Just Whip It.

Today I've decided that I must exercise. These last 20 pounds of pregnancy have decided to hang on for dear life. In a very last minute attempt to shed the unwanted pounds, I decided to do Tae Bo.
I made Micah dig through our DVD basket, then the TV cabinet in an attempt to find the 8-minute "supercharged" work out. When he finally pulled it out of the very far back of the cabinet and blew the dust off, I was ready.
Armed in my comfy PJ's with no tennis shoes or sports bra, (not a good idea when you're nursing, by the way) I popped the DVD in and convinced Micah to do the workout with me.
Eight minutes later, I was ready to call it quits. While I'm not in as poor shape as I originally thought, I have quite a ways to go before I'll be able to move onto the 30 or 60 minute workout. For now I feel accomplished and little squishy from the muscle fatigue. For right now, 8 minutes is probably all I'm going to fit into my day anyway.
And speaking of workouts, look who else is gettin' her groove on!

Sister's been holding her head up like a champ! We're not quite there...yet, but she's certainly getting close! These were definitely "Mommy" shots, so excuse the less than perfect picture quality. I liked them, so I kept them!

Hannah's been getting her daily workout as well. Although it makes me extremely nervous and is quite unsafe, Hannah insists on hanging haphazardly over our arm chair.

She knows that it makes me incredibly nervous, too.

See? She's got the hang-your-body-over-the-chair-to-make-Mom-nervous down pat. She knows she's cute, too. Gets to be a little dangerous at times.

This one knows she's cute, too.

Her bib says "Daddy's Princess". Fits her perfectly, since her name means "Princess". It's a good fit!
Right now we're living in the moment. Not thinking about the future, just living in today. I'm kind of liking this train of thought, because in two weeks, I go back to work...and my baby girl turns two.

I want to remember everything about this stage when I look back.

All the funny little things she's doing. Like talking to Grammy on the phone.

And playing in the living room basked in the golden sunlight.

Right now, this is life. I'm livin' in the moment.

And just for the record, living in the moment may also mean skipping out on a workout. ;)

New Purse!

This season, I'll be rockin' out the mustard yellow!

LOVE!!

We also rock out our Sunday afternoon snooze.

Now, how can you not smile?

Happy Monday!

I've got you pinned!

We had our property surveyed and pinned yesterday after a few encounters with the neighbor's dog...and junk. It just so happens that their ratty old trampoline is in fact on my property, and their mean dog has also been doing his business all.over.my.yard.
The two men were here for over three hours measuring, and using a bunch of equipment that I've never seen before. I stalked them through the family room and kitchen windows as they worked. And Hannah? She thought they were "Daddy". What can you do?
We now have a half dozen or more "pins" sticking out of the ground labeled with a bright orange flag that simply states "Prop Line". Not so discreet, as the minute our neighbors arrived home from work, they spotted it.
I plan to take pictures as soon as the rain lets up, just in case someone decides they don't like where the property line really is. You know, in case they don't want their dog pooping in their yard, cause, you know, it's just easier to let someone else clean up the mess.

Enough about that, onto the babies!

As usual, we've spent our days indoors due to the drabby weather. It was kind of disappointing, as temperatures rose to 55 later this week. It'd been great weather if not for the rain! Spring is on it's way and hopefully right around the corner. We need to get outdoors!
To pass the time inside, Hannah has discovered our recycling spot (under the desk in our kitchen until Daddy takes it outside) and often pulls items out to play with. Today's choice? An empty milk carton. What could be more fun?! Luckily, she hasn't learned how to unscrew the lid, but she has been working on it and I'm sure she'll figure it out soon, much to my dismay.

In other news, our laptop bit the dust. Like, completely died. We knew it was coming, so we had begun the process of backing up the entire computer a few weeks ago. Apparently, multiple RAW files (my pictures) didn't transfer to the external hard drive, so Micah spent several hours trying to transfer them. He was successful with about 95%, which isn't what I wanted to hear, but better than nothing.
He finally got the computer to work in Safe Mode with Networking, which made me happy because that meant I could use the internet. Safe Mode is extremely annoying due to the large font size on the screen, but it was enough for me to view the photography message board I'm a member of.
Wouldn't you know, right in the middle of an interesting read on the basics of compression, the stupid thing completely died. It's done. Initially I thought it was the battery. Nope. There is absolutely nothing left. I'm a little sad. This means nap time will now be spent with me sitting on the couch holding Sarah while staring at the wall. Yes!
We're considering a netbook, or simply moving the desktop downstairs, but no further decision has been made regarding this issue. To me, this issue is pressing! I can't be disconnected!!! I kid. Maybe.
Nap time has ended, so I must go. Hannah doesn't wake up happy very often.
What starts out as this

quickly morphs to this

and then back to a peaceful existance, thanks to a few books and a pamphlet on vision care.

And just a few randoms from the week:

He's a good Pap.

And the littlest one:

In the name of all things random, I'll close with a recent sunset shot.

Enjoy your weekend!

Two months and counting...

Sarah had her two month well-baby check up today. I had been dreading it for the past week. I couldn't get the memory of Hannah's reaction to her first immunizations out of my head.
The appointment went very well. Sarah is as healthy as can be and is thriving. She's now up to 10 lbs 6 oz and has grown 3 inches since birth, topping out at 23 inches. The doctor said she looked great and we had nothing to be worried about.
As soon as the doctor walked out of the door, I had to pick Sarah up and rock her because I knew what was coming. As usual, we waited and waited until the nurse brought in 'the tray'. During these several minutes, the thought ran through my head more than once to run out the door and high-tail it home...afterall, would they really notice?
I am not anti-vaccination, as I don't believe they are the culprit behind autism, etc. It's just so hard to watch your child be in pain. I did the responsible thing and we stayed put, me rocking and singing little prayers into Sarah's ear as we waited.
Sarah had just fallen asleep and was not happy about me having to lay her down on the table. She had already begun crying and it made my heart sink even more. For some reason, it seemed to be harder this time around than with Hannah, perhaps because I knew what was coming.
The nurse first administered the oral vaccination for Rotavirus, and Sarah was taking it well. Then it was time.
I braced myself and put my forehead right up against Sarah's as the first needle pricked. I didn't watch, but knew by her face that the first one was in. The wails began and I tried not to cry myself.
The nurse informed me the second would sting a little more, so I braced myself once again and sang "Jesus help her" into Sarah's little ear.
I've never heard her cry like that before and it hurt my heart. I immediately picked her up to soothe her.
It took several minutes of the most precious cries before Sarah calmed down enough for me to buckle her into her car seat. I just couldn't wait to get her in the car and take her home where it was "safe".

She's doing fine now, as I knew she would. I know her little legs are sore, as she winces and cries when they are moved or bumped. We've spent most of the day cuddled together as she sleeps. My poor little one.
And to think, I have to do this all over again in just two weeks with Hannah. I think I'm going to have Micah take her so I don't have to watch it two times this month.

We're all laying low today and spending time inside. It's sunny and bright with a bit of wind, but the temperatures haven't climbed above 40. I did sneak out and take a few pictures, none of which were post-worthy. One of these days I'll be able to get outside at the right time of day and get a few decent shots of the objects I've been eyeing up. I can't wait for spring, as I'm sure it will bring more photo opportunities and allow for a more creative genre.
I'll end with that as I have a sleeping baby I'd like to cuddle with.

And now back to your regularly scheduled blog posting...

That's right, I'm back. I think I've semi-figured out our new PC. The monitor is still off, so if my pictures look a little dull and funky to you, that's probably why. Oh to know the ins and outs of photo editing! I'm not giving up! I refuse to give up!
I've spent the few minutes I've had between feedings, diaper changes, and the ocassional temper tantrums reading up on photo editing and I feel like I've acquired a few more useful skills. You be the judge. I'll leave it at that.
And now, several photos from the last few days: *drum roll, please!*

Waiting for Grammy

We love us some good Daddy time!

We still spend a good amount of our day playing in the big pink tent, which is fine by me!

Sarah enjoys watching Hannah's every move. She loves her big sister!

She's just gorgeous!

Chick-Fil-A kid's meal toy. A new favorite in our house these days.

She's been such a good girl for me this past week!

We weren't sure how she'd do with the whole sharing thing, as she's not around anyone her age, but so far she's passing with flying colors!

Before we knew it, Sarah was covered with a few of Hannah's favorite toys.

Even "Kitty" made it to the pile.

We're going to spend the week loungin' as usual. It's cold, wet, and rainy here, but we're making the best of it indoors!

And with that, I'll bid you a goodnight!

Public Service Announcement...

...will return to regularly scheduled postings shortly.

New computer + new editing software + horribly discolored, uncalibrated monitor = photo editing/uploading nightmare.

Good news? I may have figured it out! I hope to have a new post up with a ton of pictures within the next few days, as there has been a lot of cuteness going on 'round these parts!

See you soon!

Beauty and the Beast-esque.

To continue on with the new "theme" in our household, I've titled this post accordingly. After having watched this movie no less than 100 times since Hannah got it for Christmas (thanks, Mom and Dad!), I can now quote every line in the movie and sing every song. It's quite comical, actually, as I'm not the best singer...or line-quoter, for that matter.
Hannah wakes up in the morning requesting to watch "Beast", goes to bed at night talking about it, and even so much as took the DVD cover to bed with her for naptime today. Thank God we are off the Mickey Mouse kick for the time being. And for anyone whose concerned that I allow my child to sit in front of the TV all day, a disclaimer...while the movie may be playing in the background, we are only techniquely watching it about 25% of the time. Hannah is usually engulfed in a book, coloring, playing with her Mickey figurines, or in an entirely different room of the house. But...shut it off...she knows. Doesn't matter where she is. She knows. So, I leave it on to keep the peace. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't like to watch it almost as much as she does!
Yesterday we were blessed with temperatures in the high 50's, so after a painful trip to the dentist (had a cavity that had apparently tunneled its way under another filling thanks to the eight months I had to wait to get it taken care of due to my recent pregnancy) I ventured outside for literally the first time since we've lived here. Sad, but true. I've become increasingly interested in macro photography recently and wanted to try my hand at it with the newly exposed "greens" of our front and back yard.



During my scavenger hunt, I happened upon a single rose, who, despite the several inches of snow, howling winds, and bitter cold temperatures, managed to hang on to its stem. Yes, it is dead, but doesn't it have such a simple beauty? Plus, it reminds me of the wilting rose in Beauty and the Beast. Bonus points!

And a live one, to brighten things up a bit...

So, since I've now found another love in this hobby, I'm trying to convince Micah that I need either extension tubes or a macro lens (which comes at quite a price!) to better my close ups. So far I haven't convinced him...he doesn't know it, but his time is coming! He can't resist the eyelash bat and pouty face. Hun, you know I love you and I'm teasing, as I'm sure you are reading this!
Can I just say that I am loving my newfound interest in photography? Like, looking at other's pictures and following blogs of photographers whose work I admire makes my heart beat faster. I'm not kidding. It's true what they say, that a picture says a thousand words. It's also true to say that pictures are speaking volumes to me these days. I'm in a whole other world, seeing almost everything as a photo opportunity. Yes, I want new equipment, an upgraded camera body, a gorgeous camera bag, but even with what I have (and my collection is nothing to sneeze at in my eyes!) I am so enjoying this. I think it's safe to say it's quickly becoming, and has become, a passion of mine and I can't wait to see where I'm at a year from now, two years, ten years. The possibilities are endless which is why I love it. Finally a creative outlet that I truly enjoy. I've been searching for this for a long time and I'm so happy I've found something that I love this much.
Not only do I benefit from this, so does my husband...even if he doesn't know it yet. I am capturing timeless images of his beautiful babies. He should thank me...ahem.

Now that I've rambled on, I've made myself hungry, which reminds me that I have company coming for dinner and that I should probably move from my normal position on the couch and make the house somewhat presentable for her arrival. Then again, who cares about the house? If I pick up the array of toys strewn all across my family room now, they'll be back out before she arrives anyway. So, why bother? I'll sit for a few more minutes while Sarah sleeps and Hannah throws a temper tantrum next to me because she can't get her puzzle pieces to fit properly. Guess it's time to intervene!

Until next time!