the fresh air

4/365

Cecilia loves to walk around on our [dead] grass outside and stomp on the super crunchy leaves! It's so fun for her to listen to the noises of them and laugh and laugh. She also got to have Acaiah over a few days ago to join in the fun outside. I can't wait to see the adventures they have together, and especially what trouble and mayhem Cecilia causes for us in this backyard. Life will be sweet.

"The whole air about us is filled with angels."

bath time is fun time

3/365

Michael attempted to do Cecilia's hair into a mohawk while in the bath today. Even though his effort was not as successful, she forgave him and loved on him anyway. She enjoys the times when Daddy gets to give her a bath, especially when she poops in the tub.

"While we were in the dark, light burst in. And what else could we do but give up what we were clinging to and take the light in, to feel the warmth and start shining."

bellies and piggies

2/365

We have frequented the pigtails now and again when we want to get fancy. So far, Cecilia hasn't put up a fight when I try to do her hair as I try to distract her with food and Yo Gabba Gabba - the two best things in the whole world according to her.

"If you are what you are meant to be… You will set the whole world on fire."

the beginning

I am frequently inspired by many people, but I have lately been inspired by a blog of a mother of two, Gregarious Peach, who started the 365 project a little over a year ago with her two kids. It's so adorable - and such a cool concept to document clips of your child's life. So I figured, Let's do this!! Feast your eyes on Cecilia, and eventually the new baby girl/boy. Enjoy :)

1/365

This is one of the few times that I ever snap a picture of the two of us. Kind of hard to capture when you're holding the camera, especially when you're no pro like me. 

PS - I want to eat her lips.

"The part I remember best is the beginning."

it has arrived!!

...my bump, that is :)

I realize I should probably put a picture with an exclamation like that, but it's dark out, and I'm not feeling so hot, yada yada... So, my apologies.

But really, I'm about 19 weeks now, and the bump is like - HUGE - and it literally came out of nowhere. I was really going to try to get through this whole pregnancy not looking pregnant at all, but that dream has finally ended with a huge bump that I'm growing (ahem) to love.

All of a sudden, with this expanding bump came the realization - HOLY CRAP I'M PREGNANT. I've literally been living every day with Cecilia and Mike like there is nothing else going on around us - when in reality, there is something very real, very life-changing, and very important happening inside of me.

With this awareness, I decided (well, we decided) that it's time to buckle down. I have approximately 20 weeks left of pregnancy to get fit, full and fabulous! Well, the fit part is really the main goal here. Mike and I decided that I should probably simmer down on my insanely high craving for sugar, sugar, sugar! and get better about the things that I am putting into my mouth for nutrition for myself and for the baby. This is tending to be a problem, as my brain literally canNOT stop thinking about above said-word that I shouldn't say... sugar.

I wake up, hm.... muffins! cereal! I get home from school... cereal! ice cream! cake! donuts! soda! anything unhealthy - get in mah belly!


Like, literally. This happened to become a trend and a growing problem. So we decided that we'll eat healthier together and that I would start walking 30 minutes a day to get my body ready for labor.

When we had Cecilia, we decided that it would be really awesome to try to have a natural delivery. I was so excited - and read up a lot on the hows and the tos to having a natural, safe and exciting childbirth experience. Alas, when the time came, we hadn't done our homework well enough, tripped up with a few things here and there, and I got an epidural with Cecilia coming to greet us a few hours later. To be honest, I still tend to struggle with this decision and action that happened as I was hopeful and excited to receive all of the benefits of a natural delivery. However, since I can't go back - and Cecilia was the most beautiful thing we've ever laid eyes on (and healthy and happy), all I can do is look forward.

This time I said to myself, Self, maybe it was the Bradley Method that had it all wrong - maybe I should research different natural childbirth resources and tap into those. I then stumbled upon HypnoBabies which is "a childbirth course that teaches painless childbirth techniques so mothers can enter hypnosis, deepen it themselves and remain mobile during labor, completely comfortable at times." Side note - you have to fully and intentionally believe in hypnosis and its abilities in order for this to work. Forget this. Back to Bradley.


I really did love the Bradley method of childbirth, and so I am excited to dive back into the infamous book, "Natural Childbirth: Bradley Way" which is an incredible book teaching all of the approaches to childbirth from Dr. Bradley. I am excited to jump into this adventure head first - well, belly first at times - and am optimistic that Mike and I will be even more well-read and comfortable with labor and childbirth, that things will go exactly as planned. Oh wait, never MY plans... HIS. I guess at that point - at the hospital, a few hours into labor, Mike tired from me hanging on him to get through contractions - it is all REALLY up to Him as to when He would like us to meet our little man/girl.

So, I'm pregnant. Weird to write that. And I'm ready to dive in and do whatever I can to have a healthy, happy and exciting childbirth and baby.

Now, what to do about this sweet tooth - that's the BIG question.