1 Year Old Pics

So for two months I had it on my list to do a photo shoot with Scarlett for her one year old pictures. But honestly, one year olds aren't always the most fun to photograph. They have a very different idea of what's fun. :) I had so many great ideas too! A fun location planned, cute outfits, cupcakes baked! You know, all the good stuff. But of course when it came time I had a sleepy, screaming little girl who didn't want to take pictures and a yucky overcast day. I still gave it a whirl and mostly ended up exhausted, discouraged, and reconfirming what I actually love the most are just random candids or little mini unplanned shoots I do of my kids here and there. And its MUCH easier and less stressful on both of us. :) Sigh....But nevertheless I for some reason persisted and ended up with a lot of pictures in very sub par lighting in my backyard and a little girl (who is normally full of smiles) with straight stoic faces in almost every shot. What can ya do? I guess I still haven't gotten out that girly girl bug from my system and just love playing dress up with my very own baby doll once in awhile. We still managed to get a few cute ones and at least I can look back and remember how sweet this little lady is at the point in time. 

And let's be honest. I still liked playing dress-up. :) But at least I'm not the only one! Miss S loves it almost as much as her Momma. Seriously. SHE LOVES putting on "pretties" and thinks necklaces and shoes are about the greatest things in the world. She comes to me every day with her pink sparkly shoes and just holds them out and says "UH UH" and points to her feet. Then when I put them on she just stands, and grins and stomps around so stinkin' proud of herself. 

Here is my little girly girl at 14 months old!

I love that sweet little face.

She is OBSESSED with books right now. And this Elmo book about balls happens to be her most favorite! She can look at it for hours!

Oh how fun it is to dress little girls! :)

But after all the fancy nancy fluff, we got down to the REAL business--BIRTHDAY CAKE. :)

This girl loves to eat as much as her Momma does and we all know that is no joke. And we have both our bellies to prove it! Luckily though I don't put any pics of mine on the blog. My round chubby tummy is not NEARLY as cute as her is. ;)

Until next year.....

The Lady loves her Daddy....

And I don't blame her one bit!

Breakfast with Daddy

Having kids, sometimes you feel like you are juggling so many things in your mind, multi-tasking, and just trying not to let things get to you as quickly as they once upon a time might have. My brain often just feels like a fried egg. For instance....messes, spills, toys all over the place, never actually finishing a task before being interrupted, being pummeled out of thin air with a 30 pound toddler jumping on you, having a wide awake little munchkin as perky as can be at 6:30 am standing next to your bed poking at your face asking "when can we get up and have breakfast????". The list could go on and on of the many things that parenting teaches us and most of all helps us earn our serious merit badge in PATIENCE. So when I saw this scene unfolding at my kitchen table one morning of Daddy eating breakfast with the babes, I couldn't help but giggle to myself, grab my camera, and document the circus that is every day life in our household much of the time. :)

There is really no such thing anymore as eating meals in peace and quiet. Or ensuring that your own food is actually yours. Its a family affair and a wild one sometimes at that!

Please don't mind the massive pile of laundry in the background. Oh, or the bare walls, or the food piled high on a metal shelf since we are too cheap to buy a real pantry yet. :) Sigh. What can I say. This is us!

Just a typical morning at breakfast.

A little big of chaos, a lot of patience, two sweet and crazy babies, and the best daddy on the planet = a successful breakfast for 3. :)

4 Years Old

Happy Birthday to the cutest, funniest, silliest, sweetest, most energetic, handsome, wild, loveable little boy in the whole world. I adore you. Every single part of you. And I'm so lucky to be your Mom. Thanks for making me smile every single day just being YOU. You are pretty stinkin' special that's for sure!

LOVE YOU!! Happy 4th Birthday!!

P.S. - This was an impromptu photoshoot that took about 5 minutes and Cal picked out that outfit ALL by himself. Honest to goodness. That little man..... :) And the dark tooth....well, that would be the result of trippin in the restroom at the pool and knocking your mouth on the potty. :( So poor kiddo has a dark tooth for the next couple years. I thought about editing it out, but no way...that is my boy...battle wounds and all. I decided I really don't like to touch pictures much of my own kids. I just like them exactly the way they are. Snot, goo, wounds, you name it. That's the face I love and see ever day and I want to remember it exactly the way it is!

1 Year Old Baby Girl

Happy First Birthday to our little Juney-Bug!!

It is so hard to believe that a year has already flown by since you joined our family. We have been immeasurably blessed to have you and are so grateful you are ours! Your sweet little personality is such a joy and you bring countless smiles to our home. You are one special little lady Sissy girl! We love you!!!

XOX-

Momma, Daddy, and Cal

(We were at my Mom's house for her 1st birthday so the birthday cake pictures happen to actually be taken in my baby high chair--where my 1 year old cake pictures were taken too! I had a care bear on my 1 yr old cake, so we put one on hers' too. Just for fun! :) )

(With her new baby and stroller. She loved putting the baby in and out, but also wanted to just sit in her stroller too!)

And here she on her birth day! Her birthday is on father's day this year so it was extra special!

Some things about our Scarlett girl at 1 year old:

- She is getting so playful and loves her family and big brother a lot!

(Cal is being silly here, but they were having so much fun on this stroller ride! This is back in March--9 months old.)

- She is a major Momma and Daddy's girl and has had quite a bit of stranger anxiety. But as long as we're near she is as happy as can be!

-She isn't walking quite yet, but is crawling around like crazy and walking all around the furniture as long as she is holding on. She stands up all by herself though without holding anything.

- She is a happy happy girl, but can also be very dramatic! Has lots of sass. :)

- Can throw a mean little tantrum--throwing herself on the floor and all. Good thing she is still little enough that it is cute and makes us laugh. :)

- She LOVES being outside. Put on some grubby pants and shoes and let her loose and she has a hay day. Dirt, grass, rocks, nothin stops her. 

(I promise she is NOT a boy...these are just the only grubby clothes I had lying around for her to play outside in. I came into the kitchen and found her just sitting on the stairs all relaxed like this. It was so cute and she was so pleased with herself. I just had to take a few pics! Scarlett is 10 months old here:) )

- She LOVES swinging in her swing in the backyard. She'll just sit there forever. 

(10 months old)

-Baths. This girls LOVES water, of ANY kind. She loves baths so much that I have to be really careful when I turn the water on, because if I turn my back for one second, she flips herself over the side of the tub like its nothin...clothes and all. She just can't wait to get in that water! And once she's in she just splashes and splashes and loves life. She also loves the water at the beach and has NO fear yet. Scary!!!

- She is starting to just jabber away with a few words here and there....Daddy, Uh oh, and Mama as of today! :) And lots of silly sounds.
- She loves to clap her hands, wave, and especially point at everything!

- The results are in and this girl has some serious Curls! Just like her brother. I guess we make blonde curly q's. :)

(10 months old on Easter)

- She loves playing with Cal's toys: blocks, legos, lizards, cars. Good thing she got a baby and stroller for her birthday! :) She does LOVE her baby though.

- She is a great sleeper! We've been so lucky all year long! Sleeps 11-12 hours at night and takes two good naps! Makes Mommy so happy!

- She is a great eater and is still nursing like a champ - But we're gonna try weaning soon!

-She's got 5 teeth. 2 on top, and 3 on bottom!

- She is such a cuddly little bug and just the sweetest little thing! We love having this girl in our family!!

(Scarlett at 9 months old)

And just for fun, I was looking through my baby book and found this picture of me when I was one. What do you think? Do we look alike?? :)