the table. Over the hum of the vacuum, I hear screaming and look over. Sure enough, they are just seeing who is louder.

1:20pm- Ellie goes down for her afternoon nap.

1:30pm- Start nap time routine. We clean up toys. Read 2 books on the couch. J picks 1 scripture story. J asks to say a prayer. "Thank you for Mercy Watson..." (the pig from his book).

2:00pm- J is finally in bed.

2:01pm- Both kids are sleeping and the countdown begins. I run to my room and start scripture study. Today I'm listening to and studying Elder Holland's talk, "Are We Not All Beggars?"

3:00pm- I start to outline my paper for my Marriage and Family class.

3:15pm- Ellie wakes up. I feed her while checking my email and doing Pinecone surveys. I make $6 answering survey questions about coffee. I open Lightroom and work on editing pictures.

4:00pm- J wakes up. We get suited up and in the stroller for a quick walk to the library.

5:00pm- We get home from the library. I kick J's cup of Cheerios from the stroller ride all over the living room I just vacuumed earlier. I laugh and help J clean them up. I try to put Ellie down for a nap but she is not interested.

She goes in the high chair to watch J and I make dinner. Tonight it is scrambled eggs and hash browns (quick and easy because Joseph is still at work). J helps by opening up the egg carton and mixing the raw eggs with the few that were hard boiled and set aside. I play egg roulette to make scrambled eggs. We eat and I clean up dinner and start the dishwasher.

6:00pm- I feed Ellie and read J from the stack of new library books.

6:45pm- Joseph gets home. Ellie is over-tired and so I go to her room to sing and cuddle her to sleep. The boys play with the train set and then chase each other around the house. Ellie is so tired, she falls right to sleep amid the loud fun.

7:00pm- Bedtime routine for J.

7:30pm- J is asleep in bed.

THE END

Miss Ellie: Month Five

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Oh Miss Ellie girl!

What happened this month?

Besides the disappearance of your hair? Not much. Let's just take a minute to silently mourn and compose ourselves before we move on.

You still love that binky and you think it is adorable that you can pull it out and chew on it and then stick it back in all by yourself.

You have come alive this month! We once thought we had a quiet and contemplative girl but we have been corrected (and love you still the same).

You love to wake up at 6:30am and shriek loudly (think "Yay! I'm on a rollercoaster" scream, not crying angry screams), until you get J awake and shrieking in his room too. Good morning at the Pieper household.

You also go CRAZY over bath time. Girl you kick and splash and scream like you are going somewhere important, and it is adorable.

You go berserk watching J and Dad run around the house and play. You scream and kick and laugh and giggle just like you are part of the fun.

Even though you have the hair-do of a balding man, people are gravitated towards you whenever we go out. Hair or no, you still have a charming personality and a smile that melts my heart.

And those blue eyes just keep getting more blue!

I love this picture!

This is exactly how I want to remember your naptimes. Snuggled up with your doll, binky, and hands crossed over your eyes. I see this several times a day and it is still so. darn. cute.

See your brother there? You guys are crazy for each other.

Even though he isn't always as gentle with you as he should be, he usually has your best interest at heart. He fetches burp clothes, puts dirty cloth diapers in the pail, and sings you the sweetest songs. He can make you laugh and giggle like no one else can.

This next month you will fly on your first airplane (get pumped!), visit family in Idaho for the first time, and celebrate your first Christmas!

In the Morning Light

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:00:00 +0000

I love these quiet, cold mornings. The kids stay in their pajamas until noon. We cuddle on the couch with a stack of library books and read the day away.

I read once that the trick to a great photograph is to look for the LIGHT first and then find your subject. A beautiful subject, whatever it is, will be lifeless and forgettable in dull lighting.

So when I noticed the stunning light streaming through the kitchen windows, I quickly grabbed my Ellie girl and my camera.

These are the moments I can't stand to forget!

My Backyard

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 04:24:00 +0000

When looking for a place to live in Sacramento, one of the things we really wanted for our family was a grassy, fenced yard. After living the last year in Las Vegas, we realized J did not understand grass when he assumed everything green was a cactus.

"A little boy needs a yard." We repeated over and over again.

And boy were we right! Oh the adventures and the fun we've had in this yard. Lucky for me, he lets me share and photograph what he affectionately calls, "my backyard."

Best part of the new yard? J made friends with the boys next door and has adorable conversations that I have the joy of listening to.

The Baby Made Me Do It

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 21:52:00 +0000

Sometimes, I get distracted from my homework by blog reading or Facebook. And sometimes all it takes is a napping baby and this macro technique.

When Life Gives You a Little Sister

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 23:10:00 +0000

you build a railroad around her.

Miss Ellie: Month Four

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Four months old! You rock girl!

Two nights ago I mentioned to your Dad that J had rolled from his back to his tummy by now. Since then you have been nonstop trying to roll over, and you've finally got it! It shows that you will NOT be outdone by anyone.

You love to sing (or what you think is singing). Last night I went to your room to tuck you in and tell you goodnight. I sang you "twinkle twinkle little star" as you began to doze off. As soon as I was finished, you spit your pacifier out with a smile and started shrieking high notes and then lower notes. Your Dad came in with a smile, "I thought you were putting her to bed!"

Oh my girl you have our hearts. There is not a single day that goes by that we don't repeatedly gush over you, "You must be the most adorable and beautiful baby, ever!"

Even J, "I love her really much!" Don't we all.

You live to smile and giggle. If I am holding you while talking to someone, you cannot help but steal the show and smile and coo until you have all the attention. You bat your long eyelashes and pretend you are shy and then come right back again with more dimpled grins.

This week in church we almost had to take you out, not because you were crying, but because your giggles and shrieks were getting quite loud as you talked to the whole congregation.

And your favorite person in the house? A cute little girl who lives in the mirror. You two have SO much in common and love to make each other laugh.

Obviously your smile is contagious.

Miss Ellie: Months Two & Three

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:18:00 +0000

Hello Sweetheart,

These past two months have been an absolute joy with you! You have stolen all our hearts, especially your brother's.

When you cry out he has to check on you. When you are playing on the floor he has to be near you, stroking your hair or talking really close to your face. He leans in close and whispers in your ear.

He always wants you near him, watching him do big boy things. He pulls the boppy pillow into his room by his Legos for you to watch him play. And I won't even mention how often you have to be there when he goes to the bathroom...

You continue to love snuggles and being held. Sometimes when I hold you to my shoulder and rock you to sleep, you lift your head and give me the sweetest smile. We are loving that you are now more aware of your surroundings and our faces. It is so fun to see your excited face and kicking legs when we pick you up from your bed.

You have us all convinced that you are just about the happiest and most perfect baby there ever was. (And we can believe that our completely biased hearts will tell us the truth every time.) Even when we had long long hours in the car driving between Las Vegas and Sacramento, you were giggling and sleeping most of the way.

You have what I call a perma-smile! Eating, sleeping, observing, and just about everything you do, you do it with a dimpled smile on your face. In our new home in Sacramento, you are absolutely in LOVE with the ceiling fans in every room. You coo, smile, and sometimes even excitedly scream at the fan.

Did I mention that you are adorable? J loves to cuddle up to you and say, "Look mom! We are best friends! Take a picture of us!"

And I do every time!

Toddler Truths (New Baby Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 20:30:00 +0000

After finishing my doughnut in the hospital, the first time he's seen his new sister.
J: Do you like doughnuts baby Ellie?
[ pause]
J: Do you like airplanes?

After I'd explained that I didn't have a baby in my tummy anymore.
J: Make another baby.
To Joseph.
J: Make another baby too! At the doctor's office!
Obviously someone has no grasp of where babies come from.

Serenading Ellie.
J: Nothing known before. Love is a Grocery Stooooore!
J's adaptation of "Love is an Open Door" from Frozen.

After J picked out a monkey rattle for Ellie.
Jessica: J, what should we name Ellie's monkey?
J: Ham.
Jessica: Ham?
J: Ham is the monkey in space.

Jessica: Ricky racky roo. I love you. Ricky racky ree. You love me.
J: Ricky racky roo. I love baby Ellie! Ricky racky ree. I love me!

Running up to Super Grandpa, only to find him holding Ellie.
[ pause ]
J: Oh no!
[ runs away ]

Miss Ellie: Month One

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 22:13:00 +0000

Because I have regretted not giving J more than a letter, our new baby girl will be called Ellie on the blog. J will say we are playing favorites already.

Dear Miss Ellie,

Congratulations on being one month old!

Because you won't remember much of this month because you have been practically sleeping nonstop (no complaints), I thought I would share a little about you from birth to one month old.

You were born with long dark hair that has since started to curl.

From the very beginning you have been a quiet and sleepy little girl. When you need something you will cry out once to get our attention but you really would rather not make a fuss.

You love to smile! Awake or asleep, your crooked grin and dimples gets us every time.

Likes:
- milk
- sleep
- having your hair brushed
- dancing with daddy
- tummy time

Dislikes:
- hiccups
- burps
- being swaddled (you only pretend)
- mom drinking milk and enjoying other dairy delights

It took a few weeks but now you and your brother are buddies (because he has finally acknowledged your existence). Your time spent together consists of learning to share toys and invading each others' bubbles. He has already adopted the role of protective older brother and provides helpful advice like, "Stay back Baby Ellie! Stay back!" or "Please stop crying Ellie. Please stop!"

It is hard to believe that you have only been in our lives for a month when it seems like you have been here all along. You are a joy and we love you Miss Ellie.

Love, Mom

PS: I've been taking a photograph of you each week to see how you (and your double chins) grow and grow!

A Birthday Story

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 03:16:00 +0000

Today is my due date. I am typing this post with a two week old baby sleeping on my lap.

Our story begins three weeks ago. I was 37 weeks pregnant and happily minding my own business. I had oodles of nesting projects to complete with plenty of time to do them. J was born three days past his due date and my doctor was convinced I would do the same with this girl.

I was so certain this baby would come late that I gave the okay for Joseph and his brother to climb Mt. Whitney in California that week. They were gone for three days (Monday to Wednesday), hours and hours away where they only had cell service at the summit and at the trail head. ( I was so tempted to send him a, "My water just broke!" text that I knew he wouldn't get until the next day. But I didn't.) Thankfully they made it home Wednesday night exhausted, sunburned, and thrilled to have conquered the highest peak in the continental US.

Just in time for Joseph to be home and take care of me, I became sick and unable to keep much in me. Joseph was the kind and dutiful husband and made runs for Jamba Juice and saltine crackers often. Thursday to Sunday I stayed sick in bed, making lists of things I still needed to do before baby. Like pack a hospital bag.

Sunday was Father's Day and Joseph had to go to church alone while J and I were still home sick. It was just after 2pm, J had just woken up from his nap while I was reading on the couch. I felt a gush, looked down and saw blood. Worst feeling ever. I called Joseph and told him to come home right away we needed to go to the hospital. (I didn't even know where the hospital was yet. Our tour of the maternity floor was scheduled a week later.)

Thankfully the church is less than five minutes away and so Joseph was home right away. We had no plans for what to do in this situation. On my to do list was, " Arrange someone to take J when we go to the hospital." So we all headed to the car, sans hospital bag (another thing on my to do list), with just my camera and my wallet. The essentials right?

We found the hospital and Joseph dropped me off at the entrance and had to go park the car. I laughed as Brian Regan came to mind. I wandered inside, told the help desk, "I think I'm having a baby?" and they wheeled me up to where I needed to go.

I was checked in, dressed in an adorable hospital gown, and given a corner of the triage room to wait to see a doctor. They hooked me and our baby up to the monitors and I was instantly calmed by listening to the steady beat of her heart. I was checked and told, "Hey you are dilating, let's wait and hour and see what happens."

For the next hour Joseph and I (J had been picked up by friends) talked about what we needed to pack and get ready after they sent us home. Because my contractions were weak we figured we could go labor at home, and come back when we were really ready. After being checked again, I had dilated another centimeter and the nurse was so excited that we could stay. "You are going to have a baby today!"

Change of plans! I hurriedly wrote out a list of things I needed and sent him home to pack. I was wheeled up to a labor and delivery room. "I'm having a baby today?" was all I was thinking the whole time.

The next six hours or so were fairly pleasant and a blur of contractions (getting bigger and Bigger and BIGGER), nurses checking me, an epidural, and my growling stomach. (Did I mention I hadn't eaten much for four days?)

Soon (who keeps track of time?) it was time to push and the doctor was called in. At this point I was still wondering, "I'm having a baby today?" After pushing through three contractions, our little girl was born at 10:45pm. Just in time to be the best Father's Day present ever.

Because I delivered at a "baby friendly" hospital, she was quickly weighed and given right back to me for me to cuddle and love. And we did. The End.

British Columbia

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 23:53:00 +0000

With a Canadian five-dollar note in our pocket and two stuffed backpacks (read: free personal items with Allegiant), we sent out on our international adventure to British Columbia. This trip was equal parts graduation, Joseph's birthday, four year anniversary, and babymoon celebration!

Our cultural experience began as we were waiting to take the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. Only Loonies can ride the merry-go-round.

Coming from Las Vegas, we couldn't help but gush over all the green and the trees as we drove from Swartz Bay to our resort just outside of Victoria. We probably embarrassed ourselves by breathing too deeply with a nonsensical, "Smell the green!"

Now for the best surprise of the day, keep in mind it was Joseph's birthday.

Way back almost four years ago, there were two slices of cheesecake waiting for us in the hotel mini fridge on our honeymoon. Ever since then, I have checked every hotel fridge we have stayed in just hoping that I would find something delicious. Surprisingly, I've never found any cheesecake. And I never thought Joseph knew what I was (obsessively) checking for.

Until I was checking out our room (fridge included) and found a whole plate of cheesecake! Joseph, on his birthday, arranged for management to have this delicious surprise waiting for me.

I will admit, it was my favorite birthday of Joseph's that we have celebrated so far! Bits of cheesecake with every topping you could ever hope for. Whole hazelnuts, sliced strawberries, crystallized orange zest, caramel, and crushed cookies.

Best cheesecake and best husband ever.

The rest of our four day vacation was filled with yummy food...

(Please don't ask how many Tim Hortons' doughnuts we ate.

I would be embarrassed to tell you.)

...breathtaking scenery...

... and lots of friendly Canadians!

Although we were a little disappointed when we only heard "Eh?" once, we loved being around the Canadian people. Strangers would come and ask us about our trip, make suggestions, and wish us a nice vacation.

The Canadian animals were also especially welcoming. We saw killer whales from the ferry, 30+ black/brown bunnies enjoying the highway median, and more bald eagles than I have ever seen!

Did you notice the absence of pictures of J? Well because J went with us last time, we decided that we would let his little (in utero) sister come solo on this one. But don't worry, my family came down to ~~spoil~~ take care of J when his parents were gone. And no, he didn't miss us one little bit.

Potty Train

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sat, 31 May 2014 22:28:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I mentioned that we wanted J to be potty trained by the time the new baby came. And by "we" of course I mean Joseph and myself because the trainee wasn't so interested.

We watched movies, read terrible books, and even sang songs about the potty. All the advice I received would naturally drive me crazy, "Just wait until he is ready."

Two weeks ago Joseph finished grad school and we decided we would tackle the potty training together.

Because we didn't want to feel like terrible parents and only bribe J for potty success with mini marshmallows...

Cue the potty train.

For every success, J earned a train car for him to color and add to his potty train. And as much as I would love to say that he was smitten with the idea and soon became a potty master, after a day (and 8+ train cars) he really didn't care anymore.

Turns out he just needed his dad to be home so he could run in screaming, "I peed, I peed! Show Daddy!"

Moral of the story: Move over you cute colorful train. Dads make the best heroes and potty training motivators around here.