Gutsy Little Fella

Not going to lie- I have acquired a real sweet tooth over the past few weeks especially! When people ask if I have had certain cravings during this pregnancy... sure chocolate is always good, but really... it's just food in general. Yes, please :)

So, while Justin was off to mow after school today, I figured I could definitely manage (and afford ;))another workout for the day. I saddled up the bike with Sienna's trailer hooked up behind it. She was excited!!! Chattering and singing as we rode. We have enjoyed quite a few bike rides together... but none really recently. Within the first few pedals I realized this was going to be interesting :) As I am riding towards the sunset (now doesn't that sound all romantic...ha) I am looking into the bright sun, but notice an animal is facing towards me. Hmmm... I can't make out exactly what it is, but I figure it is a dog. As we are about 20 feet from it, it starts running straight towards me. Sweet Jesus... Then, as we get about 15 feet from it, it is running faster at me and I stop dead in my tracks to find that it is a deer. Yep, I said it. A deer. Running at me. Lord, have mercy. That's basically how the prayer went. Just then he dashed off to the other side of the road into the corn field.

Now, I am a bit startled at the guts this guy has and began pedaling faster as I was imagining him charging at me, full-force. Lights out. As I am pedaling faster, I realize how ridiculous I look, nearly 7 months pregnant pedaling like a maniac on this bike. Picture with me this... toes pointed outward on the pedals, looking like a cowboy fresh off his horse riding this aluminum contraption, my knees dodging this protruding gut, I mean belly, with every stride. Not to mention I am nervously looking back periodically as if I am being chased, by someone... or something.

All that to say... things could have been a whole lot more interesting. Thankfully, they were not!


Today I worked at posting some of the things I have been working on recently.
Here are a few...












You can check out the rest of my stuff here :)

Have a great day!

My Heart is Full...

I decided Sienna and I needed a date night... not that we don't spend ALL day, EVERY day together already :), but Justin was out of town on a kayaking adventure for school and so I wanted us to have some "girl time" to make the time pass :) Gotta get creative sometimes! (I think Justin was jealous and is already talking about his daddy/daughter date soon!)


After her nap I said, "Do you want to go on a date with Mama?!?" She stares at me blankly "We can go get food and icecream..." Now she's excited! "Les Go! Shoes! she shots as she does her little happy-skip-dance.

As we loaded up to get in the car she kept repeating "C'mon Les Go! Mommy a date! Ahh melt my heart. We pulled in to the old-school diner, Bonnie Doon's, a place with LOTS of memories for me! My dad would take each of us girls out on our own date night. We would get to choose where we wanted to go. Sometimes it was Chuckie Cheese where I chose to go, probably way older than what was COOL to go hang out with the large, furry, mechanical singing band that frightens so may kids...not me, not when you're 12 years old. Okay I'm exaggerating with the age... I think? :) Other times we strolled into Claire's Boutique and picked out a little something. One time I actually remember going on a date with my dad and walking into a barn. I look up to the tall ceilings and low and behold there is a cow carcass... welcome to the butcher. Not sure if he was checking on one of our "pets" that we raised.. Mopsy Topsy, Buttons, or Jordan. Not completely sure what that was all about, Dad?? But it obviously has stayed in my memory and luckily I am not a vegetarian from that experience :) Often times it ended with icecream and Bonnie Doon's was the place to go.

Once we got to Bonnie Doon's, I plopped Sienna down next to be in the old school booth and she was loving every minute of not being in a booster or a highchair!

She didn't get lucky enough to get icecream- because quite frankly, she had forgotten about the icrecream comment and was completely content with grilled cheese and "apple-auce".

Next, we ventured to the park. "C-mere" she'd say and grab my hand to pull me to play. I had to get some pictures of my big girl!









After her cheeks were apple-red, her face flushed from the heat...we decided to head on our way. We did check out Claire's... just because :)

Chatting with my little love on the way... hearing "Mommy a date! Mommy a date!", sitting with my growing girl on the booth seat watching her big eyes full of excitement, holding her little hand at the park.... She is absolutely head and shoulders above anything I could have EVER dreamed up in a little girl. My heart is full. Completely overflowing and full.

Being a Mom Means...

...wearing food on your clothes is quite normal and sadly very acceptable.
...being 5-10 minutes late everywhere you go feels like "on-time".
...you ask a serious question at a surprise shower if we are all going to yell "peak-a-boo"
...a big outing, that often takes lots of planning and strategic scheduling, is to the the grocery store. Timing is key to avoid embarrassing, horrific meltdowns.
...the house is never actually "cleaned" it is just picked up or straightened to look decent. Mopping happens once in a blue moon when you're feeling like an over-achiever or a go-getter :)
...your phone conversations usually consist of talking over a screaming toddler in the background.
...you wake up singing "Oh where is my hairbrush... oh where is my hairbrush? Oh where oh where oh where oh where...." yeah... you get it
...you pick up a toothbrush in the living room, a cheerio box in the office, tupperware in the bedroom, hairbrush out of the trash, and post-its out of the toilet. And start all over after naptime.
...leaving a trail of goldfish or other snack food in the store, because snacks are what keep them in their seats and quite.
...reading story after story and having meaningful conversations crouched on the floor in front of the potty.
...you muster up enough energy for one more "horsey ride" because somehow it is funny to them everytime
...scrubbing poop off the carpet...yes, all those little poop footprints, too.
...jamming to VeggieTales in the car... clapping, dancing, and all.
...kisses make all things better.

...you find yourself in absolute amazement as you watch your baby growing faster than you thought possible. Feeling like your heart could explode with the amount of love you have for this little person...

Man, it's good!

Out Little Chatterbox

Between 15 and 16 months, Sienna's verbal skills flew through the roof. This has been exciting and amazing for us to see! We get a small glimpse of what is going on inside that little hairless head of hers :) (I say that in the most loving way!! She is actually finally getting some blonde hair!) I can't even count the number of funny things that she has repeated or come up with to try to communicate her point. It truly is incredible watching your baby grow to a little person with opinions, thoughts, words, and personality! It's the best thing ever.

Last week, at her 18 month appointment Sienna jumped up to the 50th percentile in her height and weight, now weighing a whopping 24 lbs :) Low and behold, that hairless head of hers has always measured in the 95th percentile. That'a girl! The doctor was surprised with how how chatty Sienna was and how much she could communicate through words. It is exciting (and tad exhausting) to have such a chatterbox on our hands.

Here are some of her funnies that I hope not to forget as time passes...

When she gets out of the bath she runs around, booty jiggling and all and saying "Nakey booty, Nakey booty"

Her blueberries are always referred to as "bluebabies" probably my favorite word that she says!

She has learned to say "Bye Duys, See you Yater" :)

At the grocery store, a woman commented on what pretty eyes Sienna has. She then started batting her eyelashes at the woman. Should I be scared?!?! I am nervous one day she will realize how absolutely adorable she is... then her daddy will have his hands full. As he says, he will be out on the porch in his skibbes with a rifle to scare off all her dating prospects. Only time will tell...

When Cole uses the bathroom, after done peeing he yells, "Dribble Dribble Drop Drop!" and yesterday Sienna picked up the stool he uses to stand on and started shouting "Dibble Dibble Dop Dop Dibble Dibble Dop Dop"

She is getting curious about why Cole stands up to pee and has mimcked this behavior after watching him. Lats week, when I was helping Cole in the bathroom, she came over and stuck her hand in the pee stream.... ahhh nothing like a sanitary hand-wash. sick...

One of my cousin's kids was telling a story awhile back about how she got a mosquito bite on her buttcheek. Of course, Sienna picks up on the most important word in the sentence and doesn't miss a beat.... "Buttcheek? Buttcheek?" She is the queen mocking bird.

In the past month she has seemed very interested in the "potty chair". One day came to me and said "Poopoo. Potty chair". We hightailed it to her little potty to find that she told me half-way through...pleasant. So we plopped it in the chair and did a little song and dance with a few M&Ms to celebrate. Today was deja-vu and the same thing happened and we celebrated over a pack of Gushers (Wow do those take me back a few years!). I know there are not panties in the immediate future, but I am going to hop on board while she is interested and see where this train takes us. ;)

Until Later, friends...

Not Me Monday

A friend of mine did this post a few months back where you add "did not" or something to that effect in front of everything you did that day and it was fun. So I thought I would try. Just a silly way to think of your day :)

I did not roll out of bed in the morning, earlier than I'd like, and tip toe around to not wake the cohabitants of this house so I could go for a quick run. I didn't get back to see my favorite man ever sitting in the kitchen reading his Bible and greeting me with a morning smile. I did not immediately begin my the crazy multi-tasking morning. Then, of course, I didn't have to chase to my daughter around the house like a crazy woman to change her diaper in the morning after she ate all her toast, yodurt, and bluebabies. I did not then rush off to go to my favorite place of all, the dentist, to get a certain number of fillings done. I did not fall asleep while reclined in the chair waiting for the numbing gel to take affect. Seriously, who puts a mom in reclined in a chair with calming music on and leaves her there all by herself. Luckily, I did not drool.

They didn't have to give me 6 shots (but whose counting) because the type of anesthetic did not do the job. Pretty sure that is enough to knock a horse dead, but I lived to tell about it. While hearing the crazy buzz of the drill and feeling them strike a nerve repeatedly, I did not start feeling dizzy. I didn't begin coaxing myself that I was just fine and needed to take deep breaths. I also didn't nearly pass out in the chair and cry, like a 2 year-old because that would have just been embarrassing, right? I didn't lay there with my feet above my head and let me lay with a wet cloth on my head.

I did not run around like a headless chicken during while Sienna was napping to make use of my me-time. We all know how our little lovelies are such great helpers and make it so easy to accomplish simple tasks. See picture for proof.


And of course, I did not scarf down nearly 4 cookies during this time...that would be crazy and completely unhealthy ;)

When Little Miss woke up, I did not read Mercer Meyer'sI Was So Mad in a silly voice and didn't bust out the tickle mitts for my favorite book ever, Tickle Monster to get some wiggly, squeamish, giggles from my nicely-rested sweetie pie. I did not completely procrastinate on making dinner only to find we had no groceries in the house... so we didn't have eggs for breakfast. (ps. Have I told you how I have an amazing husband who is so gracious even when his wife wastes her whole day and he comes home to scrambled eggs for dinner rather than a roast and potatoes or something fancy. Yeah, he's that good.)

Next, I did not whip up some really healthy No-Bake Cookies (okay I am lying about the healthy part). Then I didn't rush over to my mom's house to have a Bachelorette finale party while eating lots of great and healthy snacks. Of course, we didn't have a platter of roses sitting on the table to hand out at our own rose ceremony- because that would be silly. :)I didn't stay up way past my bedtime watching a show that I am not all that proud of being a dedicated follower of. I didn't come home to my husband asking "Justin, will you accept this rose?" Only to have him laugh in my face and say "No, you didn't..."