the barretts

4 months.

2012-02-08T23:34:00.001-05:00

i have been slacking on this ole here b-log! one day i will better manage my time, i just know it! finn is 4 months old and pretty much just awesome. huge. and down right one of the smiley-est babes I've ever come across. WAY more easy to please than miss liv ever was. not that I would change her for the world...she just would used to make us WORK for a belly laugh. finn just needs to you to slightly look in his direction for one of the best chuckles you've ever heard. his laugh even sounds chubby. it's amazing. i have alot to blog about so stay tuned my sweet readers. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

ruffles and rolls.

2012-01-19T21:21:00.001-05:00

ruffles and rolls. i'll let you decide which word goes with what picture.

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buds. best buds.

2012-01-11T21:18:00.001-05:00

my cup overfloweth. my heart is busting with love...nothing beats clean sleeping babies. and ps. no they don't sleep together. just was holding finn while reading liv a story and they both feel asleep. and yes. that is chocolate sauce all around my daughter's mouth.

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farewell 2011.

2012-01-08T22:28:00.002-05:00

here are some random pics from twenty eleven. ones i never blogged that are just hanging out in my phone.

liv being liv.

bump alert.

dutch & i in the hospital waiting room..minutes before we got to hold finn for the first time.

my sweet cousin aka sister jana w finn. flew from texas to hold me up. love her more than words.

pumpkin patch. (i love men with diaper bags.)

the cutest gentleman around.

shopping trip with gramma kathy.

oh what.a.year. without a doubt, hands down, THE most eventful year of my 30 years of life. i can easily say i experienced my highest highs and the lowest lows in 2011. why you ask? well..let's see: i'll try & highlight a few things in chronological order. one year ago today, my sweet dad..one of the hardest working men i know lost his job. the job he had for 30 years and the reason why we live in indiana. although he had "exceeded expectations" on every single review he's ever gotten he was indeed "let go" without any notice and without any reason. although it was hard to see my dad so shocked & disappointed, it warms my heart the countless extra hours he's gotten in this past year just being "poppy."

ok so if i elaborate this much on all the events of 2011...i'd be here all night. so here goes: dad lost his job of 30 years. dutch and i finally got knocked up with baby barrett #2. we put our first home on the market. liv turned 3 years old. i got pretty fat. liv had her first flower girl gig and she screamed all the way down the aisle. we had 33 showings on the house in 2 months. we got an offer. an awesome one. we sold the house. we moved out. i was 7 months pregs. it got really really hot in indiana. i lost my ankles. we moved in with my parents. which totally rocks. i realized i'm really picky. i resigned from my job and embraced my new dream job of a "sahm." i went into labor. we had a baby boy. he decided to scare the crap out of us. but then we finally got to bring him home. my parents dog died. we adjusted to being a family of four. we laughed a lot. cried a lot. prayed a lot. i dang sure ate a lot. and am i really gonna go ahead and put this on the blog? yes i am. 2011. is the year i lactated on an innocent lady. the lady who i stood topless in front of while getting a postpartum spray tan before a night out with my husband. i took pictures of the breastmilk streaks down my body to prove it but that's just wildly inappropriate. oh 2011, thanks for the memories. you've forever changed me. i welcome 2012 with open arms and covered nipples. haha. good night folks.

twenty twelve.

2012-01-04T21:01:00.001-05:00

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i heart december "mail time."

2011-12-31T13:30:00.001-05:00

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merry merry christmas! finn's first!

2011-12-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

bad mom alert. bad mom alert. this is one of the only pictures i snapped on christmas morning! i did however have them in matching festive pajamas so give me some credit there... here's what happened: our sweet liv woke up christmas eve morning with that dreaded throw-up virus. talk about heart-breaking! i mean to have the pukes is bad enough...but on christmas eve...the one day you WANT your children to be running around the house wild with excitement. i honestly have never seen her so sick. all our christmas eve plans went down the drain but at least i was able to snuggle with my little girl all day long. that's all she wanted was for me to hold her. so that's exactly what we did. that night, i asked her if she wanted me to help her write a note to santa to put beside the cookies. it said, "dear santa, on christmas i will feel better. that's it. love, liv." 7am rolled around...and our girl was back in full effect! i have to remind myself every single time how resilient kids are. it really is kinda amazing. we had a great, great christmas. i don't know which gift i'm loving most right now...the keurig coffee maker, my sonicare toothbrush or the adorb minnetonka boots. the day after christmas we went to kentucky for the week for a much-needed visit with family. a good time was had by all!

christmas card 2011.

2011-12-24T09:48:00.001-05:00

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3 months!

2011-12-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

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how we roll.

2011-12-20T03:08:00.001-05:00

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instagram intervention.

2011-12-19T03:07:00.001-05:00

i need one. almost as much as I need a pinterest one. and yes it's 2:58am and i'm a-bloggin. call it momsomnia. call it passing the time while your kiddo is getting milky... (yes he's 11weeks old and still loves his middle of the nite feedings.) anyways, wanted to post these goodies. happy christmas week!

1.) daddy smirk

2.) a mini fir for the dance teacher

3.) wrappin things up

4.) those stinking cheeks

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daddy!

2011-12-10T23:11:00.001-05:00

everytime dutch walks in the door from being on shift...liv squeals his name and runs as hard as she can to be swept up in his arms. it gets me every time. as much as I'd love for him to be home every night...i really am so proud of him. he sees more disturbing sutuations in a 24 hour period than most of us have seen in a lifetime. he loves his job and I love him. snapped this sweet moment yesterday. he brought her home a pink fire helmet. the perfect accessory for all her princess dresses.

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schnizzle's back!

2011-12-03T23:42:00.001-05:00

which means our 3 year old is a complete angel. gotta love that.

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2 months.

2011-11-23T21:21:00.001-05:00

this pic was taken too late tonite & he got 4 shots at his doc appt today. so my sleepy dude wasn't really feelin our photo shoot. 2 month stats: healthy! thriving! and weighing in at 14 lb. 8 oz. seriously? this kid likes his tittee pie. haha.

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pic o the week.

2011-11-22T13:52:00.001-05:00

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snugalicious.

2011-11-18T22:11:00.001-05:00

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finn judson barrett.

2011-11-12T22:33:00.001-05:00

i have tried to sit down and write about our son's entrance into this world so many times. to be completely honest, it was a bit too "raw" until now. it's difficult to even find the words to explain the emotions we've experienced the last 6 weeks of our lives. but i'm gonna try to find the words...so here the story goes.

i started having contractions about 10 minutes apart on wednesday, sept 21. they stayed consistent but still not close enough to go to the hospital. i labored all night and into the morning. the contractions were strong but not the "holy crap. this is it." kind. so i cuddled with liv knowing it was probably the last night she was my "only child", shaved my legs, finished packing my hospital bag & tried to rest, ha. dutch and i took liv to school thursday morning. the contractions were coming about 7 minutes apart. we then went "mall-walking", snagging starbucks and some new pjs for me. we walked a lot. all the while dutch timing with his "contraction app." we were excited. anxious. giddy. we knew it was getting close. finally about 11:15 am...i said, "it's time honey. let's do this." we arrived at the hospital just before noon. i wore a superwoman shirt. fast forward 10 hours. it was push time. (i'll spare you all the labor details.) but i will tell you it only took 4 pushes. and i'm not quite sure that's something you brag about or not...haha. but let's just say this momma has some push power. ;)

it's a boy!! o-m-g! what an awesome awesome surprise. one of each! should have known i had some testosterone flowing through my body the last 9 months. dutch and my mom were in the room with me. we were all exstatic of course. bring on the bow-ties and the suspenders. and we shall call him finn judson. it was important to dutch to have an irish name (his family is irish.) and finn had been the only irish name we both loved. judson is dutch's & his father's middle name. it wouldn't be long until we realized how perfectly fitting the meaning of his name, "giant warrior" would be.

they placed our son on my belly as dutch cut the cord. we were overjoyed. they took finn away to get his stats, get him cleaned up & suction him. and then they suctioned him. and sunctioned him. and sunctioned him. i looked over at dutch & could tell by his face something wasn't as it should be. just about that time, we got the news that our lil guy indeed had fluid in his lungs & would need to be admitted to the NICU to have a doctor check him out. the next 72 hours are honestly a complete blur.

the fluid in finn's lungs was more than just fluid. it was an infection, a bad furious infection. pnuemonia had set in and our son was a critically ill little boy. the pnuemonia caused finn's right lung to partially collapse & he had multiple tears in both lungs. he was put on life support. hearing the words "your child is in critical condtion" come out of a doctors mouth literally rips your heart out of your chest. you hear these stories where parents have babies that are sick. your heart breaks for them. but you just know "it would never happen to you." and if for some crazy reason that it DID, you can't imagine how you would react. i really contemplated on whether or not to post pictures of him while he is in the NICU. as much as i wanted it to be just a "bad memory" it's much more than that. it's an experience that surprisingly changed our lives for the better. of course, you couldn't tell me while it was happening. leaving the hospital without your baby in your arms truly (for lack of better words) sucks. dutch and i would literally hold each other up sometimes leaving each night.

of course i was a complete hot mess to say the least. the tears did not stop falling. i could not sleep. i could not eat. i was still in shock that this "supposed to be happy time" wasn't going as i had "visioned" and was more like a living nightmare. as much as i hate to admit this, i was more than just sad. i was mad. actually mad at God. that's so hard to write down but i just want to share how much i learned. i'll never forget this certain moment. i was sitting in a vacant hospital room while the doctors were attempting to put a pic line in finn. i was all by myself pumping my boobs so they could hopefully feed my breastmilk to him through a feeding tube. i was alone. and desperate. then something happened. God opened my eyes. he made me realize i had to not only have faith. i had to completely 100% LEAN on my faith. He had chosen ME to be finn's momma for a reason and it was then i realized how blessed i was to have this little boy. sick and all. i got peace. peace in my heart. this was all going to be in the "rearview mirror." i thanked God it was "just pneumonia" and he wasn't terminally ill. i went from "mad" to "thankful." soon after, we finally caught a break. the antibitics were working and finn was getting stronger. dutch and i were finally able to hold our son for the first time when he was 8 days old and after 2 long weeks, we finally went home as a family of four.

somehow, going through this experience made me fall even more in love with my husband. i really can't even tell you how amazing that man is. liv was and still is an absolute ray of sunshine. she kept our spirits lifted and was a nurse favorite. ;) it's funny how the things in life that you think are SO important can so quickly become so insignificant and downright just dumb. not only do i know i will be a better mom...i will be a better christian, wife, daughter and friend. we truly were BLOWN AWAY by how thoughtful and amazing our family and friends are. every single call, visit, text, care package, meal, facebook message and card meant so incredibly much. i know this post is all over the place but just one last thing. don't let the silly crap in life get you down. don't take things for granted. squeeze and kiss and love on your kids. all the time. soak up every sweet moment. and use lots of hand sanitizer this winter. hahaha. well, my healthy lil man is ready for his late-nite snack so duty calls... hey, you won't catch me complainin. ;)

smiles!

2011-11-11T22:44:00.001-05:00

there's not many things i can think of in life that beats those first smiles from your newborn. i'm in love.

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hey kids!

2011-11-10T13:32:00.001-05:00

although i feel like i'm chasing my tail 90% of the time, my home and car look like a bomb went off and i accomplish...um a whole lot of nothing. i LOVE having kidS. so happy. so blessed. so content. a sweet friend put it best, it takes a while to "come up for air." i don't have this new role of "momma of 2" conquered quite yet but my kids are loved. fed. and clean (most of the time.) and we have a lot of fun. at the end of the day, that's all that really matters, right?

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jesus + finn

2011-11-06T21:46:00.002-05:00

we had finn dedicated at our church this morning. dutch's mom (gramma kathy) & uncle joe flew in from minnesota to be with us for this joyous occasion. it was so incredibly touching to stand in front of our church and know how many people had prayed for our sweet boy. what an awesome gorgeous day. we are so blessed! (ps. i really just heart bowties.)

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whistle while you work.

2011-11-05T13:05:00.001-04:00

look who it is! snow white & the one dwarf. this is the ONLY pic I got of both of them. finn ate his beard & why does liv look like she has no teeth? haha. hope you all had a happy holla-ween.

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1 month.

2011-10-22T22:25:00.001-04:00

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3.5

2011-10-18T21:02:00.001-04:00

oh hey, okay im still looking for my hour to blog all about our lil man finn. but until then I had to give his big sis liv a shout-out for already being an amazing big sister and such a ray of sunshine. she was officially "free n a haf" yesterday. and it looks like she took it upon herself & decided she needed a photo opp to document the day. awesome.

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it's a...

2011-10-14T21:53:00.004-04:00

B-O-Y! finn judson barrett arrived thursday september 22nd at 10:45 pm. weighing in at a plump 8 lb 5 oz. & 21 inches long. he is simply perfection and we are beyond thrilled to be blessed with this little boy. as most of you know, finn's birth did not go as we had "visioned" & i have so so so much i want to write about this. i've thought about it so many times on how to put into words on how the first two weeks of finn's life have changed all of our lives forever. how i experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows in 14 days. i need a good healthy hour with no distractions to really just blog my heart out...ha. and i need to be functioning on a bit more sleep. ;) but for now i just wanted to let the blogworld know i am alive. the barretts are officially a family of four. and are still thanking GOD every day for healing our sweet finn.

irish fest!

2011-09-17T18:35:00.001-04:00

we clogged. liv got her face painted for the first time. we ate. we searched for good irish baby names. i snuck a couple swigs of guiness. good times.

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new obsession.

2011-09-15T18:53:00.003-04:00

oh hey. i'm still pregnant. to be honest, i'm really not miserable...just super excited! i have lots of things i should blog about...but i have a new obsession that has sucked.me.in. & taken away from my bloggin time. holy pinterest! does everyone know about this? if not, sign up. it makes me think i'm going to be more organized, a cook, a professional decorater & leaves me inspired every single time i log in. but here's the truth...

haha. liv and dutch both had strep throat this week! ugh! glad this "bun" stayed in the oven to get us through that...& so thankful my immune system seems to kicking butt so far! oh! and i'm dilated to a "3." which supposedly doesn't mean much. keep you lovebugs "posted." xoxo.

afternoon chill session

2011-09-09T15:05:00.001-04:00

i'm officially done working. i'm resting. nesting. & getting some priceless quality time with my gal. having contractions more frequently but nothing consistent. we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of this babe. can't wait for the best surprise ever! liv just "knows" it's a girl...who she's determined to name pink and purple barrett. awesome.

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hint, hint dutch.

2011-09-03T18:06:00.004-04:00

do y'all believe in "push presents?" you know a lil sumpthin' that hubs so thoughtfully came up with all on his own to show his appreciation of gaining 40plus pounds and growing a healthy happy baby for the past 40 weeks. a lil 'sumpthin "thanking" you for pushing out that amazing bundle of joy. for being gorgeous, never complaning & just being a beautiful person inside and out. you know, that gift? well, whether you "believe" in them or not.. i sure as heck do. how sweet are these?

the ring is "stackable" to go with your wedding bands. stop it. it says mama.

and how perfect is this double-strand initial charm necklace for #2? hard to pre-order this one since we don't know if this peanut actually has nuts or not.. haha.

fat lip.

2011-08-29T20:14:00.001-04:00

so get this. im totally that mom that spaced that I needed to get liv's updated shot records for preschool...oops. i finally had time to swing by the pediatrician's office today & pick em up. i even called ahead so they'd be ready & waiting. liv came with me. um, I don't really know what or how it happened but somehow my graceful child ran 90 mph directly into the front desk counter. immediately, blood was everywhere. no stiches needed but really? at least she knows to get injured at the right place. ice and nurses were there within seconds. ta ha.

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love this.

2011-08-24T21:50:00.001-04:00

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a sprinkle.

2011-08-21T21:39:00.003-04:00

do you have that one person in your life who you just randomly met one day, struck up a conversation, & have been great friends with ever since? well that one person in my life is my gal kristyn. she is such a dear & my creative go-to. she owns an adorable store called olivers twist. (follow her blog by clicking.) anyways, she offered to throw me not quite a baby shower, but just a lil sprinkle for babe barrett #2. ;) so thoughtful & i was honored. also so happy that it worked out my awesome texas family could be there. not a detail was missed. sweet tea (she knows me too well) & the most adorable "craft minute" you've ever seen. handmade onesies & burpcloths made with love by everyone there. it was laidback, fun, and simply perfect. thanks again k, i love your guts.

a week of firsts.

2011-08-19T23:35:00.001-04:00

i remember after liv started walking feeling like all her "firsts" we're slowly dwindling. i was so wrong. not to get all mushy & deep, but seriously raising a child is the coolest. watching your lil baby turn into a lil person. this past week we had our first dance class (tap & ballet) & our first day of preschool. she rocked at both of them. although my daughter is not the youngest, she is definitely the smallest in her dance class. however, don't be fooled, she can shufflekick with the best of them. (haha, go ahead and call me into that TLC show.) & as far as preschool goes...how about learning (& nailing) the days of the week already. i'm one proud momma. can u tell? never say never. im one braggin blogger, ta ha! happy weekend folks!

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warning: photoshoot overload

2011-08-12T17:21:00.018-04:00

last weekend we had the honor of my adorable friend & hilarious fellow blogger, courtney's sister (did you follow all that?) capture this moment where we are in our lives. i'm gonna be the first to tell you i LOVE being pregnant...but this gal here has not missed A meal. or a snack. or any opportunity to take a bite of food in general for the last 35 weeks. 35 weeks pregs & 35 pounds i have gained. i embrace it. oh yes i have to do double, sometimes triple-takes when i pass by a mirror...but i'm fat. happy. glowing and growing. and up for the challenge post-babe. all that being said, i wasn't quite sure how i was going to feel about having a "photoshoot" after weeks of having 100+ heat & major water retention. um, i may look a bit "swoll" but putting my selfish whining self byside...holy crap, i love our pictures! i got the cd of photos in the mail last nite & i'm just over the moon for how she captured my sweet husband & lil girl. so here's a warning: i majorly tried to limit what to post on here. but there's a lot. & i don't know how to do a slideshow. and it's my blog so i can do what i want, right? thanks again heather for your time! you rocked it lady. you are simply a doll. a talented doll. enjoy the overload folks!

p.s. yes, that balloon is real. and it took me about 14-18 minutes to get it in my car.

so long oakland ave...

2011-08-08T18:41:00.004-04:00

we closed! we sold our first home to an adorable couple...and get this... the gal and i are due a week apart! they are so excited & we even had a group hug at closing. & i only cried twice. we loved our home on oakland ave. so many sweet memories. we put a ton of work into that house and loved the character. i think we had every "creak" in our hardwood floors memorized after we had liv. the backyard hosted some great memorable parties including: my mom's surprise 50th bash, my 30th bday par-tay, and one of the funniest "white trash trailer bashes" in history. i'm sure it was a lot of hormones that made me so emotional about this decision but in the end, i've realized it truly is just a house & it's your family that make it a home! we'll miss it, but know it's time to find our next home that our kids will truly "grow up" in. fully equipped with bedrooms all on the same level, city water & perhaps even a real pantry. we're holding off really house-hunting & moving until AFTER baby barrett #2's arrival. we want to take our time and not just settle on a house. plus moving at 33 weeks prego is no.fun. and to be honest....the extra help, home-cooked meals, stashing cash and liv still getting plenty of attention comes at perfect timing. it's really easy when your parents are your best friends. we are so blessed. we're not roughing it by any means, and we all have our own bedrooms, (even the new babe!) score! so stay tuned to future posts, "tales from the compound!" haha.

do u kinda miss me?

2011-08-05T00:43:00.001-04:00

what a whirlwind of a couple of
weeks! i have many things to share and ramble and talk about... but i'm gonna sit down in front of a real computer and do it. not during a pregnancy insomnia moment while laying uncomfortably in bed. til then I'm going to post a 32 week prego shot. taken from the h&m dressing room during a much needed moving break. did someone say B-U-M-P? im excited about this weekend! lots of fun stuff on the horizon including: fam from texas coming! maternity/family photo session! my "sprinkle" hosted by my sweet friend kristyn! and i may even sneak in a much needed pedi somewhere in there... chat soon dolls! happy almost weekend!

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welcome berkley!

2011-08-05T00:37:00.001-04:00

after 5 months of strict bedrest, my sweet friend brandi had another precious lil girl, berkley eve! so thrilled for our friends! she's just perfect & of course already mastered her mommas regimented feeding schedule! haha, love ya b. (i swear this mom needs to write a book) seriously had this baby on a schedule before they left the hospital. impressive. my child is 3 and sometimes goes to bed at her bedtime. ;). congrats popp fam! so glad i'm knocked up because holding that sweet babe gives me major baby fever.

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option #2

2011-07-29T22:50:00.001-04:00

since i can't have a glass of wine, i'll just go for this. i love being pregnant.

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MIA

2011-07-27T08:30:00.001-04:00

inspection, check! appraisal, check! having 6 days to pack up your entire home and be completely out, iffy. ps. trying to move at 32 weeks prego in 100 degree weather= cankles. i'm trying to stay positive and relaxed. that being said I apologize for being a bad friend, employee, and blogger. it took me over 10 minutes to find myself undergarments this morning. more updates on our life when I'm not stuck in traffic.. dang iphone. ;) xoxo

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remember this ole nursery rhyme?

2011-07-25T22:51:00.001-04:00

there was a little girl
who had a little curl
right in the middle of her forehead. when she was good, she was very very good.

but when she was bad, she was horrid.

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poolside priss.

2011-07-13T21:22:00.001-04:00

fav quotes this week:

"momma, it's okay if I wear crocs. princesses have to wear crocs sometimes too."

while our dog is sitting next to the dinner table quietly begging for liv to drop some grub... she looks right down at her and says with no facial expression, "mae, you're a fattie." FYI as a parent it takes a lot of will power to not laugh out loud at that one. just one more reminder I need to watch my mouth.

"momma, i so eggs-ited to be a big brother."

"girls dont wear shorts, only dresses."

"is daddy coming home from that fire station soon?"

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let freedom ring!

2011-07-08T08:59:00.001-04:00

had a great happy fourth! god bless america! we even were total rebel parents & let liv stay up waaaay past her bedtime so she could go to the firework show. snowcones, scary doras, fruit pizzas & feeding poppy twizzlers while he gives her a crazy face... good times.

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mae & me.

2011-07-03T12:31:00.001-04:00

my eyes are swollen shut today because i caught the tail end of "marley & me" on tv last night. that flick will get you every time, especially with raging pregnancy hormones, jeez. it makes you just wanna love on your dog! we love you mae. best dog ever.

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Location:the backseat.

nesting issues.

2011-07-02T12:01:00.009-04:00

aaaahhh! we have a major issue. i'm nesting. but i don't know where to nest. our home is still "sale pending." we are dealing with inspection, appraisal, crap i don't like to wait on, etc.. dutch says no packing til this all goes through. i agree. it would be terrible to be all boxed up & then something fall through. our closing date is set for july 28. less than 2 months before my due date. this waiting period is killing me, i'm not gonna lie. we are struggling on finding the perfect house. that's the perfect price. and don't want to settle. this next house is THE one. the one our kids will truly "grow up" in. we can't just say, "oh, this one will do." sooooo.... we continue to pray.. for it to all fall into place, gods will to be done, for my OCD to take a timeout & to be patient. until then i keep telling myself it's okay if i dont have a perfect nursery. omg, you have no idea how much i want to decorate a nursery! my mom & dad could not be more awesome. they have offered for us to come stay with them if we don't find a house in time, save some dough, & not feel pressured to indeed "settle." so that's the scoop. i very well may be bringing home a newborn to omie & poppys. so blessed to have a back-up plan. instead of stressing about not having a perfect nursery and everything nice and organized... i am focusing on the amazing possibility of having built-in babysitters and home-cooked meals. ha! love my parents. so much. until then, im nesting via blog-stalking. i need a mix of all this in our next home. this could explain why i'm having such a hard time finding "the one." ha! dutch just doesn't want a moneypit...those always seem boring to me. ;) enjoy my randomness.

1.adorable kitchen 2. nursery inspiration 3.i have a huge ornate mirror like this, but it's gold. i'm so painting it white. 4. an entire bathroom in chalkpaint? swoon! 5. how fun for liv's room

can i just freeze her?

2011-06-29T22:59:00.001-04:00

bragging, i'm bragging. oh don't get me wrong we have lots of "challenging" moments from our 3 year old but she makes us crylaugh every.single.day. no doubt, she's my saving grace during this chaotic time of our lives. (sold house, can't find a house to move into, third trimester in pregnancy) just those lil things... she is my bestest bud and having full conversations with your kid is pretty much the most awesome thing ever. she asks to watch "just a few minutes of elf" every nite before bed. yes the will ferrell movie. ok i'm done, thanks for listening. don't ask me what's going on with her hair. she kinda looks like justin beiber. we may need a bang trim.

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a birthday bonanza weekend!

2011-06-26T22:17:00.001-04:00

what a fun-filled weekend! liv's bff makenzie turned 3 & my sweet momma turned another year younger. liv and I are still on a sugar buzz. love you both, so glad we could celebrate together!

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hydrangeas!

2011-06-24T21:47:00.001-04:00

love these! it's the little things.

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Location:our home...for now..

props to pops.

2011-06-19T21:59:00.001-04:00

i'm not gonna beat around the bush here, I think mr. dutch barrett is a stellar dad. hands-on, patient, teaching, fun, willing, and a hard-workin pa. & i'm glad I snagged him! happy fathers day! (seriously this pic of them gazing at each other is candid!) we were out to breakfast this morning and i snapped it at a petfect time. love it!

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growing, growing, growing.

2011-06-16T22:21:00.001-04:00

lots of things in my life have really just taken off and "bloomed" lately... and i love it.

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pic o the week

2011-06-13T19:08:00.001-04:00

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real estate slump?

2011-06-11T16:20:00.001-04:00

not so much, check this out...

this guy "sold" in 43 days! i'm a mixed emotions hormonal basketcase! love this first home of ours soooo much, but we're on to the next chapter.. which hopefully will include an actual pantry & no well water, ha. and no we have NO house we love to move into and YES i'm having a baby in 3 months.

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pool day, what!

2011-06-07T22:12:00.001-04:00

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Location:the monon center, carmel, in

reason #94 i heart being a momma.

2011-06-07T19:57:00.003-04:00

handmade potty charts!

yes, our child is 3 years old & still not mastered potty training. don't judge, we have issues. ha! at least we think she's real cute.

a racing bump!

2011-06-05T17:34:00.001-04:00

we've participated in "outrun the sun" the last 3 years. it's a benefit walk/run where proceeds benefit melanoma research. i've always loved a good tan but after 30 years im realizing that sunscreen & spray tans are def the way to go. don't get me wrong, i thrive off some vitamin D but this freckled gal doesn't do too "hot" in the sun. stay safe this summer and apply often. wouldn't want you all to be wrinkled "magdas." ha. i wonder if I'll ever blog from the computer again..

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tutu gardener

2011-06-01T21:07:00.001-04:00

so remember when i was sooo excited about my new snazzy phone? how about 6 days later when I shattered it on concrete and broke the camera. sad day, unhappy husband (since he only asked me 90 times to please get a case but none i came across were cute enough) oops. thank goodness I now have a new boyfriend at the apple store who gave this sister the hook-up! I'm back!! so here's a pic!

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indy bound!

2011-05-27T20:14:00.001-04:00

we're heading home! and here i am bloggin en route. we had an awesome time, i'll do a real post with all our flowergirl details when we get home. stay on the edge of your seats because it's a pretty good story. we drove to the wisconsin dells last nite and stayed at the great wolf lodge. not sure if you know about this such place but let me tell you it is a indoor waterpark bonanza! liv had a total blast and this momma was extremely bummed prego ladies aren't allowed on the big slides! i did sneak into the wave pool a couple times though, such a rebel. liv is so grown-up. she truly is such a joy I can't even stand it. her vocab cracks us up. I just took off my seatbelt to grab something out of the backseat and she said, "momma, you are so dangerous." dutch and i just spent the last 3 hours trying to come up with baby names which has really just ended up with a lot of laughter and "what if we really named it that?" such as grinin for a boy. Grinin Barrett. get it? and dutchess for a girl. wow. so glad we were able to get away and visit precious fam but I'm not gonna lie I'm really pumped about sleeping in my own bed tonite. & rumor has it indy is going to be in the 90's this weekend. bring. it. on! happy long weekend folks! xoxo

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wednesday pics

2011-05-25T19:37:00.001-04:00

sand and pizza. and more new photo apps. ta ha!

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Location:duluth, mn

minnesoooota outings

2011-05-24T17:18:00.002-04:00

it is so awesome watching liv have a blast with all her tons of cousins. it's in the 60's here. wish it was a tad warmer but all the scenery here truly looks like a postcard. yesterday we went up to lake superior and this morning we went out to gigi's (dutchs amazing 90-year-old gma) house for coffee & made from scratch caramel rolls. these pics are literally her backyard, so peaceful. we also had a lil photo opp with the vintage car. how fun is the "hipstamatic" app! I may need an intervention. dutch is out playing golf, so glad he's getting some time to relax. hope you're having a good week! this babe in the oven is moving like crazy and I love it.

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anniversary gift

2011-05-22T22:01:00.002-04:00

i tried to hold off on becoming one of those "iphoners" that was addicted to a handheld device. but then on our way out of town for a 13 hour roadtrip, my dear husband asks if i'd like to use our phone upgrade. perhaps he's just awesome. perhaps he just didn't want me to talk his ear off for 13 hours. either way, I indeed have this new phone. I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm 90% sure my fingers are too chubby for this thing. also no doubt "autocorrect" makes me crazy. and yes I'm officially addicted. and get this I'm blogging from my phone right now while in minnesooooooota! I think I am anyway, ha. we're here all week visiting dutch's fam. here's a pic of our rockstar daughter in the car. stay tuned for more "remote bloggin." this is my trial run.

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it's a...

2011-05-18T17:19:00.002-04:00

healthy babe!

boy or girl, we do not know.

all we know is we love "it" so.

all 10 fingers and all 10 toes.

just not sure if we need bowties or bows.

we know the surprise will be well worth the wait.

so excited for miss liv to have another playmate.

dutch hopes this cuts down on "sprees" at the mall.

ha, don't be fooled my dear man...it's on this fall!

i forgot a few.

2011-05-14T21:21:00.005-04:00

of my favs. from liv's birthday party last month. my mom came over and had some pricless pics on her camera. & had to put on the old b-log. she's still talking about how much fun she had, so i figure it's not too late to post these guys. yes, we so let everyone at the party grab a fork and dig in to liv's giant cupcake. germ-free? no. priceless? look at that face and tell me if you think so.

this cracks me up.

2011-05-13T21:45:00.003-04:00

m-o-m.

2011-05-08T21:01:00.005-04:00

before you ever become a mom, you imagine how it will be. then you're blessed with actually becoming a mom & it's so much more than that. being a mom is by far my greatest achievement. it's the best, hardest, learning, rewarding, fun and amazing "title" i've ever had. i am so incredibly blessed to have such an incredible little girl and another babe on the way. i think when someone tells you "you're a good mom" that it's by far the best compliment you can receive. i know there will be "low moments" during the journey of parenthood...but i will always give it my all to make my kids proud and lead by example. i pray they admire me as much as i look up to my sweet, sacrificing & amazing mom. i hope all you gorgeous ladies had a special and well-deserved day. i love all my rockstar momma friends. happy mommas day.

mission accomplished.

2011-05-04T20:50:00.004-04:00

no, we didn't sell our darling home yet. we have had a showing every.single.day since we listed last week however. i've never lived so clean in my life! anyway... i'm real proud about something. remember last month when i said i was going to make those 'lil pennants for liv's birthday party favors for all the kiddos... i followed through! love it when that happens! i have a new obsession with "fat quarters" of fabric. and this definitely wasn't the most "budget-friendly" project. since every single one just had to be different. (why do i have to be sooo high-maintenance?) and i tend to goof in that budget area most of the time. ;) but i think/hope that the darling guests will keep these lil random flags. ta ha! thanks to my dear friend, "b" who so sweetly helped me cut/glue the fabric and my a-mazing auntie julo for sending me "initials" that she rocked out. obviously a group effort. but i wanted to show you the finished project! p.s. went to chicago last weekend for a quick family get-a-way. had a blast. pics to come!

he has risen indeed!

2011-04-28T21:39:00.002-04:00

and she's a poser indeed! hope your easter was a goodie. we are so blessed!

it's official!

2011-04-23T22:30:00.003-04:00

growing babe=growing fam=we need more space.

so we did it.

our house is on the market. officially.

sad, exciting, overwhelming, all at the same time. a few of my closets still need "tweaking" but i think we're ready. i mean my fridge is even organized. this whole situation is all in the good lords hands. keep us in your thoughts & prayers as we search for our next home. (and let's hope if a move is in the future it happens before this growing momma is huge.) i mean we for sure need time to perfect a nursery, right? honestly, i think putting your house on the market has to be on the "top ten stressful list." ha! it's tough trying to be clean all the time & not being able to hide stuff, jeez! happy easter weekend!

priceless princess post.

2011-04-21T22:16:00.004-04:00

liv has her very first flower girl gig next month. she's super excited. i'm kinda nervous. but i think that's normal, right? anyway, the dress and hair accessory arrived from their etsy shops this week and we had a dress rehearsal tonite. had to share this clip. the first song is "someday my prince will come" and the second little jingle is from her current obsession, tangled. i want to just bottle up that giggle forever.

oh my, oh me. today our lil doll is three!

2011-04-17T20:59:00.005-04:00

liv brooks barrett, you truly are our doll. just when we think we can't love your little face possibly any more..doggone..we fall even harder. today you had quote the "best birthday ever." you are such a blessed little lady. tons of friends and fam came to your digs to celebrate your big day. pony rides, petting zoo, and lots of cupcakes. (made with love by your very own omie.) of course like any parent, we think you're the most gorgeous smartest funniest tot around. you make our life so full. and we can't wait to see you play the role of big sis. you're gonna rock it sister. here's to a year full of loads of fun, minimal tantrums, and big girl panties. so proud of you doll. happy happy birthday muffin. thanks to all who were able to come & play today...and for those of you out-of-town...we miss you. xoxoxoxo

"ta-da!"

2011-04-11T22:36:00.001-04:00

ok so here's a lil better one. check out those "kid" legs! looks like "almost-a-3-year-old" legs. 6 day countdown to the big par-tay.

bubblelicious.

2011-04-11T18:31:00.002-04:00

what we've learned at tumbling class.

2011-04-11T18:13:00.001-04:00

i mean not really...but kinda.

liv, lately.

2011-04-04T09:58:00.006-04:00

i've been so random lately. so i thought i'd take a minute and "jot" down some of the things our darling daughter has said in the last month or so i don't want to forget. it's so awesome to watch your kid grow and see their lil personality & sense of humor form more every day. seriously kids.are.so.funny even when they don't mean to be. here's a few of my favs:

liv is REAL into princesses and playing pretend. daddy is no longer daddy. he walks in the door & she says, "welcome home prince." pretty cute. she's constantly switching it up what princess she is, but never fails i'm the little mermaid. i don't mind. i know every single word to all her songs. :)

liv: momma, i'll be cindawella. you be wittle mermaid."

me: ok. oh hi cinderella! what are you doing?

liv (in the highest pitch of voice you can ever imagine): i'm just cleaning...so, you gotta tail?

now that's funny.

yesterday dutch yelled for me from downstairs. i answered with a "yeeeaaahhh..." liv says: momma, don't say yea, say yes m'aam. ta ha. nothing like getting called out by your two year old. (still working on sir vs m'aam.)

we were at the post office and the worker lady had THE most bodacious acrylic bedazzled fingernails you have ever seen on a woman. the counter is pretty high and liv always has to see what's going on so i had her on my hip. the gal says hello to liv. liv replies. " your nails are beautiful."

so big news at the barretts! we were determined to make this cozy lil house of ours work for our growing family. it's not ideal but we can streamline & simplify. well....after more problems with our well and the most adorable perfect homes popping up on the market... we've decided that if we put our house on the market...the worst that can happen is that our house doesn't sell. no biggie. decision made! aaahhh! i've been a de-cluttering and organinzing fool this weekend! we are putting a ton of stuff in storage, including a lot of liv's toys, little table and chairs, etc... she was getting upset last night that all her stuff was going away. i sat down and explained to her that she would get it back, we just are maybe going to try and find another house so we have more room for her new brother or sister. she sat for a second. in deep thought. and then says, "can't that baby just go in the closet?" wow. i somehow didn't laugh in front of her but have been internal giggling all morning at that one.

anyways say a quick prayer all will work out with our house situation. planning to list next weekend! glad that energy of mine is back, right? this is a lot of work!

enjoy your week! and since a "post" isn't complete without a picture... this is from the park yesterday enjoying the awesome weather! hooray, yippee, yay!

weekend project!

2011-03-26T09:21:00.003-04:00

it's saturday! it's sunny! and it's cold. just did a quick pajama pancake run this morning and my car read 29 degrees. boo. dutch is busy saving lives all weekend (on shift.) so it's just us girls. what's on our agenda since the park is out? tumbling class, pick-up party, side-by-side polish changes, costco, visit a sweet friend (who is also preggers & has been put on strict bedrest! ) keep my friend "b" in your prayers, she is 21 weeks prego with a 2 year old and a firefighter hubs also... she is strong & patient but i can only imagine how long the next 4 months are going to be. so we're gonna head over there, take some goodies, lay on the couch together, make a lil dinner for her, and i even offered to give her a blow-out. good hair is truly healing, yes? anyways, back to the to-do list. i really need to throw in a few aka 90 loads of laundry and then last but not least... final birthday preparations for a special someone's day next month! i just stumbled upon this tutorial here. i can do this! i'm for sure going to make an "L" or a "3" for the top of a giant cupcake. and then maybe, just maybe, if i dig down deep...i will attempt to make a personalized pennant for all guests! what an adorable favor would these be? l-o-v-e. wish me luck!

hello energy!

2011-03-24T08:14:00.003-04:00

perhaps it's been the a-mazing weather & open windows. perhaps it's the fact i've entered the ever so glorious "second trimester." i'm sure it's a combo of both. but whatever it is, i'm soooo happy it's here! i've got my pep back. (i will not mention here that it's indeed supposed to snow this weekend.) anyways, here i am. eating my breakfast. and blogging. ta ha. and what have i chose to share with you? oh only just about cleaning supplies. i may have lost my mind..

l-o-v-e this cleaning/anti-bac spray! method lemon verbena spray. makes your whole casa smell so fresh and so clean clean. seriously i'm obsessed. also if youre searching for that pep in your step to get started with your spring projects. snag yourself a copy of this guy. worked for me! enjoy your day muffins.

pinch-proof.

2011-03-17T17:33:00.003-04:00

who is green and sits on your porch?
patty o'furniture!

inspired!

2011-03-12T17:59:00.003-05:00

i love me a new project & of course i've got baby on the brain... i'm sure i'll change my mind 90 times and not get started for months...but its always f-u-n to get inspired. just thought i'd share. also liv had tumbling again this morning...let's just say i think a "freelance dance" class would be more up her alley.

we are family.

2011-03-10T21:40:00.003-05:00

i'm healed! seasonal funk + first trimester exhaustion is not a good combo. sometimes all a southern gal needs is a long girls weekend away with her family!! my thoughtful husband surprised me and my mom with plane tickets to texas for christmas! it was so nice to have something to look forward to & even though it went by way too fast...it was an amazing weekend. we had a complete blast (even though i couldn't join in on the bottomless mimosa brunch special.) i really don't think we stopped laughing for 4 days. i l-o-v-e austin. so fun. and fredericksburg, tx is simply adorable. it was like winter rehab. healing, fun, relaxing, and so pleasant. even though i live in the same town as my mom..it's crazy how with a toddler you don't get the opportunity to have real conversations often. so great to have quality time with my dear mom. and i am soooo blessed to have such an awesome auntie and cousins. love my fam! oh! and word on the street has it that dutch and liv had a super daddy/daughter weekend too.

flip n roll.

2011-02-27T09:15:00.004-05:00

liv had her first tumbling class yesterday morning. the ages for the class is 3 to 5. and miss "i will never be THAT mom" here so made the phone call to see if they would let it slide and let my 2 year 10 month old in the class... i'm kinda disappointed in myself. but whatever. they agreed. (just look at the smallest tot in the terrible cell phone pics and that's liv. ) anyways, the little gal has the coordination down. she really does...even is close to a headstand. her listening skills however...she failed miserably. all the other kids would line up when they were supposed to and our hot mess of a child would just run laps around the room..prancing...making sure her lil leotard skirt was flowing for the audience of parents. check out the first pic...somebody is causing a "back up" on the balance beam. she was going sooooo sloooooow. dutch and i had tears.

barretts, party of 4.

2011-02-22T15:52:00.005-05:00

coming this september! we are thrilled to pieces. we have prayed for this lil blessing and our hearts are full! we had our ultrasound yesterday and my doc gave me the "green light" to spread the word. our little nugget's heartrate was 170 beats a minute & seems to be growing just right. it makes me giddy just thinking about seeing liv be a big sister. we have told her the news and she has.told.everyone. including the check-out guy at the grocery store today. "my mommy has a baby in her belwy. it's a bwother and his name is sam." really? i have been lucky enough not to be sick this first trimester. had a couple yucky episodes but i completely blame taco bell craving. i'm excited to have you "follow" me on this fun road of expanding our family! p.s. did you hear dairy queen has peanut butter snickers blizzards. peanut.butter.snickers. of course they do.

xoxo.

2011-02-14T19:13:00.002-05:00

no idea what this face is. happy hearts day folks.

i heart my backseat.

2011-02-13T17:21:00.002-05:00

misc.

2011-02-12T21:02:00.005-05:00

i am so random lately. i need to be organizing my life vs. posting random things. but whatever. did you hear that h&m has a home line now! i kinda may love it, but i think you have to live in the united kingdom to get it. oops. c'mon amercia, get with the program. AND omg, why oh why do i already have to be married. kidding but anthropologie. has. wedding. dresses. i just died. can i renew my vows or something just so i can get one? in l-o-v-e. and last but not least.. liv got her first flower-girl gig!! this may! excitement! and i just ordered this guy for her hair accessory. good, huh?

my little shopper.

2011-02-10T22:09:00.002-05:00

you'll never guess.

2011-02-06T09:40:00.003-05:00

but we got more snow. do you think it's as funny as i do that she's worn this same snow suit every winter since she's been born? it like shrinks or grows with her. i don't get it. see last year here.

cabin fev.

2011-02-02T11:09:00.006-05:00

do you think i can bust out all my creativity and make a crown like this by my kiddo's third birthday in april? i'm trying to be productive on this snow day but all i've done is... fry some turkey bacon, play with play-dough, read cinderella 3 times to a special someone, watch dutch chizel inches of ice off his truck, (i dont think i've ever written the word chizel and have no idea how to spell it), face-booked, contemplated making red velvet cupcakes.. i did sweep up a good pile of mae's dog hair. okay i'm gonna go have a dance party or something. i'm so glad i have new tan towels to use. and if you don't know what a "tan towel" is, let me know...they can save your life. stay warm folks!

random-ness.

2011-01-31T22:09:00.008-05:00

everyone seems to be hunkering down for the ice blizzard of 2011. to prepare for the storm i washed, blowdried, and smoothed out my hair just in case we lose power. since it's too icy and cold to even build a snowman outside, i just stalk blogs and find random things/images that inspire and warm my soul. so here we go. a good post full of a whole lot of who knows what. (am i breaking the law that i have no idea where i got most of these pics and not giving credit.) i almost hope i do get in trouble...that means i'm getting kinda blog-famous, right?

goal hair.

i wonder if i'll get over my chalkboard paint obsession. i'm thinking not.

i got liv some of these "crayon rocks" from a website called magic cabin. such a good kids site! they come in a perfect little carrying pouch and i have them on me at all times. if for some reason the ipod touch isn't charged, they save the day.

this here desk is wearing a tutu. and i kinda love it.

love this inspiration board!

is this a great "big girl room" or what?

49 days.

2011-01-30T18:03:00.004-05:00

until march 21. the official start of spring. i've been google-ing seasonal affective disorder and have diagnosed myself of having it. anyways, hi. still cold here...but the sun was shining today! holla! we took an awesome family nap this afternoon then liv and i bundled up and and went on a goodie of a power-walk. have you ever had a stroller "fishtail"? i decided it was time to go in when liv looked up at me and said, "mom. im freezing." sorry i'm kinda negative nelly, i promise i'm a really cool gal the other 3 seasons of the year.

polished.

2011-01-24T21:03:00.003-05:00

sometimes i feel weird when i blog about something other than the livster, mommyhood, how ready i am for spring, etc... but i just have to share one of my current faves. something you may not know about me: i can not paint my own fingernails. i'm so that girl that pays $6-$8 every couple weeks for someone else to give me a flawless paint job. just makes me feel more put together. anyway... guess what, i found a nail polish that almost looks just as good as the pros. rimmel lasting finish pro! its cheap. and it seriously stays on for ev er. {okay at least a week.} goodie colors. looks good on the digits. and friendlier on the wallet. just wanted to share! go get you some, snagged mine at the local walgreens. happy new week!

my thoughts exactly.

2011-01-23T16:06:00.005-05:00

don't worry if i ever turn this blog into one of those books, i'll take this post out. but seriously, longest.winter.ever.

tea for two.

2011-01-22T19:16:00.002-05:00

my latest fav purchase.

2011-01-18T20:18:00.005-05:00

would have to be this bulldog valentines candy dish. fully equipped with pink angel wings and a heart collar. why do i have to have such random goodness junking up my house? i'm sure my husband would like to know the same thing. i haven't even bought any candy yet to fill it...probably a good thing. (p.s. the pic honestly doesn't give it justice.)

playdate.

2011-01-15T20:32:00.006-05:00

jeez. i'm slacking on the b-log so far in 2011! between lots of houseguests, working more, and the real housewives of beverly hills on demand, i just haven't gotten on the ole computer much... unless i'm ordering new hunter boots. i mean if there's gonna be snow and slush on the ground this much & i can't wear "real shoes"...i gotta give myself some love. ugh! c'mon spring! momma needs some sunshine!

anyways, dutch was able to sneak away for a "guys weekend" to see a hockey game in nashville, TN. i had the day off and i was excited to have a fun girls day with my best buddy. just liv and me. donut holes for breakfast, went & signed up for our first "tumbling" class, afternoon yogi bear movie in 3D, some good january sale rack shopping & then cozied up with hot chocolate at the bookstore to end the day. my favorite sidekick was out cold the minute we got in the car. i carried her in the house, took off her boots and coat and just let her go ahead and snuggle right in her bed. she rolled over and opened her little eyes and said, "thank you momma, i have fun." i could just eat her up.

pic o the week.

2011-01-15T20:21:00.000-05:00

that may be 3 months old. but i love it.

year in review.

2010-12-30T16:26:00.006-05:00

we hope everyone had a very merry happy everything! our december like everyone else's was non-stop and i can not believe i seriously don't have any pictures from our amazing christmas to post. i guess i was just too "wrapped up!" {and still not quite fully recovered from the worst stomach virus ever, ugh.} we got some great video of liv's adorable surprise reaction to santa's visit..but it's 12 minutes long & i dont know how to edit it shorter. this year was a blast, liv "got it" and the elf on the shelf could possibly be the most genious thing ever invented. i somehow fell more in love with my child after she named our elf, schnizzle. awesome. so i'm really on the never-ending mission to organize my life and finally made the effort of uploading pictures from my cell phone. the other night i started scrolling through those 1200+ pictures (in chronological order) and i realized that 2010 pretty much has been an incredible year. so in this lovely post i'm doing a random "year in review through my cell phone kodak moments." here's wishing all a happy, healthy, and prosperous year. bring it on twentyeleven!
1. new years day (2010) in minnesota 2. friends in texas 3. planting a new pom-pom tree 4. happy easter 5. first ice-cream truck 6. touchdown! 7. elmo in nyc 8. brunch in bryant park 9. hydrangeas & lunch 10. sidewalk chalk 11. benefit runs 80's style 12. new trampoline! 13. lounging poolside 14. visiting daddy @ the firestation 15. texas heat in indiana! 16. playdates 17. staying hydrated 18. summer wedding w a hot date 19. surprise birthday mimosas with my bff, elizabeth. 20. puppy kisses 21. my lil cupcake baker 22. root beer float 23. coolness 24. roadtrip 25. pumpkin train 26. sponge rollers 27. school pictures 28. "cago wif vanna" aka chicago with savannah 29. just a swingin' 30. naptime at school 31. go colts 32. new blocks

have a 'rockin' christmas..

2010-12-22T22:49:00.002-05:00

i know this gal sure plans to...

just heavenly!

2010-12-20T22:22:00.004-05:00

i'm sure a lot of you out there follow that sweet lil 'nie's blog.{see under "loves it" sidebar if you dont.} i'm telling you the truth i just totally gasped when i saw this creative goodness. not quite sure i'll pull it together in time for this year..but mark my words, come holiday season 2011, im sooooo stealing this idea! how sweet is this? l-o-v-e!

my favorite part of the day...

2010-12-19T18:57:00.003-05:00

this time of the year is...

2010 christmas card.

2010-12-19T18:46:00.002-05:00

mini-me?

2010-12-18T20:56:00.004-05:00

so i'm gonna be honest, people have told me my daughter resembles me...i've never really seen it. they make comments, such as "i can't believe she doesn't have really blonde hair"... & i think to myself "ha, hope they don't check out these roots." anyways, liv was at my mom's helping her decorate the "kid tree" aka the tree with all the ornaments my brother and i made from preschool on.. so sweet, mom. liv picks up an ornament that obviously one of our many dogs we've had in our lifetime had gotten a hold of... and proclaims, "wook! it's wiv!" (don't judge, she can't pronounce her "L's" yet.) no wittle miss wiv, that would be your momma, at about age 3..

what do you think? do you see why my dad calls her "little-erin"?

sweet and petite.

2010-12-06T22:08:00.005-05:00

finally had liv's "two and a half" well visit today.. her original appointment was scheduled the morning we ended up in the emergency room getting stitches in our brow. oops. anyways, here's the stats. she's healthy and growing a.o.k. 26.5 lbs. 34.5 inches tall. ( i think..i left her sheet sitting on the exam table, just call me supermom.) anyways, she's pretty much just a petite lil bundle of perfection. hope you're enjoying the hustle and bustle of this fun-filled month!

happy december!

2010-12-01T23:03:00.010-05:00

december is here, & on this snowy evening... yes, its snowing. i'd like to share a few holiday wintery inspirational images that i've stumbled upon that make me happy. also, take any little ones in your life to go see "tangled." such a cute flick. seriously. liv didn't move through the whole thing. oh, and do 3d glasses really effect your kids vision if they wear them too young? or is that just an old wives tale?