Whateva!

There's just something about the lime greeny/yellowy, brown, pink, turquoisey colors and sweet sleeping baby lips that makes me lourve this picture.  Check it out over at http://thepapermama.blogspot.com/2011/08/paper-mama-photo-challenge-whatever.html.  : )

Goodbye dear friend

I just said goodbye to my T1i.  Saul the salesman said eventually I would outgrow it.  The time is now.  I am so sad to see her go as she has been good to me but onto a new season in photography for this lady starts tomorrow on lunch break.  I am excited.  

Here's the last picture taken with my trusty friend.  

Alyssa Marie: 6 months

Good Lord, where has 6 months gone to already?!  You, my sweet Lu are so much fun!  Six months old is a great age and I almost talked myself into getting a cake to celebrate this milestone but didn't being that you couldn't enjoy it anyways.  You are a rollercoaster of a baby and we cannot believe how much you have changed since you were born.  Somedays you nap and sleep like a champ and some days you will only take an hour nap all day long leaving us to wonder if you are some sort of super baby who doens't require sleep as you are still smiling and looking around to see what's next!  I am pretty used to it but baby girl you are exhausting your Daddy who needs more sleep so let's get back onto the schedule of sleeping til 6:30-7:30 every morning mmm-kay?  Regardless though you are lourved on big time.  We all melt when we see you but your Daddy especially melts when he holds you close after a long day only to kiss your head over and over again as he whispers "you are my pretty, pretty girl," and "daddy loves you pretty girl." You are told numerous times a day how pretty you are and many times a day I think you could pass for a porcelian baby doll with your rosy cheeks, pretty pink lips and sparkly blue eyes.  You still love to be held but are happy to be put down and try sitting up on your own, enjoying the freedoms that come with stretching out and reaching for a new toy.

Here's a sneak peak at Lyssa Lu: 6 months new.

*You are eating every 5-6 hours 6 ozs of mixed Enfamil Gentlease and Infant formula.

*You are eating solids twice a day and you love sweet potatoes, carrots, and any and all fruit.  You not surprisingly hate green beans and peas so I sneak a few spoonfuls in with your potatoes and carrots and at first you turn up your nose but agree that solids are too yummy to pass up!

*You are wearing size 2 diapers.

*You are wearing 6 month old clothes.

*You go to bed by 7:30 everynight and if you wake up usually do so around 12:45-1:00 a.m. for a Nuk. 

*Your mornings are a huge hodge podge of wakey times with anything from 5:00 a.m. to 7:30 (usually on the weekends), so I assume my getting up interrupts your slumber somewhat.  However, you always eat a quick 6 ozs and go right back to sleep until Daddy wakes you up or we wake up together on weekends around 8:30-9:00!  Daddy actually laughed when I set an alarm for church on Sunday for 8:45 stating that "she will never sleep that long."  You woke me up at 8:38 and I was pretty thankful for the alarm becuase I got lost listening to you talk and coo to yourself.

*You LOVE your crib and your room/changing table is your happy place.  Often times in the evening when the day has been long and we are waiting for Daddy to get home we head to your room for fun.  Riley entertains us both and you usually end up in your crib so he can read you books, make you laugh and maybe even sometimes (if Mommy is in an really good mood) bounce around a bit because you think it's hilarious when he jumps on your mattress. 

*You notice very quickly when we leave the room now and Riley is such a good boy to stay with you while we run to the bathroom or put dinner in.  You are happy as long as one of us is with you.

*You are now taking baths in the big tub with your big brother thanks to your new bath seat!  You LOVE it! and Riley loves taking baths with you...he literally giggles the whole time.  It's obnoxious and loud and you smile the whole time.

*You still don't have any teeth and we are loving your gummy smile.

*You can wet a onesie with drool in seconds.

*You love to pull hair now, baby holders beware...this girl has a tight grip!

*You love to give hugs and snuggles now.  You just lay your little head down on our chests and snuggle...it's precious.

*You play peek-a-boo with us now.  I love that both my kids have loved their 'lovies' and now Lyssa Lu puts it over her head and pulls it down with a huge smile on her face waiting for us to peek-a-boo her! 

*You have your Dr's appt next Tuesday so we aren't sure where you are at with weight/length yet.

She wonders where the last 6 months went...

Kisses for the cam!

Yummy, gummy grins

Sweet girl in gifted pj's

She looks more and more like her Daddy everyday : )





Hello Little D!  : )

           We love you more than words can tell Lyssa Lu Lu.  You are the sweetest little toe-head!

Date night almost gone wrong

We don't go out very often.  We like being at home, we really like being with our children and it seems like it's just easier to go out to eat with them then ask someone to watch them but the last few weekends we have managed to go out just the two of us twice! 

Kyle called after work to see if he could swing by to see the kids and I said "yes, you can spend an hour with them while we go to eat!"  I really didn't try to pressure him but he agreed and we enjoyed El Loro complete with margaritas for two in just over an hour!  Thanks Kyle!  Sorry Lyssa Lu gave you a bit of trouble. 

This last weekend I pre-arranged Auntie TeeTee to come and watch the kids for us so we could get out for the evening.  Riley was pretty excited to see her but didn't understand why we would be leaving without him.  Makes me think that maybe date night should be more often!  He wasn't upset but he just couldn't believe that we weren't going to be eating with him!  Sweet boy.  We took off for P.F. Changs and indulged in appetizers, Auntie Changs Frappe (YUMMY!) and dinners.  It was delish and for desert we headed over to National Camera for some 'window' shopping.  I am looking for new lenses and decided that it is time for a new camera too : )  I love my camera but in the lowlight of our house it just isn't doing what I want it to do and since I am shooting a wedding with Annie in September I thought it best to upgrade pre-nuptials!  Derrick says it is the most boring store ever...I couldn't disagree more!  I really wanted to keep shopping, for my little ones of course at Baby Gap, PBK and Edelweiss Baby but after the sighs of boredom from D I thought it best that we move on...where too you ask? 

Bill's Gun Range.

It was my idea.  I thought it would be fun to shoot a few rounds.  I didn't realize that it was expensive (just over $40 to shoot not counting ammo) and that it would be downright scary. 
I have shot our handgun before up north, in the open with family and I liked shooting alot.
I didn't realize that driving into an underground super creepy parking ramp with the noise of gun shots ringing through the concrete would make me nervous.  I also didn't realize that the fact that I was in a room full of strangers all carrying guns would make me nervous.  Turns out it does.  I didn't know these people and to be perfectly honest they were 'questionable' looking characters.  It was loud, super loud.  It was hot, super hot, although my anxiety could have turned the temp up a few degrees.  I didn't realize that when you shoot a gun indoors you can actually feel the gun shoot.  You can feel the heat coming off of it, you can feel the BOOM on your chest and you can feel the shells of the people in the lane next to you as they smack you on the head and fly in front of your face.  Derrick could tell that I was panicking and I could see in his eyes that he wasn't overally comfortable with the situation either.  He is super cautious when it comes to guns and turns out being in a room with strangers and guns doesn't leave him overly comfortable either!  I finally stopped literally jumping at every bang of every gun going off and shot a few really good rounds.  I am a pretty good shot acutally and I do really like to do it but I will wait til we are up north next time where it is free and airy and a bit less sketchy feeling. 

It was early and it was nice to get home in time to put both our babies to bed before watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!  I just had finished the book and we are really enjoying the movies so after an already expensive evening curling up on the couch was perfect!

Moving on the randomness that I love...

At night now Riley likes to sleep with his door open.  I asked him if he was scared and his response "me not scared mommy, me just feel better bout it open."  So for the past weekend any noise he heard he had to come out of his room and see what was going on.  I told the Dr that we were suddenly having trouble keeping him in bed for the first 30-45 minutes and he said to tell him we would shut the door if he didn't stay in bed...duh.  Why didn't I think of that one?!  Rewind to Sunday, I was doing my hair after showering following the kids going to bed...are you still with me?...when a sweet voice asked, "mommy you be weal mad if I have to come out my bed and go pee?"  I had to laugh at him then strip him down to go.  He hugged me and told me, "Hank you mommy, me love very very much."  Derrick heard the little voice and had to come back and join in for one more goodnight session. 

I love this kid...
*He was shopping with my Mom at Costco last week and when they came to the flowers he begged Nana to let him buy flowers for Mommy.  I can just hear his little voice pleading "pees Nana, pees." 
*A few weeks ago with my Dad home for his day off him and my Mom were hugging and Riley said "hey my Mommy and Daddy do that too!"  Isn't that just cute.  It makes me really happy that he sees and recognizes that his Mommy and Daddy love eachother! 
*I took him with to bring Auntie Teetee to work last Sunday (she was going out with 5 limos for a magazine spread shoot on her company and was getting dropped off by a limo at home later) and he looked so cute riding in his seat in pj's.  On the way to Katie's I was trying to start conversations with him while we had alone time and he finally said "Mommy, me not want to talk wight now."  Ouch kiddo, lucky for us he was wide awake and ready for conversation after Katie got in the car.  He told me when we got home that "that was special Mommy, me love you so much." 
*Before bed he likes to check "mommy's numbers" otherwise known as the bedside alarm clock to make sure it is actually 8:00 or later.  Then well we snuggle with him he peeks to make sure our feet aren't hanging off the bed because that must mean we aren't staying long enough for him.  He also holds tight to me and says just about every night now "mommy, you not sweep with Daddy, you can sweep with me." 

*He had his 3 year old check up on Monday.  We decided to all go and we giggled at his cute little bod in a blue gown.  He checked out "perfect" and we were pleasantly surprised that he actually measure on the BMI chart now even though in 6 months he has only gone up by 1/2 a lb! 

His feet look giant!

And random pictures taken on Daddy's phone are always fun!

Learning more and more everyday! Doesn't she look like babydoll here? 

Aren't they just freakin cute!?

*We both squealed when his new backpack came in the mail yesterday...it's uber cute and stay tuned for hopefully some uber cute pics of the preschooler with his new pack!

Lastly I received so many compliments on Riley's Thank You cards from his birthday that I just had to share them with everyone!