friday favorites

 It's sad to say that we are still getting back to normal life after our awesome Florida trip.  We got home almost three weeks ago and I still haven't finished unpacking the car!  We've been savoring warm memories and wishing spring would hurry!  Here are some favorites from our trip and the last few weeks...

• babies in stripey hats...

• turning six months old {and not interested in having pictures taken}...

• my three Valentines...

• three happy kids at South of the Border on our way to Florida!

• the pool at Breckenridge...

• lazy Florida mornings...

• babies who float {with a little help}...

• train rides at lakes park...

• this boy + his baguette

• reading books & hanging at the beach...

• the orange market

• spring training...

• matching with Great Grampa

• disney world 

• being home

• dance parties with besties

• escaping toes...

• ears on baby hoods {if you know what this is, please comment!  lamb?  bunny? we can't tell!}

• broccoli

• yoga babies who want so badly to crawl!

• first teeth {no photos yet!}

• family time...spending time with grandparents, extra baby snuggles, and always time for an extra big girl hug or serenade {turkey dinner song, anyone?}

•seeing Papop's new house!  We had a great stopover on the way home!

I'll be back with a Florida post {with real photos} and a kitchen update soon!

another project...

A few weeks ago we were offered some free kitchen cabinets from a friend who is upgrading.  Our kitchen has some strange homemade shelves/cabinets/coffin-like drawers so we jumped at the opportunity to have a "real" kitchen {and a dishwasher...YAY!!}.  

This week Paul got the call to pick them up so he started to prepare ... by ripping out the counter :0 and the old shelves/cabinets {while I was at yoga...ohmmmmmm}.  Needless to say, I'm wishing we waited one more week to start this project so I would be happily on my way to Florida instead of trying to cook in a construction zone.

The before kitchen, we will call it "funky function": 

The during kitchen, we will call it "totally dysfunctional what was I thinking craziness":

Everything should be in place by the time we get home from Florida, and we will just need to add a countertop which is being crafted by my very talented brother at RE Blood Boatworks.  Can't wait!

And today I ask for prayers of peace and solace for my extended family as they grieve the loss of a wonderful father, brother, husband, grandfather, uncle & great uncle.  

first bites...

 The little mister is so close to six months old.  I can't believe it!  He's hitting so many milestones, learning and exploring every day.  Since he's been sitting up a bit {and begging for food like a cute little puppy}, we decided to go ahead with his first food.  It amazes me how things change from child to child...the newest craze is baby led feeding {called baby led weaning, although there is no actual weaning from the boob} in which baby receives no purees, only pieces of food so they learn to "chew" and swallow and only eat what they want with no pressure from mom and dad.  So of course, after much research, we decided to give it a go.  Yesterday, Samuel watched as I prepared and baked a few organic sweet potatoes in stick shapes.  After letting them cool for the afternoon and waiting for daddy to arrive home, we were ready.  Little mister looked around suspiciously when we sat him in his highchair with a bib and the tray.  He furrowed his brow at the four of us {plus Uncle Ben} watching, me with my camera at the ready.   I placed three squishy sticks of sweet potato on the tray...and he continued to look around wondering what was going on.  After a few minutes, he grabbed one of the sticks and tasted it, smushed it, tasted it again.  I'm not sure that he actually swallowed any but he sure had fun exploring this new food!  Mama is super proud, and I am totally biased but is he not the cutest little eater?!?

Love this expression!

 As for the baby led weaning/feeding, we don't fit under that label.  From what I read, we are more likely "supportive feeding" parents.  No forcing of foods, watching baby's cues, offering a variety, and finger foods as well as some mashed spooned foods which is almost exactly how we started our girls.  Today I mashed up the sweet potato with breastmilk and he ate a few bites from a spoon.  He also loved grabbing/picking up the spoon and putting it in his mouth. He still held, smushed, and tasted the sticks I put on his tray.  I wanted to make sure that he actually ingested some before declaring it a "safe" food and trying something else in a few days.

blog circle | love

Love has been a hot topic for us lately.  Or, more accurately, trying to explain "love" to Grace.  Since starting kindergarten, she has developed a little group of friends and has even been holding a boy's hand on the bus (I cringe and daddy is not pleased either).  When we asked why she holds his hand she said simply, "I love him".  She also brings loads of pictures for friends and teachers, all signed "Love Grace".  I tried to explain that "love" is usually reserved for mommy & daddy, brothers & sisters, aunties & uncles...for family, and maybe a few close friends.  And in her wise little way she replied, "But why do you say you love a book? Or food?"  

So for now, she can "love" all her friends and teachers, and her bus driver.  And I will continue to "love" mint Oreos and Gilmore Girls.

I'll leave you with a few photos of my wee ones that I "love".  And when you are done checking those out, be sure to head over to see Colleen's post for this month's love theme at Colleen Christina Photography !

friday favorites

A few favorites from this week...

• two hour snow delays = relaxing with stories in bed...Grace has begun reading simple books, sounding out each letter + word.

• this boy in his plaid shirts.  gets me every time.

• discovering the blogger app.  woohoo, so easy to post from my phone!

• the way they process things, as heard from Grace... "I know what a ragtop is!  It's a shirt that's a rag!"

• hehe, and something to make taxes a little more fun

The countdown has started...two weeks until we hit the road for Florida.  Can't wait for warm weather + family time!  

samuel james cotton

Here are the photos from the hospital leading up to and after Sam's birth.  I'll be back with the story of his birth soon...

what happened this week...

He is here!  Our sweet baby boy, Samuel James arrived at 12:01am on August 9th 2013.  Eight pounds fifteen ounces and twenty-one inches long.  He is so sweet and mellow!  More photos to come soon, but I'll leave you with this little snap...