Photos by Kara Stewart, goddess of photography.
Friday, October 29, 2010
One Year Photos
We had a mini photo shoot just after Isabelle's birthday to commemorate her first year. I could describe the cuteness but I think it would just be easier for everyone if I just showed you. Because holy crap, they are really, really cute.
Photos by Kara Stewart, goddess of photography.
Photos by Kara Stewart, goddess of photography.
Monday, October 25, 2010
More family visits..
We had a BIG family weekend with relatives from Utah descending on us from both family trees. Morgan and Sabrina came out and brought along Jared aka "The Boyfriend" for a trial run. (To clarify, Jared is dating Sabrina, not both Morgan and Sabrina. FYI.) And Jazz's parents Bobbi and Mike came out from Odgen to visit as well. I hate that everyone lives so far away, don't they know that Redding is the place to be?
We went out to the lake, thinking it would be more of a joyride, but NAY- once we get there everyone was like, hey I think we should wakeboard/ski/surf in this freezing cold water! I kept my sanity of course and stayed in the boat with Isabelle.
We went out to the lake, thinking it would be more of a joyride, but NAY- once we get there everyone was like, hey I think we should wakeboard/ski/surf in this freezing cold water! I kept my sanity of course and stayed in the boat with Isabelle.
Morgan may kill me for posting this but I think it's cute.
Our athletes.
What is cuter than a tiny baby in a tiny life jacket?
Later on we went to the pumpkin patch. I can't tell you the last time that my pumpkins came from a different venue then the grocery store. It was a hay of a good time. See what I did there, with the word hay?
The lovely lovebirds.
This is my favorite picture of the whole day. Her face is SO PRICELESS. Like she just couldn't quite find the perfect pumpkin or something.
This day was one of those I'm-so-thankful-I-over pack kind of days. She barfed on her whole outfit in the car, I was so glad I had an extra sweatshirt so she wasn't naked. Could you imagine! My baby naked in public?? Phew.
More family photos
Soon to be family of four! Nine days and counting..
Ok maybe this is my favorite picture.
I keep thinking this is Isabelle's first Halloween but it isn't. Granted she was only three weeks old last year, it still counts. Holidays become more fun the older she gets.
The weekend went by too quickly, especially after a few late nights playing Killer Bunnies. (Sounds super lame, but once you play you it you'll be obsessed.) Please consider this an open invitation for all of our family to come back, we love having visitors! Thanksgiving is only a month away...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
If a picture is worth a thousand words...
We'd have a dissertation.
So far in October we have taken 765 pictures. Seven hundred and sixty five! We took a ton on Isabelle's birthday, then we had two weeks chock full of family visiting, throw in a visit to the pumpkin patch and our memory card is full. What did people do before digital photography? Could you imagine me turning in 30 rolls of Kodak film to Costco? I think not. Anyway, this post has more pictures in it- so deal.
Isabelle is full on walking now. I mean unassisted, where-the-hell-did-you-go kind of walking. Her first big jaunt across the whole living room was on her birthday...
And just today she has decided she can "take off" and "land" without anybody to help her. She walked into the kitchen while I was making breakfast and I was all "umm where did you come from?" I can't say I haven't been expecting this because she has been pretty strong in the mobility department for awhile, but it was still weird to see her little body just moving across the floor. She can suddenly reach new places (like the oven! exclamation point!) and she can get to basically everywhere in the blink of an eye. Now I must tape bubble wrap to all the hard surfaces in my entire house. Baby proofing just went to a whole new level.
Here is some live action footage for our far away family and friends. If you live close just come over and see for yourself.
Today was one of those days where being a mother is so joyful and rewarding. Isabelle was happy and she smelled so good and her cheeks were so soft and she laughed when I did anything silly. It didn't hurt that she slept through the night last night- one of maybe a handful of times she has ever done that but hey I'LL TAKE IT. I'm a little shocked that my tiny infant baby is suddenly a toddler with these big teeth and moving legs and all of the grown up stuff she has been doing lately. She loves her new forward facing carseat- except she doesn't love that when she throws her toys on the ground, she can't reach them. She has also started to throw tiny fits, like when I go outside and she sees me heading towards the door she totally screams like "Excuse me, you know you can't go out there without me." It appears as if we have a tiny diva on our hands. Let's be honest though, we knew that from day one.
So far in October we have taken 765 pictures. Seven hundred and sixty five! We took a ton on Isabelle's birthday, then we had two weeks chock full of family visiting, throw in a visit to the pumpkin patch and our memory card is full. What did people do before digital photography? Could you imagine me turning in 30 rolls of Kodak film to Costco? I think not. Anyway, this post has more pictures in it- so deal.
Isabelle is full on walking now. I mean unassisted, where-the-hell-did-you-go kind of walking. Her first big jaunt across the whole living room was on her birthday...
And just today she has decided she can "take off" and "land" without anybody to help her. She walked into the kitchen while I was making breakfast and I was all "umm where did you come from?" I can't say I haven't been expecting this because she has been pretty strong in the mobility department for awhile, but it was still weird to see her little body just moving across the floor. She can suddenly reach new places (like the oven! exclamation point!) and she can get to basically everywhere in the blink of an eye. Now I must tape bubble wrap to all the hard surfaces in my entire house. Baby proofing just went to a whole new level.
Here is some live action footage for our far away family and friends. If you live close just come over and see for yourself.
Today was one of those days where being a mother is so joyful and rewarding. Isabelle was happy and she smelled so good and her cheeks were so soft and she laughed when I did anything silly. It didn't hurt that she slept through the night last night- one of maybe a handful of times she has ever done that but hey I'LL TAKE IT. I'm a little shocked that my tiny infant baby is suddenly a toddler with these big teeth and moving legs and all of the grown up stuff she has been doing lately. She loves her new forward facing carseat- except she doesn't love that when she throws her toys on the ground, she can't reach them. She has also started to throw tiny fits, like when I go outside and she sees me heading towards the door she totally screams like "Excuse me, you know you can't go out there without me." It appears as if we have a tiny diva on our hands. Let's be honest though, we knew that from day one.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Southernmost Sumsions...
Sean had a little break in school so he and Rach and baby Jakob made the jaunt up California to visit us in Redding. I know I already mentioned it but we had SO much fun. We played games and went shopping and pushed each other's babies on the swing at my moms. Seanie doesn't get a break very often so I really cherished our time with their family. Did I just say cherish? Lame. Anyway, had to share some pictures.
Cousin baths! Edited to make it blog-safe. There were some hilarious ones of the three of them but I'm not sure how appropriate it would be to display them on the Internet. Although, this might be the only time Jake takes a bath with TWO ladies...
Isabelle loves being in the car. And look at her teeth! You can't see her molars but they are ALL FOUR OF THEM just about in. FOUR MOLARS. In other news, Isabelle loves steak.
Cousin baths! Edited to make it blog-safe. There were some hilarious ones of the three of them but I'm not sure how appropriate it would be to display them on the Internet. Although, this might be the only time Jake takes a bath with TWO ladies...
Isn't he so pretty? I mean that in the manliest way possible.
Cousins with Pirate Pete. No we are not at Disneyland. Just at my mom's. Halloween is her favorite time of the year. Naturally, she has a fully dressed skeleton in her living room.
It only took us like five adults and twenty tries to get a picture of the three of them that was halfway decent. Isabelle kept running away. Madilyn hates to smile on cue. And Jake, well, he was pretty much perfect.
Sean with the babies. Matching bones pajamas!
More bath photos...back to back we faced each other!
Aren't they just the cutest little family ever?
And then I nibbled his little cheeks off. The End.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Unedited Word Vomit, Volume Two
1. Today has been total catch up day. The Irvine Sumsions visited Redding for a whole week and I swear I was only home to sleep and eat breakfast. We had so much fun all together- Jake is almost 8 months and I almost ate him for a snack, he is so delicious looking. Hanging out at my parents' house nightly = my house getting totally neglected. TO THE MAX. Isabelle wore Christmas pajamas last night because literally everything else was in the dirty clothes. Jazz wore a poncho to work. Just kidding. (or am I?) I'll totally post pictures of our family time, all the babies were so cute- it's almost like we are grown up or something.
2. Since Jazz had to work on Saturday, Isabelle and I went down to Sac with my parents to drop SeanRachJake off at the airport and a trip to Sac isn't complete with out hitting The Rack. As in, Nordstroms. Oh glorious heavenly skies above, this place makes my soul sing and my heart grow three sizes like the Grinch. Their baby section is just amaaaaazing, super cute unique clothes, pajamas, and the SHOES oh the SHOES. Isabelle is now set for the entire winter, I kid you not. Such great prices too. We found some pants that mom needed for the Cascade Christmas show, but they didn't have all the sizes we needed so we had to drag ourselves twenty minutes away to the Roseville Rack. And when I say drag I mean we skipped joyously. TWO RACKS IN ONE DAY. It was like my Christmas-Birthday-Easter-Halloween-New Year's all wrapped into one. I'm not gonna lie, Isabelle loves to be out and about. She didn't complain once the entire day- she was totally happy and even slept in her stroller at the second store. She may not look like me, but she sure can shop like me.
3. Speaking of Isabelle, she had her one year (!) well check on Friday. She is 21.45 pounds, which is in the 50th percentile, and 31 inches long, which is in the 90th percentile. Suddenly she has totally shot up in height, no wonder her pants are all capris on her. I guess all that miracle grow we have been feeding her is paying off. I wish I could show you how much fun her little personality is- she is SO SO SO cute. She has learned to "hide" and play peekaboo on her own, and when you chase her she laughs so hard she can barely move. Now if we could just get her to sleep through the night...
4. How have I failed to mention HALLOWEEN. Ok probably because I was a *tad* occupied with Izzie's birthday and family visiting and mostly the part about Izzie's birthday. Today I got all my spooky stuff out and it looks very scary at my house. I would love it if the weather could hop on board the Fall Train- it's supposed to be 90 degrees tomorrow. Hard to feel like autumn when you are all sweaty. Wait til you see Isabelle's Halloween costume.
5. Coming up: More family visiting this weekend. Sabs and Mo are coming and bringing The Boyfriend for The Family Test and also Jazz's mom and stepdad are coming. Fiesta!
2. Since Jazz had to work on Saturday, Isabelle and I went down to Sac with my parents to drop SeanRachJake off at the airport and a trip to Sac isn't complete with out hitting The Rack. As in, Nordstroms. Oh glorious heavenly skies above, this place makes my soul sing and my heart grow three sizes like the Grinch. Their baby section is just amaaaaazing, super cute unique clothes, pajamas, and the SHOES oh the SHOES. Isabelle is now set for the entire winter, I kid you not. Such great prices too. We found some pants that mom needed for the Cascade Christmas show, but they didn't have all the sizes we needed so we had to drag ourselves twenty minutes away to the Roseville Rack. And when I say drag I mean we skipped joyously. TWO RACKS IN ONE DAY. It was like my Christmas-Birthday-Easter-Halloween-New Year's all wrapped into one. I'm not gonna lie, Isabelle loves to be out and about. She didn't complain once the entire day- she was totally happy and even slept in her stroller at the second store. She may not look like me, but she sure can shop like me.
3. Speaking of Isabelle, she had her one year (!) well check on Friday. She is 21.45 pounds, which is in the 50th percentile, and 31 inches long, which is in the 90th percentile. Suddenly she has totally shot up in height, no wonder her pants are all capris on her. I guess all that miracle grow we have been feeding her is paying off. I wish I could show you how much fun her little personality is- she is SO SO SO cute. She has learned to "hide" and play peekaboo on her own, and when you chase her she laughs so hard she can barely move. Now if we could just get her to sleep through the night...
4. How have I failed to mention HALLOWEEN. Ok probably because I was a *tad* occupied with Izzie's birthday and family visiting and mostly the part about Izzie's birthday. Today I got all my spooky stuff out and it looks very scary at my house. I would love it if the weather could hop on board the Fall Train- it's supposed to be 90 degrees tomorrow. Hard to feel like autumn when you are all sweaty. Wait til you see Isabelle's Halloween costume.
5. Coming up: More family visiting this weekend. Sabs and Mo are coming and bringing The Boyfriend for The Family Test and also Jazz's mom and stepdad are coming. Fiesta!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
12 Months
Dear Isabelle, on the anniversary of your birth-
We began counting your life in hours, then days and weeks, then months, and now we begin to count your life in years. One year has come and gone, but I feel like I have known you for forever. As I reflect on your first year in our family, I think of so many joyful memories, wonderful milestones, and a whole lot of sleepless nights. So many times I have had a special moment with you and thought -whoa. This is what my life is about. This is absolute perfection.
Sometimes I feel like your birth is slipping away from me, like I’m forgetting those first few moments in the hospital when you were wrapped in a blanket and handed to me. I held your tiny body close to mine, drank in your newborn skin, touched your soft hair, kissed your little cheeks. Now when I hold your body, you drape across my torso, your frame so much bigger and stronger than this time last year. You have learned so much! You sit and stand and walk on your own. You hold things so delicately, pick up lint and fluff on the floor- you carefully feed yourself finger food. You babble and talk, yell and scream and giggle and belly laugh. You are so smart- you remember games that we played weeks ago. You put toys in and out, over and under, up and down. You love books and pictures and puzzles. You held my phone up to your ear the other day, like you knew exactly what to do with it. It blew my mind.
This month your personality has exploded. You are so active and on the move, sometimes I look away for one minute and you have traveled into a totally different part of the house. Quick little baby! Your first steps were on September 8th and 9th- now you can cruise across the whole room without any help at all. Of course with your new skill, you have fallen a few times and hurt yourself a little bit. I feel so special when you reach for me looking for comfort- I’m your momma. Now you race around at my feet, and I love feeling your hands grabbing at my legs looking for support. Your little fingers cling to my pants as your gain your independence.
The seasons are changing from a hot summer into a cooler fall- autumn has come and the leaves are changing and falling to the ground. This change every year will always remind me of the time that we brought you home to us, right before the holidays to celebrate together. The smell of pumpkin pie and whip cream makes me think of our days in our Sandy apartment just the three of us. How I wish just for a moment I could go back to hold your tiny seven-pound body once more. This exploring, learning, on the go stage you are in is so much fun- you are becoming your own person and you need me less and less. I cherish our time together, I am so incredibly thankful that I am able to stay home and spend my time with you every single day. I wish all women could be as lucky as I am.
There is so much more to learn, so much more for me to teach you. Above all, I hope you will always have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ. Know that our Heavenly Father sent you to us here on earth, that He loves you, and that He has a plan for you. “Come little child and together we’ll learn, of His commandments that we may return Home to his presence to live in His light. Always, always, to walk in the light.”
I love you my child, my little Isabelle. What a wonderful year it has been.
Love, love, love you
Xoxoxo
Momma
We began counting your life in hours, then days and weeks, then months, and now we begin to count your life in years. One year has come and gone, but I feel like I have known you for forever. As I reflect on your first year in our family, I think of so many joyful memories, wonderful milestones, and a whole lot of sleepless nights. So many times I have had a special moment with you and thought -whoa. This is what my life is about. This is absolute perfection.
Sometimes I feel like your birth is slipping away from me, like I’m forgetting those first few moments in the hospital when you were wrapped in a blanket and handed to me. I held your tiny body close to mine, drank in your newborn skin, touched your soft hair, kissed your little cheeks. Now when I hold your body, you drape across my torso, your frame so much bigger and stronger than this time last year. You have learned so much! You sit and stand and walk on your own. You hold things so delicately, pick up lint and fluff on the floor- you carefully feed yourself finger food. You babble and talk, yell and scream and giggle and belly laugh. You are so smart- you remember games that we played weeks ago. You put toys in and out, over and under, up and down. You love books and pictures and puzzles. You held my phone up to your ear the other day, like you knew exactly what to do with it. It blew my mind.
This month your personality has exploded. You are so active and on the move, sometimes I look away for one minute and you have traveled into a totally different part of the house. Quick little baby! Your first steps were on September 8th and 9th- now you can cruise across the whole room without any help at all. Of course with your new skill, you have fallen a few times and hurt yourself a little bit. I feel so special when you reach for me looking for comfort- I’m your momma. Now you race around at my feet, and I love feeling your hands grabbing at my legs looking for support. Your little fingers cling to my pants as your gain your independence.
The seasons are changing from a hot summer into a cooler fall- autumn has come and the leaves are changing and falling to the ground. This change every year will always remind me of the time that we brought you home to us, right before the holidays to celebrate together. The smell of pumpkin pie and whip cream makes me think of our days in our Sandy apartment just the three of us. How I wish just for a moment I could go back to hold your tiny seven-pound body once more. This exploring, learning, on the go stage you are in is so much fun- you are becoming your own person and you need me less and less. I cherish our time together, I am so incredibly thankful that I am able to stay home and spend my time with you every single day. I wish all women could be as lucky as I am.
There is so much more to learn, so much more for me to teach you. Above all, I hope you will always have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ. Know that our Heavenly Father sent you to us here on earth, that He loves you, and that He has a plan for you. “Come little child and together we’ll learn, of His commandments that we may return Home to his presence to live in His light. Always, always, to walk in the light.”
I love you my child, my little Isabelle. What a wonderful year it has been.
Love, love, love you
Xoxoxo
Momma
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Polka Dot Party!
We had a fabulous pink and yellow polka dot party to celebrate Isabelle's birthday. I had SO much fun planning and creating and sewing for this thing, it was so great to have a project. I know it's cliche but seriously, I can't believe she has been part of our family for one whole year.
Pre-party all ready to go- I made her skirt then put it over a little tutu for extra fluff, and appliqued the fabric on her shirt.
Dessert table- lots of tasty treats
I made most of the food and the cake, I had a lot of fun making the cupcake toppers to match the invitations. I also sewed the pennant banner from polka dot fabric and double sided bias tape.
The poms are made from fabric, felt, and Styrofoam balls from the dollar store.
Pink and yellow cotton candy helped brighten the table.
Her party hat was made from an old wrapping paper roll, felt, and the same polka dot fabric. (Are you noticing a theme here?) I love felt. Felt is great for everything.
Her one year photo banner
agh I just want to eat her up.
Cousins!
Madilyn got the memo on the party color scheme...
We opened lots of presents together.
Cake time!
We had SUCH a fun party, Isabelle loved having people over, she just crawled and walked (*gasp*) around our family room from person to person. I felt so nostalgic and happy on her birthday, so thankful for her little life and her smiley personality.
PS: I would love to share how I made/sewed anything! Let me know if you have a question.
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