water babies

Maggie and I joined our friends Misty, Patti, and Grayson at the pool last week. We both LOVE swimming and I can't wait for the hot summer already upon us!

She is getting *SO* big; as much as she loves the water, she didn't really like her first experience with the splash park.

Rocking at the park

Patti and Grayson trying out his new floaties (he even let me take him under water!)

Tia Middy and Mags soaking up the warm sun! We had the entire pool to ourselves.

Floating away

Too cool

She was shivering by the end and liked snuggling up and getting warm in her towel

thanks for the love!

We are *thrilled* to be expecting #2! My first appointment is in about a week and I'll have more info on my exact due date (although, according to an online site, it's January 16). I've been feeling a bit icky, but it's definitely manageable and similarly to pregnancy with Mags, I crave salt and lots of it (esp. in the form of chips, salsa, and guac). I'm showing much earlier than I did with Mags which I think is interesting and I like Lindsey's explanation best: your body already knows how to be pregnant. I'm embracing the belly all the way, even at only 7 weeks along.

Thanks for the love & support from our family & friends! More details forthcoming.

xoxo

six weeks down!

wordless wednesday

DS

For the past few months, we have been suspicious that a squirrel was living in our attic. At first, it seemed like it was just racing footsteps on the roof (and it probably was), but slowly, it started to sound like they were directly overhead. Sure enough, about 5 weeks ago, we noticed that the squirrel (whom we have affectionately called "DS" for "damn squirrel" because well, what *else* does one call such an unwelcomed animal who has invaded your space?!) had clawed its way through the fascia above our garage. We called a company to come out and set up a trap last week and within 24-hours, I drove up to this picture above! Unless you have ever had such a problem, you cannot appreciate the joy I felt!

Unfortunately, we also noticed a few weeks ago that "DS" seemed to have girlfriend...so, we have been squirrel hunting with our bb gun, as well (because the trap is $85 and the removal of the trap with the squirrel is $85...ah, the joys of home ownership!). My husband, the sharp-shooter, took one out this weekend (for those less faint of heart, pictures can be provided upon request). YET, "DS's" ghost or a possible other girlfriend seems to continue hanging around. I drove up two days ago and a little squirrel face was poking its head out! We have affectionately named this one "WB" (I'll let you figure that one out). SO, another trap was set out today and handymen are coming tomorrow to patch the hole. I'm ready to be done with rodents for awhile.

ChalieJo and Urban Bark

A friend from Chicago recently opened an Etsy shop (ChalieJo) with handmade cards--hand-stiched fabric on the outside and paper on the inside. They are *stunning!* If you are in need of new stationary and want to support the individual artisan, then I encourage you to check our her online store: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5819112

Another friend in CA, recently opened her own stationary business out of her home. She is a talented graphic artist and I'm also loving her work. I'm trying to encourage Shannon to buy some of her baby announcements (the ones with the guitar and rocker symbols; too cute!). Check out her site: http://www.urbanbarkpapers.com/ (I couldn't actually save and print an image from this site for some reason, so you'll just have to click on it and see for yourself). :)

wordless wednesday

wall art

After much thought and some delayed work, my blocks for Maggie's room are finally completed and hung! This is an easy project, believe it or not, and I'm quite proud of how they turned out. A final few swaths of brown glaze gave it the distressed look I was really going for. They now sit above her bed. Several months ago, I came across an artist on Etsy who inspired me (and several friends) do this project: check her out here.

fun with friends

Our friend, Dave, Gloria, and their 13-month old, Aliza, stopped in Dallas on Saturday night on their way to CO for overseas missions training. We thoroughly enjoyed them being here, loved seeing M and Aliza play together and M was able to work on her sharing. After dinner, our friends Matt and Rachel came over, bearing Starbucks, and we chatted for several hours. It was much fun. This morning, Aron made pancakes for a Mother's Day breakfast, which was yummy. After church, we said goodbye to the the Furmans and headed home for naps. Around 2pm, we headed out to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Mi Cocina. After, we drove down to the Bishops Arts District, where unfortunately, most shops were closed, so we drove back to Uptown and walked around, grabbed custard at Wild About Harry's, and stopped in at a fanstastic toy store, Froggies. Aron gave me three very thoughtful gifts: a magazine to symbolize that he wants me to focus on various ways to relax in the coming months, a book on sewing (Sew U) because I have been wanting to start, and an Eric Carle book to inspire me to finally write the book I've been wanting to write for years. All, in all, it was a relaxing and enjoyable day. I love my family! And I love good friends.

maggie: 17 months

maggie: 17 months old

as we enter this celebratory weekend...

Whether you are a mother or you fondly remember all your mother did for you growing up, I think most can appreciate this clip from the Chicago Tribune. Thanks to my good friend Kathryn for sending it my way today (her hubby actually cut it out this morning and left it on the counter for her to see)...I loved it!

life with maggie

In the last month, I have noticed the following in Maggie:

*Has begun to tell us when she has popped in her diaper (not every time, but most). It started about 4 weeks ago when I found her hiding behind her rocker and I asked her what she was doing and she pointed to her diaper and exclaimed, "Poop!" It was awesome. :)
*Is learning to play hide and seek with various objects (her favorite is a toy butterfly); we hide it and she finds it (in a somewhat obvious spot)
*Is learning to say, "yes, mom/dad," after we give her an instruction; we prompt her and she responds. Will volunteer "thank you" and "please" often.
*Likes us to put diapers on her dolls and bears
*Thinks Elmo is the next best thing; While I do love "Sesame Street", there are other shows I like as well, and when we watch TV, we watch those (her favorite is "Word World" on PBS). I'm not sure where this infatuation with Elmo came from. Her Grandpa (my dad), sent her a special package this week with an Elmo t-shirt. She was thrilled!
*In an Elmo book we do have, there is a picture of him eating a picnic lunch and his very small sandwich has a bite taken out of it...she pointed this out w/out prompting from us and said, "Bite!" Now, she does that every time she sees it.
*In Pat the Bunny, there is a little book Judy reads and it has a picture of a clock. While in music class a few months ago, we would rock the kids back and forth on their feet and sing, "I'm a little Coo-Coo (Cuckoo?) clock" and eventually say, "Coo-Coo" loudly and bounce the kids in the air. Unprompted, Maggie has started to say "Coo-Coo" each time she sees that clock in the book. How amazing is the brain to retain such information?! I have never put an actual clock in front of her and said, "Coo-Coo" to associate those words.
*In the last week her appetite seems to have decreased more than ever, yet, she isn't showing any signs of illness or teething (the most predominate times we see this beahvior). It can be a bit frustrating when coming up with meal options, esp. breakfast, as she used to devour an egg and oatmeal. Sigh. Please tell me you have experienced something similar. I'm beginning to wonder if something else might be wrong. Just my mothering instinct. We'll keep watching her.

Happy Friday!

wordless wednesday

I know these have been few and far between this last month, but I hope to reinstate the WW. I had Maggie's pictures taken professionally last week with a woman who ended up being a long-lost family friend from our days in OKC (CC and RMeyer, do you remember Gail and Bill Brewer? Their daughter, Vanessa, lives here with her family; we had so much fun reminiscing about life when we were kids.). Anyway, if you live in the Dallas- area, I highly recommended Vanessa for future photo shoots. What a *gifted* artist! Click here to learn more.

Grayson had a shoot before we did and hung around; they don't often do this, but it was too sweet to pass up when I said, "Maggie, give Grayson a kiss." They even have their eyes closed! :)

life update

maggie likes birthdays

Last weekend, Maggie attended her first friend's birthday party. Grayson turned 2 and the party was held at a wonderful bounce house with slides and climbing toys and even play areas for younger kiddos (where Mags spent most of her time, along with Dealey). Elmo was the centerpiece, of course, and the kids even recieved Elmo socks as party favors. It was so much fun to hang out with other parents and watch the kids run free! We did allow Mags to eat an entire cupcake; her face cracks me up!
"I can't believe they're letting me eat this!"

"Is there any on my face?!"

This shot is hilarious because you can see that Mags has fallen over on the rocking duck in the background.

Dealey, at 10 months, was all smiles in his first birthday hat.

Socks! Maggie is sitting in the top left.

The birthday boy! Grayson, having fun with cousin Hunter.

children's reading corner

A big thanks to my mom for sending Maggie Gallop! After reading and re-reading this book dozens of times, I knew it would be my next choice for this post. Because I'm feeling a bit lazy, I'm cutting and pasting the Amazon write-up of the book. Does that count as citing my source? If you want to give a sweet gift to a child, this is it! Both younger and older ones will be mesmerized.

"There's never before been a book like Gallop! Employing a patented new technology called Scanimation, each page is a marvel that brings animals, along with one shining star, to life with art that literally moves. A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the "persistence of vision" principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen. Complementing the art is a delightful rhyming text full of simple questions and fun, nonsense replies: Can you gallop like a horse? giddyup-a-loo! Can you strut like a rooster? cock-a-doodle-doo! Every child who opens the book will be amazed—and so will every parent."

Click here for more info.