smiles, swings, and sunshine

looking through my huge pot of pictures & came across these.

this simple little swing on our tiny little porch has brought all of us so many smiles.  it’s our little ‘outing’ when we don’t quite get out.  both girls love it and on this day they loved it together – those moments are even more special!

fresh air & a little sunshine does everybody good!

i’m loving watching them interact (ok, 75% of the time it’s a happy situation), copy each other, & giggle.  emilymae searching for anabelle’s belly button tonight was pretty darn funny! 

i look forward to seeing them grow into lifelong besties . . .
and of course photographing it along the way!

she found more

the closet was open and she saw more boots so, of course, try carrying three on day 2 of your real deal walking.  she’s so brave and confident.  she climbs, she tumbles (sometimes with a little help from her big sister), she climbs some more, she walks with three boots.  and she is so proud of herself.

she’s moving quick so pictures are still fuzzy

*please disregard the giant pile that needs to go out to recycling

this boot is made for walking

yep, just one boot – at least that is what emilymae has decided on . . for now.

she’s not a big fan of shoes on her little feet but yesterday she started toting around one of anabelle’s ladybug rain boots.  she must have dreamt about it because today she was marching up a storm – with one little boot in her left hand.

most pictures were fuzzy today with all of the new left foot-right foot business.

of all things to carry while you’re learning to walk.

will she be our little lefty?  maybe!  chris is holding out hope.

time for a change

these girlies of mine are growing and changing every single day so i figured it was time for a change on the blog too.  (my old header was a picture of the day after emilymae was born.   now she’s over 14 months old!) 

well, what do you think?  i’m kind of in love with it!  thank you etsy for so many creatively delightful and affordable options . . . for just about everything.

last month i took a little trip up to monterey, just me & e.  it was really good for all of us.  my heart and brain are still buzzing with excitement and ideas for new things – i’ll get into the trip and all of that later.  this post is just a little check in and a test run of the new look.

man.  pretty & clean & . . . totally me, right?!

- - - - - - - - -

we’re all busy, as usual.  even though some days we don’t even leave the house -
(see pictures below)

 

we are doing great, still looking forward to more sleep (who isn’t really?), madly in love with each other (the big ones & the small ones too), managing the 3 year old crazies that sometimes creep out (ok, 3 is definitely it’s own critter!), celebrating true life potty training success (sporting awesome batman & superman undies), watching ema and her wobbly march (ara is her favorite person to walk to), enjoying a variety of homemade cookies (it’s my beer), and trying to figure out the best way to soak up our last year in san diego.  yep, moving in june 2014!  it’s still sinking in a bit.  there will be another post with those details later.  good news is the marine is stoked about this opportunity and the four of us get to go & stay together – my favorite place to be!

that’s it for now.  i do enjoy the occasional quiet ‘me’ time but i’d better get to bed.

ok, maybe just a few more pictures first.

first powdered sugar donut hole.  yes, she only had one of them.  i know, kind of lame but we also had one glazed and one chocolate . . . and we walked there.

my latest ikea purchase – anabelle’s road mat . . complete with one cutie emilymae-zilla!

anabelle told me they were all waiting in line for parking at the baseball game.  her little brain gets more and more creative everyday.  you don’t realize how much the little people around you are soaking up.  it’s fascinating, entertaining, and so darn cool!

delightful-ness

 

cutie girls and a cutie top . . . which was actually mine when i was a wee one!  thanks for sharing momma.  xo.

 

we’re still here

yes, we’re still here.

I don’t like these long breaks from my blog but at least that doesn’t mean I’ve had to take a long break from these awesome littles.  unfortunately breaks are just part of our normal with chris.  but look, he’s in this first shot!  that’s his leg, I swear.

everyone is doing pretty well.  emilymae is getting long and lean.  still not walking but starting to sign a little here and there.  anabelle is so creative.  she makes connections and associations all over the place.  we made up a song so she could learn to spell her name and about 75 percent of the time she’s so stinkin’ sweet to her little sister.  this week, 3 is giving her a run for her money . . . and me too.  an early nap today made a huge difference so I’m hoping we can shift our schedules and reduce the crazy.

as for me, I’m good. 
I’m happy.  I’m in love.  I’m sleepy.  my brain is full of daydreams, lists, ideas, questions, decisions.

wouldn’t have it any other way.

- - - - -

here is a quick peek into just a regular sunday morning
(last weekend)

she doesn’t know much about spidey, but she’s definitely a fan.

‘check me out, emilymae!’

this was all before 7am and right before the four of us headed outside together to walk charley.  I know we were a sight!

yes, our little spidey came along too and these are the shoes she decided to wear.  definitely the perfect choice!

I know, I miss you too.  xo

hopefully I’ll be back soon.

ema’s big day!

last week we got to celebrate little emilymae’s birthday!  the big 0-1! 
she is simply awesome and it was an awesome day.

emilymae got her own little photo shoot beforehand just like anabelle (well, after breakfast at cantina – notice anabelle’s happy face?).  thankfully chris was there to help reset her every few seconds.  she doesn’t sit still for long.

check out anabelle’s sweet wings on her shoes!
(a birthday present from miss amy & olivia)

chris and anabelle stayed busy while i got emilymae ready.

 

papa-daughter magic . . . like nothing else.

the beauties of my everyday!!  crazy blessed.

emilymae needed a turn to fly too!

unlike anabelle, emilymae loved the cold ocean water on her toes and wanted the waves to keep coming back up the shore.

muggy, thanks for helping get some pictures with me in them. xo

when i first sat emilymae down a wave crept up and almost soaked her and her blanket.  once we regrouped – and moved a bit farther away from the water – it was time shoot. 
here are some of my favs!

 

 

and then it was birthday day . . . or the night before.
(papa was in charge of bath and pj’s that night)

happy birthday, emilymae!!

(thanks for choosing us)

we spent the day playing at amy’s.  our parking lot was being resurfaced so we had to park down the hill (not fun!).  it was quite a trek that morning with both girls and all of our things.  it was quite the momma challenge (which i’m happy i accomplished) of trying to let anabelle do her thing, embrace her being an adventurer, and to not rush her along or be annoyed as she curioiusly squated on the sidewalk to watch a row of ants march by.
‘do you see them, momma?’
she worked hard marching all the way and discovering as she went so she decided she had to take a break before we loaded up in the truck.

 

thanks merrell ladies for sharing your day and helping us celebrate our littlest treasure.
(still not quite 16 pounds)
emilymae is still nursing like a champ, still undecided about sleeping through the night, and still fascinated by her big sister.  she’s brave and strong and a teeny shining light!

*party enough and someone is bound to go in the pool with their clothes on!

 

the next day i decided to give pigtails a try for the first time on emilymae.  so stinkin’ cute but makes her look so big!  just one day into being one and she was already growing and changing . . . and climbing up on nearly everything she could manage!

here are anabelle’s first pigtails just a couple weeks before she turned one.