Mama Mia (21 Months)

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes that baby in the baby carriage. A sweet story, but in reality, motherhood is no fairytale. It's a labor of love, that we would trust to no one else, and while some days are smelly, sticky, and stressful, we love our job as mommies- and love our babies even more. It's our job to raise them to be well-rounded, happy adults in a world where the pressure to be perfect can be overwhelming. On top of that, babies grow at an alarming rate...seriously, one day your wiping spit up, the next they are walking, talking children...theres hardly enough time to remember to go grocery shopping (because you're out of milk and diapers AGAIN), when are we supposed to get to the "important" stuff?

I've been so busy lately I've been trying to remind myself to step back and get some perspective. While I may stay home with Z, I still seem to overwhelm myself with daily tasks. That being said, she's the most important thing. SO if you drop by my house anytime, it may not be clean, and I may still be in my PJ's, but I'm choosing to sacrifice those things to spend the time with her that she needs.

So what is it I've been up to you ask? Well, a lot, actually. I have had LOTS of photo sessions over the past few months. Nothing like announcing your on hiatus to induce a frenzy of people booking before you're officially "done" for awhile. However, I am done taking any new bookings, and have just a few more sessions (and a Mt. Everest-sized mountain of editing), and I am officially taking a "break." 

In addition to photography, I have also been volunteering with SCU on their inauguration celebration of their new president, Dr. Reggies Wenyika- my former boss, and someone I respect a great deal. I'm honored to be working on the committee, and I love working with the folks at SCU- they are always so kind and welcoming. Next week, will be the inauguration, and then I will be gearing up to teach another adult-studies (night course) in October!

Then there is my new "job" at the Children's Day Out program. I'm several weeks in now, and I love it. It's so nice to go do something regularly each week, where I feel like I'm making a difference. It's also awesome for Z, because she gets to make new friends and learn new things. The downside is the germs. She got hand, foot, mouth, and I would not wish that horribleness on anyone. Z was SO sick last week, but was thankfully feeling well enough to attend CDO this week.

In addition to all that, we just got back from a brief "vacation" in South Carolina, where my SIL got married to my new BIL! It was a beautiful wedding, and she was kind enough to let me take the pictures! We had such a good time, and it was nice to get away for awhile. Z LOVED the beach, and thought the waves were hilarious!

It seems like there is a lot new with Z this month too...

Favorite Thing to Do: She has really got into coloring. She's actually pretty good at it too. She actually attempts to color in the lines (when it suits her), and can even make a #1! She seems to be right-handed (Andrew's disappointed)

Favorite Food: She likes corn dogs (I know, I know...healthy, right?). She still really likes fruit, and asks for "peashes" (peaches) all the time. 

New This Month:  She has started stringing words together in two and three word sentences. Some of my favorites are "thank you, mama (or dada)" and "I got you!"
Growth: I think she lost some weight with hand, foot, mouth. When we were at the doc, she weighed in at 23lbs.
Sleep: She has her ups and downs. She is still taking something of a morning nap some days, and other days only wants an early afternoon nap. It gets really confusing, and difficult to plan our day!

Speaking: Her vocabulary has really exploded this month. I have lost track of all her new words and phrases. It's crazy how they just start picking up and mimicking EVERYTHING you say! 

Movement: One of her favorite games is "ring around the rosie" where she spins until she falls down! She was also a hit at the wedding where she "twerked" to the music at the reception (she literally dances by putting her hands on her knees and shaking her booty...LOL you can't make this stuff up!)

Behavior: Yikes. Between the vacation where there was zero structure, and her illness last week, she has really fallen off the wagon. We are going to have to get back on-track because she's acting a little bonkers!

Fun and Sun

It's been a good month. Little Z is getting bigger by the day. She has started talking pretty well, and she can make her wishes known 99% of the time. Some of her favorite words/phrases are "oh no!", "please", and she loves to scream "mama" or "dada" on repeat if one of us leaves the room or walks away.


Since my last post, I have been helping SCU again with the planning of their inauguration festivities for their new President. It's a volunteer kind of thing, but I really enjoy working with them, and it's fun to help with the creative aspects. I have also been looking into possibly taking a position or subbing with a mother's day out program. I feel like it would really give Z a wonderful opportunity to socialize and learn from someone other than me and A.

I have also been keeping quite busy with photography. I started shooting in manual a few months ago,
which has opened up lots of doors creatively. I also joined an online group that provides some constructive criticism from pros. It has been amazingly helpful, and I feel like I'm improving daily!

As for Z, we have had to really crack down with some time-outs lately. She is sassy to say the least, and has developed the habit of throwing fits if she doesn't get her way. She has been doing better the last week or so since we cracked down. She's really a sweet little girl, but she has
her mommy's attitude. ;-)

I'm excited for our next vacation in a few weeks...we get to go to SC for my SIL's wedding! It will be beautiful, and I can't wait to take the pictures! Then, in January, A and I scheduled a trip to Ireland and London! I am over the moon about it, and am so pumped to share it all!

Here is what is new this month:

Favorite Thing to Do: She still loves swimming. We have got to take her to Andy Alligators twice now and she loves it!
Favorite Food: She has started being a bit more picky about food. One of her recent fav's is miso soup at the sushi restaurant!

New This Month:  She has started pointing to old injury's and saying (in her whiniest voice) "Oh No! A Boo Boo!"
Growth: I'm a little lost on sizes because she is right in the middle. I'm not sure what to get her for winter. She still fits 12 month shirts and shorts, but pants seem to be 18 months (and some shirts). I think she may be mid-growth spurt though.
Sleep: She has had some issues with losing her blankie in the middle of the night, but we nipped it and no more issues! She also seems to be eliminating her second (morning) nap, which is a relief.

Speaking: She loves to talk. She has recently started mumbling nonsense to us when we ask her a question. She is learning new words every day. 

Movement: This girl is bonkers. She runs, jumps, spins and dances. She also falls...a lot.

Behavior: We have had a few behavior issues with her, and she has definitely been a little sassy lately. We are working on it!

Short Update

Welcome to July!

Zoe visited the doctor last month. She has jumped in weight and height. She is now in the 47 percentile in weight (22.5lbs) and 53% in height. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she ends up at an average height! As always, her head circumference is on the bigger side at 81%.

I don't have much new this time around, so I'm mostly going to share some pictures from the past month...enjoy!

Here is what's new with Z this month:

Favorite Thing to Do: She has been enjoying the pool and playing golf with daddy!
Favorite Food: She's been enjoying lots of watermelon this summer!

New This Month: She says "cheese" whenever I pull out my camera or phone...even if I'm not taking a picture.
Growth: She's catching up, but still little. She's somewhere between 12 month and 18 month clothes.

Sleep: What a change in all of us now that this girl is sleeping! She is soooo much better behaved, and I'm a much nicer person :-)

Speaking: Her speech gets better every day. She's constantly surprising me with new words. I've lost count of the number of words she can say, but her newest favorite is "oh no!" when she drops something or it's broken.

Movement: She is one of the most un-balanced, clutzy toddlers ever. She constantly falls down. Good thing she's a tough girl and hardly ever cries when she falls!

Behavior: She has started saying "no" a lot. On the plus side, she has been giving hugs and kisses again (for a few months, she would only "allow" you to kiss her cheek, but never give the kisses). She also has started giving "eskimo kisses."

Cacio E Pepe : Cheese and Pepper Pasta

Cacio e pepe is one of our favorite dishes. It's a traditional Roman style pasta, and translates to "cheese and pepper." The ingredients are simple, but using the highest quality of those ingredients yields the best results. I've made this pasta with inexpensive ingredients from Walmart, and I've made this with high-quality ingredients from Whole Foods. Because there are so few ingredients in this dish, you can definitely taste a difference when you use the higher quality...it's so worth it!

So here is how it's made...


Ingredients:
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of Parmesan
1/4 cup of Romano or Asiago
1 lb of Linguini Pasta
Black Pepper corns (freshly ground) to Taste
Salt to Taste
1/4-1/2 cup of Reserve Pasta Water

Directions:
1. Boil Pasta
2. While boiling pasta, in a deep skillet, melt butter along with a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.
3. Drain pasta, reserving at least 1/2 cup of the water.
4. Add pasta to the skillet and stir, mixing well with butter and pepper.
5. Add 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, and 1/4 cup of Romano (or Asiago). Stir and mix well on low-medium heat.
6. Add more reserved pasta water to loosen sauce if needed and to make the mixture more creamy.
7. Top with salt, remaining cheese, and additional pepper.

June Bugs

June is one of my favorite months. I just love the feel of summer, without the 1000 degree Oklahoma heat. We have been taking full advantage of the few sunny days we have had so far (it has been rather rainy over the last few weeks), and going to the pool as much as possible. Zoe loves to go swimming...she is still such a little water baby. We have to watch her super close, because she loves to jump of the sides of the pool!

This past month, we had the doctor appointment for Zoe's eye. For those
that don't know, she has a spot on her eye where her lens is attached to her iris- her pupil has a small triangle missing from the round circle it should be.  It's something she was born with. They checked on everything, and said her vision has actually improved from the last time, and that she falls in the realm of "normal vision." They also said

that everything was tracking and moving normally. We will need to go back each year, because as she grows, the spot may begin to cause some friction and problems.

We also had a lip tie and tongue tie correction this month. Zoe had a tongue tie correction when she was born, but the doctor failed to mention that it must be stretched or it would grow right back. I only wish we would have known about the lip and tongue tie sooner, because it can cause some major issues with breast feeding (something I really struggled with). It's possible that a revision would have allowed us to continue feeding past the 6 month mark. Since having the correction, however, I definitely notice a difference in her speech, and her teeth have already moved together a bit.

As for me, we FINALLY finished the kitchen project this last month. See my previous blog post for pictures! We want to do the back yard as soon as possible. I have also been working hard on improving my photography. I just love taking pictures, and getting to know new people through my hobby. I've been staying busy getting to know the manual settings on my camera, and working in a new photo editing program (Light Room). Check out my website and facebook page for some of my work! :-)

Here is what's new with Z this month:

Favorite Thing to Do: She loves to read books. Or more accurately, the same book over and over.
Favorite Food: She still loves sushi and fruit. We have had to get creative with home meal options, because we have had to almost completely cut cheese from her diet.

New This Month: She now knows almost all her body parts. Her favorite is her "bobo" (belly button), which she points to constantly! She's really good at saying "nose" and "eyes."
Growth: She still looks so small to me. She is in mostly 18 month clothes, but the pants are still a little big!
Sleep: She is doing really well, but we have yet to break the binky. I'm planning to do it in September after we get back from Andrew's sister's wedding.

Speaking: Her speech has really improved over the last month. Her pronunciation and her word count have both improved. One of her favorite "new" words is "thank you!"She also says "go!" when we stop at a light or stop sign. She also sings "go" when I sing her "Let It Go" from Frozen.
Movement: She is a swimmer! She lays on her belly in the pool and kicks her feet!
Behavior: I love that she is getting more helpful (like putting things in the trash). In the last two weeks, she has learned the word "no" so she has been saying that when you try to offer her something she doesn't want. I hope it doesn't become a problem, but as of now, she at least says it in a nice "tone."

DIY Kitchen Makeover

We are FINALLY finished with our Kitchen makeover. I've been wanting to redo our kitchen since we moved in. It wasn't that it looked bad before, it was just really...boring. We started this project at the beginning of April and just finished this past memorial day weekend. I really love how it turned out! This is what we did:

Floor:

We started the floor first. We tore out the old tile with a borrowed jackhammer with a special attachment for prying off tiles (definitely the best way to remove a tile floor). It took about a half a day to remove the old tiles, clean, and pop the chalk lines. We found this great, grey striped porcelain tile at Home Depot for $1.99 per square foot...A Steal!!

Cabinets: 

We didn't want to spend the money to replace the cabinets entirely. They are actually pretty nice cabinets, I just didn't much care for their finish. In the past, I have used the Rustoleum Cabinet Refinishing Kit. They didn't have the exact color I wanted, however, so I had paint mixed. I basically used the liquid sander, glaze, and top coat and followed all the steps from a Rust-Oleum kit, but used my own mixed paint. They are very durable, and no, they don't peel or chip like regular painted cabinets. The kits are about $75, and will take care of a pretty large kitchen with some left-over for touch-up. We finished the cabinets with some hardware I found at Lowes.

Countertop and Backsplash:

The countertop was ordered from Lowes. It's a solid surface countertop, and it is very durable. It pays to shop around when it comes to the countertop. Check some local places in comparison to the big companies like Lowes and Home Depot. We ripped out the old countertop ourselves, but paid to have the pros do the install. We purchased these basic porcelain white subway tiles on clearance, and installed the backsplash ourselves, complete with white grout and a new kitchen faucet. 

Lighting:

We installed under-mount LED lighting on the cabinets to make things extra bright. My husband also built a light from scratch out of sheet metal and some old powerline insulators. It's one of my favorite parts of the whole kitchen!

Appliances:

This is where most of the money goes in a kitchen. Appliances are expensive. We switched to stainless the week we moved in because the dishwasher didn't work and the house didn't come with a fridge. I love how they look with the grey cabinets!

I love the before and after for this kitchen! :-)

MAYby Baby

One month from Zoe's 18 month birthday, and we are staying busy, busy, busy!

I went to a wedding the first weekend in May. It's the longest I've been away from my baby girl. It was hard, but I had an absolute blast hanging with my girls all weekend.

This last month, we have been trying to finish the kitchen project. It seems like my house has been a disaster forever. I'm definitely ready for this project to be over. The countertops are finally finished, but not without some drama. They look fantastic, though, and it's nice to have a place to prep dinner again. We have nearly everything finished, but for the backsplash tile work. Once we get that, and the
light Andrew built, hung, I'll post pictures of everything. I can't wait to show everyone!

Easter was also this past month. I was shocked at how well Z did with hunting eggs. She was a pro! We went to a couple different egg hunts, and she had a blast and got eggs at each. She even saw the easter bunny!

Mother's day this past weekend was super fun. Andrew took off work Friday, and we drove to Tulsa with my mom, sister, and her family. We stayed at a hotel in Tulsa that has a nice indoor baby pool with slides and toys. The next day, we drove to Bartlesville to see my Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, and cousins. We don't get to see them often, and it's always so wonderful to catch up. You can see from the picture, that she was super excited to be held by great grandma ;-)

In other news, Zoe had a checkup with the doctor this past month. She is 20.8 pounds (37%), 30 inches tall (18%), and has a head circumference of 47 cm. (76%). The doctor mentioned that she took another dive on the height curve, but after I explained that she didn't have a prayer of being even average in the height department, he said it was nothing to worry about.

The doctor  has also referred her to go back to the children's eye care specialist this month. He suspects that the small speck in the pupil/iris of her eye may be causing a small tracking problem. We are hoping everything comes back ok, and it won't require any intervention.

Z also got her ear's pierced this month! I think it's sooo cute! She did really well, and only cried for a few minutes. She has also done a good job leaving them alone!

Here is what's new with Z this month:

Favorite Thing to Do: She really wants to play...with anyone... She has the most fun when her cousins come to visit!
Favorite Food: She is starting to get a little picky when it comes to food. She can be eating the exact same thing as Andrew and I, but she wants to eat off OUR plate, instead of her own. Her favorites are still mac and cheese and bananas. She has also discovered ketchup...

New This Month: When the phone rings, she asks "who's that?" It's hilarious! She also has her first freckle (on her arm) that she points to constantly and asks "what's that?"
Growth: We went to JBF this month. It was fabulous this time around, and I got a ton of stuff. I mostly bought 18 month clothes, which seem to be just about right (maybe a little big). I'm hoping she makes it though the summer in 18 months!

Sleep: She is doing really well, but we have yet to break the binky. I'm planning to do it in September after we get back from Andrew's sister's wedding.

Speaking: I think she may be a little behind in the speech department. We have been working with her, but the doctor suspects the ear infections may have had a bit of an impact on her speech development. She has been doing much better this month, and she get's clearer all the time.
Movement: She still very much likes to climb. It also turns out that she is a bit of a natural (and a dare devil) when it comes to swimming. She kept trying to paddle, kick, and jump off the side at the pool in Tulsa!
Behavior: I'm really excited because she has started following directions. You can ask her to "go find her sippy cup" and she will bring it to you to refill, or you can tell her to "go throw it away" and she'll take a piece of trash to the trash can. It makes things so much easier!!