Some Kids Have a Binkie...Mine Has a Car Seat.

Poor Jensen has really bad acid reflux. Luckily we have been able to keep it under control with medication and a few minor things such as keeping him elevated to prevent the acid from coming back up. When he was about 3 weeks old, the doctor recommended that we let him sleep in his car seat (in his bed) since its the perfect angle and it would prevent him from choking in his sleep. It worked great! He stopped making his weird little grunting noises in his sleep that were keeping us awake all night, it seemed to help his reflux and he started sleeping through the night by 3 months old. (Every parents dream!)Jensen just turned 4 months old and for those of you who know the not so little guy, he's a bit of a tank. In fact he's 17 pounds now (Gianna in comparison is 28 pounds) which got me thinking that he is going to outgrow this car seat pretty quick here. Also, he is trying really hard to sit up and that includes when he is in his car seat so this last week I thought its time to try the bed. He has taken naps in his bed (brief ones) with the mattress elevated but never slept the night in his bed. In fact, he loves his car seat so we hadn't seen the need to not let him sleep in it. The second his head hits the seat he's out! He's kind of snug in it which I think every baby would like to be when they are sleeping and of course I make it comfy by laying down a blanket and putting the seat belts out to the side.
It never dawned on me (although it should have) that we would have a hard time getting him away from sleeping in it. This last week has been rough. I have had a sinus infection and Jensen, who like I said usually sleeps through the night, has been up two and now last night, 3 times! At first I thought it was a plot against me (the sleep deprived mind of a sickness ridden mother can think of weird things in the middle of the night lol) and then I started thinking it was this weird weather we've been having. (Its hot, it's cold, it's hot, it's cold) that's making him uncomfortable and then last night on my third time up out of desperation I grabbed the car seat and threw Jensen in and low and behold the kid was asleep in 30 seconds flat. Oh no! He has a security....car seat?
How do you get rid of one of those!? Laying in bed I started thinking of what could happen as a result of us letting him sleep in his car seat. Maybe he will never outgrow it and as a result, instead of a bed we will have to buy him one of those weird oval chairs as seen here. LOL! (See weird sleep deprived thoughts)

Well, if we could get rid of Gianna's binkie, I thought, I am sure we will be able to get rid of Jensen's car seat. Unfortunately, we can't just throw it in the trash like we did the binkie....he rides in it (well, sleeps in the car in it) everyday! In the meantime, I guess we will just have to kiss our precious sleep good bye while he gets used to sleeping in a regular bed. Any suggestions from my fellow moms would be greatly appreciated. If you have seen the style of my home, you know that one of those oval egg chairs just wouldn't fit the decor.

Loving Bella B!

When I first started taking pictures again after a long hiatus from my favorite hobby, I never thought I'd be were I am now. Just for fun I started taking pictures of my friends and family and clearly I had a lot to learn (and still do) but they were all so supportive of me and I have been fortunate to learn more and more as I go along.
Last week I had 4 photo sessions including a wedding and hours upon hours of editing from the previous weeks.
As I look through my portfolio, I am amazed at how far I have come and how my work has evolved in such a short time. I feel truly blessed to be able to do something I love and make a little extra money on the side too.
I feel like I am happy with the amount of work that I have now because my priority hands down are my kids but I so look forward to learning new techniques and meeting new people so that maybe, one day, I can grow my business into something bigger and better.

I love capturing a families memories for them or freezing their little ones innocence forever in time...how many other people can say they have the honor of being a part of something so special. For now I don't really mind that I'm not the best photographer...I know I have a lot to learn. I just love sharing my passion with people and love playing a small role in another families memories.

What I love more than anything in the world though is taking pictures of my kids. Its weird because my reasoning is different with them than it is with other people. Sure its awesome to capture their sweet little expressions so I can always remember the way they are now but with them its more. I truly hope that one day they can look back at the pictures of them that I took and see how I saw them through my eyes, how much love I have for them. They are truly the most amazing blessing and while I love taking other peoples photos, they will always be my favorite subjects hands down.

I definitely look forward to seeing where the future takes me with photography but for now I love where I am with it.

Dear thinner me from a year ago,

I applaud your intentions of wanting to get rid of your bigger size jeans so as to not find yourself "accidentally" fitting in them again. However, you forgot one thing...you were planning on getting pregnant. Which you did. Which leads me to now, starring at all these jeans in my closet that are 1 to 2 sizes too small.
I know that we are still the same person to some degree because I refuse to go buy more jeans in my current size that is 1 to 2 sizes bigger as I am afraid that I will like them and well, not care as much to fit in the smaller ones.
In the mean time I am stuck wearing the same few pairs of pants over and over again which is, in a way, encouraging but maybe leaving yourself a little more variety for that post pregnancy self would have been nice.
Geeze!
Sincerely,
Your future heavier self who can't wait for the rest of this baby weight to fall off!!!

Playtime!

Being a stay at home mom definitely has it's challenges. One of them is finding ways to keep playtime fresh and as educational as possible. I think I am a pretty creative person by nature but often times I find myself getting stale. It's even more of a challenge having a 2.5 month old that can often derail your plans. For that reason I am SO grateful to idea sites like Pinterest and mommy blogs for all the amazing and helpful ideas.
I recently started scheduling out the ideas on the calendar to help to keep me on track and give me something to get Gigi excited about for the next day. I am gonna try to blog periodically and if I remember, take pics to share so that I can hopefully inspire other moms the way I have been inspired.

Example: Book Nook Read and Feed

Today after nap we took a bunch of cozy blankets and pillows and closed off a corner of her room by her book shelf. Than we got a couple bowls and filled them with goodies, popcorn, tangerines, and jelly beans. (She picked the treats)
Then we took her new library books that we got yesterday, cozied up and read. Then she "read" a few books to Jensen and then we sat and made up our own silly stories.
It was great for both Gigi and Jensen because she loves to read and he loves to listen to me read. (I'm very animated...accents and all) which makes both of them laugh. Surprisingly he sits and listens through the whole thing!
It was definitely a great afternoon that was both educational and fun and got Gigi using her imagination all of which make for successful playtime!

Hello Blog...We Meet Again.

I love to blog. I miss blogging. It's a nice little creative outlet for me. But these days I barely have time to do my makeup much less blog. Jensen's 2 1/2 months old now and I'm ready to start carving out some more time for me. I am quickly realizing, however, that my definition of me time has definitely evolved. In fact, blogging on my phone while waiting at the doctors office right now can technically be considered "me time" by my new standards.
Nonetheless, I'm blogging again. We will see how I do and whether or not I can keep it up but here's to giving it another shot.

Oh Boy!

I couldn't be more excited about this next phase in my life, becoming a mom of two. Two days after I quit my job, we found out that I was pregnant with baby Pearce number 2 and we couldn't have been happier! Having a new baby and the timing of everything with me quitting my job couldn't have been more awesome. I am SO glad I quit my job too because the first trimester was pretty brutal and I remember working while sick with Gianna and it was absolutely the worst. Being sick is no fun but being sick while you force a smile and fake good customer service is another thing altogether. So it was definitely awesome to get to stay home through that.
We found out that we are due on January 6th so that makes me 18 weeks now and close to half way through. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has already gone by! Gianna definitely helps keep me busy and when people say that it goes by faster when your chasing around another little one they aren't kidding!
Last week was Daniel's 30th birthday and I surprised him by scheduling an appointment to find out the sex of the baby. He LOVED the surprise! But the biggest surprise was when he heard the word "penis" come out of the techs mouth. Daniel was absolutely certain that we were having another girl so it was fun to watch his jaw drop to the ground when he found out he was having a son.
We were both okay with whatever the sex was going to be and certain that regardless, this was our last baby. But how awesome is it that we get to experience having a boy and a girl! Its a whole new world for me because my family is flooded with girls! In fact I haven't even ever baby sat a boy baby oddly enough so needless to say it will be a new experience.
A few weeks before we found out the sex of the baby, I ran across the name Jensen in an article I was reading and fell in love! I told Daniel, that's it! I love it, the search is over! He agreed that he loved it too but said what if its a girl? I said, well it can't be now because I love that name so thank goodness because I would have been a little sad to say good bye to that name and honestly the thought of finding a girl name was so daunting! I didn't love anything I came across. So, Jensen James it is! (James is Daniel's middle name, his grandfathers name and my dad's name.)
Everyone kept telling me that its not as fun to buy boy stuff and what not but I can't get enough of it already....probably because I already got to do the pink and bows and still do. This is a whole different kind of fun and so far I love it! Gianna on the other hand, not so much! She is excited for Baby Jensen, as she calls him and loves to say that he is hers already but she also insists its a "girl baby" because boys are "not nice." I'm certain someday she will be grateful that she doesn't have to share her daddy with another girl because she is the ultimate daddy's girl for sure.
What can I say? Life is good and getting better by the day. Now in my second trimester I am feeling great and loving having so many other girlfriends being pregnant alongside me too! Our group of friends have so many kids for Gianna and now Jensen to play with which is so awesome and makes get togethers a blast!
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious for January though....if you know me well you know I am not the best pregnant person. I love having kids but if the stork really did just drop them off one morning that would be the icing on the cake for me! But in the meantime I am enjoying the prepping and planning for a new little one to join our now growing family of almost 4. I really couldn't be happier than I am right now.
Until next time,
Busy B

The Next Step in My Year of Happy

I have to admit, I have been a little leery of blogging since my last post on our amazing trip to Spain for fear that everything in comparison may seem a little mundane. Nonetheless, here I go! Much change has taken place in this short month since then. Some small and some quite large changes, but all have been significant in the overall scheme of things. And most importantly what they have added to what I had deemed for my New Years Resolution, the Year of Happy.


I quit my job. Something that has encompassed a wide range of emotions for me and something we have been planning for almost 2 years. Nothing in this world could make me more happy than to spend every day playing with Gianna, loving her and teaching her new things. Its truly a blessing that I still find hard to believe is finally a reality for me. The days I spent at work worrying if she was missing me, getting the attention and love she deserved from her caregivers, learning something new when I wasn't there to be the first to witness it are finally behind me. Truthfully, its the best thing I could think to do with each and every day. Its by far the icing on the cake in this year of changes...this year of happy.


But the other end of the spectrum of emotions is also present and something I was only somewhat prepared for. I have worked since I was 16 and have always loved earning an income, being independent, doing well at my job and being rewarded for it. While the reward of staying home is most definitely great, the lack of the other things will surely take some getting used to.


Its funny how I find the days just fly by in comparison to when I was working. Gianna definitely keeps me busy and on my toes! My favorite thing to do is watch her cook in her little play kitchen. She feeds her babies oatmeal and hot soup and teaches them how to blow on it so its not too hot. She makes sure not to forget about me, bringing me coffee and making sure to refill it constantly. She has such an imagination!


We go to the park and play outside with the dogs and we read books. Much is the same as it always was but on a more relaxed time frame now. I don't feel the need to rush a days worth of loving and learning together between dinner and bath time. This is also good for time with Daniel because now I can spend more of that time with him which of course is awesome.


This new experience wouldn't be nearly as great without having the awesome partner that I have in Daniel. This change is just as much a positive for him as it is for me and he makes sure I know it. This is what we want as a family and he gladly takes on more responsibility because of it. I can't help but feel blessed to have him.


So, all in all things are new and different and its most definitely for the better. I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity and look forward to seeing what lies ahead of us. The year is only half over and I must admit that mind over matter, a positive attitude and a stronger relationship with God have really made all the difference this year...that coupled with prayers and support from a wonderful family and a great group of girlfriends. I am most definitely a happy girl!





Sincerely,





The not quite as busy, Busy B :)