Samantha Cabrera Photography

Hello, Baby

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

We are so in love...

One week ago...

2012-02-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

We joyously welcomed...

...into the world.

He was born on his due date, February 2, 2012

at 5:22 am

7 lbs. 11 oz. and 22 inches long

He is perfect!

I look forward to sharing my birth story with you all soon.

xxx Samantha

1

2012-02-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hello there from the no baby land. I guess I was right, "Tinies" really wants to be a February baby, and that is alright with me. Truth be told I have always wanted a "love" aka February baby, but I still wish he would come very soon. I am daydreaming of him coming out right at midnight tonight, and having him born exactly on his due date. I can dream I guess.

So what one thing am I loving today? Rifle Paper Co., and more specifically their Valentine's Day line of paper goods. Sigh.

Here is to hoping that baby comes sooner than soon! Have a happy and healthy Wednesday everyone!

xxx Samantha

2

2012-01-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

Still no baby and only two days away from my due date. I have a good feeling that he has decided to be a February baby after all. Unless of course something unexpected happens in the next 11 hours and 23 minutes. I have been contracting pretty regularly all day, but contractions are meaningless to me now. I have had so many days and nights filled with uncomfortable and sometimes painful contractions paced at 3-5 minutes apart, and they have done nothing, so I am ignoring them now until I am in so much pain I can't speak.

Today Noah and I got out of the house and strolled around the mall for a couple of hours. One of my midwives specifically told me that walking does not augment labor, it will keep contractions going, but it will not make you go into active labor. Your body does that when it is good and ready. Regardless, it was nice to move around inside away from the cold albeit beautifully sunny outdoors.

Continuing my little countdown I have included two items from around the web that have been inspiring me lately.

1. This series of talks from my favorite church, taught by my favorite pastor, John Mark Comer. Although Solid Rock is in Portland I listen to their podcast and/or watch the videos every week. I always feel so fed and inspired to dive into God's word afterward. I never walk away unmoved.

2. John Mark has also written a book relating to the above series, My Name is Hope: Anxiety, Depression, and life after melancholy. I pre-ordered my copy on Amazon, and I know they are getting another shipment in very soon.

I hope you have a blessed day! xxx

3

2012-01-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Three days isn't such a long time right? Right? Wrong. When you are almost 40 weeks pregnant three days can feel like an eternity. On the one hand I would like very much for this baby to come today, and on the other, I would like to wait it out and have a February baby. Don't get me wrong, when I say wait it out, I really mean to have the baby wait it out because he is 100% in charge of when he decides to be born unless there is a medical need for intervention.

Looking back over this pregnancy I feel so blessed. I feel blessed because it has been relatively easy, the baby has always seemed healthy, and I have felt mostly like myself throughout the past 9-10 months. I have even been able to work all the way through the pregnancy. So all-in-all I feel very blessed. Now, I just can't wait to meet my son and hold in my arms, and kiss him!

Continuing my countdown to 2.2.12 I have picked 3 things I am currently loving from around the web.

1. Mignon Kitchen Co., a kitchen supply website brought to us by Rachel, the creator of Elephantine. I am in love!

2. This Faribault-Soho Throw

3. This recipe for Orange Push-up Smoothies...Oh I want one right now!

Have a wonderful and productive Monday! xxx

4

2012-01-29T15:53:00.000-08:00

My due date is officially 4 days away and I am continuing the countdown with a little blog post created in the spirit of 1, 2, 3, 4.

First off, 4 boyish items I currently love from around the web.

// 1. Crown Print 2. Yellow Wellies 3. Baby outfit 4. Animals of High Moral Standing //

AND...

A video.

5

2012-01-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

Here I am feeling very pregnant, tired, and curious about my new little one. Will he be healthy? What will he look like? When will he finally decide to come out? What will my labor be like? I am now into my 39th week of pregnancy, in fact, my due date is only 5 days away, hence the title of this blog post. I think I am going to do a little blogging countdown to the big day, February 2, 2012.
I have had several false alarms this week, although I have not yet gone to the hospital since I am planning to labor at home as long as possible anyway. Noah was 11 days early and I half-expected this baby to be born at a similar time, but he is already doing his own thing. I guess he is just super cozy and cuddly in there.

Here is what I have set out to accomplish today:

1. Get all of the laundry washed, dried, folded and put away. (Saturdays are my usual laundry days)
2. Organize the butler's pantry and the mud room.
3. Put all of the freshly laundered bedding back on the beds.
4. Sweep/dust the wood floors.
5. Make a roast chicken and fixings for an early dinner.
6. Make Triston do the dishes. :)
7. Go to bed by 8 o'clock.

I hope you all have a loverly Saturday! xxx

// Graphic via Baby Center //

Footnote: My out-of-office auto reply is now active at my email, samantha.scphotography@gmail.com. I will be responding to any iquiries after February 15, 2012.

The boy's room...a constant work in progress.

2012-01-26T22:55:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some bits and pieces of the boy's shared bedroom. It sort of has a Mary Poppin's/Peter Pan nursery quality to it, I think. Noah really likes to be in his room, and I love it too. I am especially fond of reading him books in the rocking chair(not pictured), and organizing both of the room's walk-in closets. I know there is only one photo of the baby's crib, I promise to post more after he is born, but you can see that I kept things very simple. I don't even have a crib bumper (because of safety concerns), crib skirt, or mobile. Instead I securely fastened a print of Notre Dame above the crib for his little eyes to focus on. I dressed the crib with an organic charcoal fitted sheet, organic ivory blanket, and a crib size duvet I sewed from an organic flannel twin size sheet...it is unbelievably soft and cozy. The duvet insert I purchased from IKEA. I found Noah's original Jenny Lind bed at the Farm Chicks Show last June for a mere $38, and then purchased two metal side rails for an additional $20. I love, love, love wooden spindle beds and they can be so hard to find. The Jenny Lind crib was gifted to me before Noah was born, and it was already a hand-me-down, but I love it. I made the wooden toy box at the foot of Noah's bed, and the wooden bookshelves sitting next to the baby's crib (I still need to hang them, and fill them with colorful children's books). The dark wood dresser with mirror is an antique, and was given to me by my mother who had kept it in her bedroom since she was in high school all the way through 28+ years of marriage. The cream colored side table next to Noah's bed was purchased on clearance (and was a floor model) from Cost Plus World Market. They have been doing great things with furniture as of late. The vast majority of the art and decor in the room was either thrifted or picked up at an Estate/Garage Sale over the summer. I plan to share some more overall shots of the room as well as some of the other details soon. xxx, Samantha

pssst

2012-01-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a little preview of one of the projects I have been working on lately. Life has been so busy, and I have been doing so much, but the one thing that isn't happening is this baby! I will be 39 weeks pregnant as of midnight tonight, and still no signs of him coming. Well...there are signs...endless uncomfortable contractions for the past couple of weeks for instance, but I have yet to feel the need to go to the hospital. I guess I should be thankful that my body is doing work now, and hopefully that means my labor won't be too long. My labor with Noah lasted about 24 hours. I know that isn't breaking any records, but it was a very painful and arduous experience, and at the time 24 hours seemed like an eternity. My sister gave birth to her first baby last May, and in contrast, her labor only lasted 6 hours from beginning to end. That would be nice.

Triston came home from his business trip to Los Angeles late last night, and before heading to the airport to pick him up, Noah and I went on a mommy/son date. It was so nice to be with my little boy, and spend some much needed alone time with him before the baby comes. I know it will probably be one of our last if not the last opportunity to do that. I let him pick the restaurant (Red Robin--bleh) and then we went to see The Adventures of Tin Tin in 3D. After we stopped by the concessions we walked into an empty theater. I am not kidding, there wasn't a single soul in the place except the two of us, and it was actually really cool. It felt like we had rented out the entire movie theater. I couldn't help but laugh when Noah looked up at me as the movie was starting and said in a very concerned voice, "Mom. Where did all the people go?" We made some special memories together.

I hope you are all having a great week so far!

xxx

Hello handsome.

2012-01-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

This little boy of mine melts my heart. I know that I am terribly biased and every mom says this, but oh.my.gosh. Noah is one handsome kid. Sometimes it is literally all I can do not to squeeze the stuffing out of him. Today we were hanging out and talking on his bed as we often do, and I found myself admiring his floppy hair, chiclet teeth, and chocolate eyes. There was only one thing I could possibly do in that moment, and of course that thing was to take pictures. Most of the time Noah runs from the camera, but every once in a while magic happens, and I get to capture a bit of his essence on film.
I hope you are having a lovely and relaxing Saturday. I have been so on the go lately that I am thrilled to be taking a break from my work for the entire weekend. Still no baby yet, but I am hoping he will be here soon. I am excited to say that I have almost finished all of my baby preparations, and later today I will be disinfecting the inside of our car, and getting the infant car seat ready for our impending trip to the hospital. Triston is going to be flying to Los Angeles on business next week, and I am praying I don't go into labor while he is away.

Here are a couple of silly 9 month snapshots, probably the only ones I have of this entire pregnancy.

all boy

2012-01-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

It seems that every day with Noah is a further departure from babyhood and a closer arrival to boyhood. Which in fact it is. I can still see glimmers of my baby from time to time, in the way that he chews his food, or the way that he sleeps, but Noah is already all boy. He is amazingly tech savvy and has taught himself...I repeat...taught himself... how to use most of our electronics with ease, and completely unassisted. Scary. He loves super heroes right now, and his current favorites are Spider Man, Iron Man, and Batman. He loves to turn the cartoons on and sing the theme songs over and over again. I can hear him from across the house making slinging, flying, shooting, punching noises and dancing around the room while the song plays through and the he rewinds and starts all over. He tries so hard to imitate all of their manly moves and pretends to put on their suits. The Iron Man costume is probably the funniest as he makes metal clanging sounds and runs his hands down his arms and legs and over his head as if he is getting dressed, and then stands up really straight and strong and says in his deepest voice, "I.am.Iron Man." Noah really is so much fun, and we feel so blessed to have him as our son and oldest child. He will be a great protector of his new little brother and any future siblings. These are the good times. xxx

life lately...

2012-01-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

I love this image...it is definitely inspiring me today. Motherhood is beautiful, isn't it?

This week has been a hectic one, so hectic that I have hardly had time to sit down for longer than a moment. I am officially full term now, and with the majority of my pre-maternity leave work behind me, I can finally start nesting, and/or go into labor. I have been having contractions for the past week and a half and am beginning to wonder when it will finally be, "time."

I look forward to the days and weeks ahead when we finally get to welcome our new little one into the world, smell his sweet baby smell, and be enraptured by his presence in our lives. This pregnancy has been nearly perfect so far, and I couldn't be more thankful. I hope and pray that my labor and delivery will be equally smooth.

// photo via lovely moms //

Resolutions & Resolve

2012-01-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Although we have officially been in the New Year for 9 days now, I am just really starting to think about resolutions. Typically, I don't like them because I usually forget about them as quickly as I make them, but this year I have the resolve to make some lifestyle changes, and changes of the heart and mind. Maybe you have seen this quote floating around the world wide web, I have no idea who wrote/said it, but it so perfectly illustrates one of my resolutions. "Happiness is not a destination. It is a way of life." During the past year I truly learned this lesson, and have made it my mission for 2012 to live out that simple statement. In the past I have struggled with contentment and thinking "If I only could have this, be there, do that, etc...I would be happy." This mindset couldn't be further from the truth, and quite frankly is a recipe for a very sad, depressed, and unfulfilled life. If my happiness was based solely around my current situation, I could always find reason enough to be miserable. No, I choose to be happy and to seek joy in what is true and lasting. I choose to be content, patient, and live with a sense of peace that radiates from the inside out. That is my resolve.
Secondly, I have been thinking a lot about my health, and I am not just talking about weight, but overall health and wellness for my mind and body. I have had several health issues creep up over the past few years, and I want to actively and naturally treat my body and bring it back to rights. I want to continue my journey studying foods, super-foods, supplements, yoga, detoxing, and organic skincare, and most importantly, I want to implement everything I learn into my daily routine so that I accomplish a complete lifestyle overhaul. I have made progress but still have a ways to go.
Thirdly, and this is probably one that I share with many, I want to spend more time focusing on what is important in life...my husband and children. I want to play with Noah more often and cuddle with our new little one when he arrives, and be thankful for even the frustrating things about motherhood. I am so blessed to be a mother, and this time that I am given with my children is fleeting. Someday soon they will be grown up and not be too interested in their Mama anymore, but I will always love them and long for them as I do now.
Lastly, I want to read the Bible to Noah and "Tinies" every day, whether it be before bed, curled up on the couch in the morning, or in the middle of the afternoon, I want them to hear the word of God on a daily basis. Since Noah was born I have been searching and searching for the perfect children's Bible, but I never found one that was the right combination of beautiful illustrations and deep thought-provoking text. I didn't want just verses or short summaries of well-known Bible stories, I wanted more. Recently I came across The Jesus Storybook Bible, and it is exactly what I have been looking for all these years. I just ordered the deluxe edition for my kiddos which comes with audio CD's so they can even listen to it when we are in the car. I can't wait to get it in the mail.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and your Monday has been a good one. I am still in my pajamas as I type this, but I was able to clean the house, finish the laundry, and scrub my bathroom from top to bottom, so I am feeling more accomplished than sluggish. Now I am off to shower and hopefully take a long walk with Triston and Noah before the sun goes down. Talk to you soon. xxx

// via the Urban Times //

Behind the scenes...

2012-01-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

Normally, Noah does not accompany me to photo shoots because in case it isn't obvious, getting work done with a 3-year-old in toe is no easy task. Well...sometimes you just have to get things done, so I packed Noah up one early (and cold) morning this week with the promise that he could play with my iPad while I worked. However, he spent most of the time snacking on the plentiful bounty of baked goods at our location and asking to be my assistant. Oh Noah!
I hope you are all enjoying this new year. I am officially 36 weeks pregnant at midnight tonight, and have been hustling to try and get all of my work done before this baby decides to enter the world. Here's hoping!

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

How about we start off the New Year by having a living room dance party? xxx

Growing up

2011-12-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

My baby is not a baby anymore...

Happy New Year!

2011-12-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

Via House and Home

I wanted to drop in one last time before the New Year to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! Thank you so much to all of you who have read along this past year. I anticipate 2012 to be our best year yet! I will be wrapping up 2011 by spending time with family and friends, both old and new, and preparing for the arrival of our precious baby boy. A couple of highlights from this month are Triston's graduation (hooray! he is finally done with school forever!) and I have signed on to be a contributor for a fun and exciting lifestyle editorial! I plan to share a bit more on that after the New Year as well as a baby update. My official due date is less than 6 weeks away, and I couldn't be more excited and nervous to experience birth for a second time. I am feeling a bit like a ticking time bomb these days. Lastly, the hubby and I (and Noah) will be making a business trip over to Seattle shortly after the holidays, and I hope to share more about that too. I am thinking it might be fun to take some photos and do a little blog post about our trip. It will probably be our last hoorah as a family of 3 before the baby arrives, and I would like to document it in proper style.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

xxx Samantha

32 weeks and 4 days...still counting

2011-12-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Baby Center

Although I didn't sleep very well last night, I have been feeling much better in general than I did a couple of weeks ago. I have been sleeping more normally, and I am still feeling pretty healthy and mobile. I have about 7 more weeks to go, and I hope they continue this smoothly. In these last weeks I am going to focus on eating healthy foods, as many RAW fruits and vegetables as possible, and minimizing animal proteins in my diet, including dairy. I know that pregnancy puts extra stress on a woman's body, and I want to make sure that all systems are running efficiently for the benefit of the baby and myself. I also want this little man to get tons of good nutrients and vitamins from the food I eat, and I won't feel good growing him in my tummy on a diet of cheeseburgers and Coca Cola, even if I crave them more than normal.

I finished sewing his duvet cover last week, and I am waiting for his crib sheet to come in. I still have to hang some bookcases and buy a few more things before his arrival, but I am feeling pretty prepared. I really debated whether or not to use cloth diapers this time, but in the end, we decided that the best decision for us was to go with a disposable. It will be very strange buying newborn size diapers again. I remember thinking how impossibly tiny they were when I was packing my hospital bag before Noah was born, only to find that my newborn was actually swimming in them for the first week or so.

I am getting so excited to photograph my baby boy, and I have already thought of a neat idea for a birth announcement that I plan to share on the blog. If it turns out like I envision it, it will be pretty adorable. xxx

Gifted Part I: A Christmas shopping guide...

2011-12-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

I love buying toys that are actually fun to play with and have the ability to command my 3-year-old's attention for a good amount of time, say 30 min-2 hours. I also like choosing toys that are educational and will foster his developmental growth. With that being said, it is obviously important to know your child's specific likes and dislikes when buying for them, especially as they get older. For example, right now Noah is really into building, and will spend hours playing with the big fat lego blocks he got for Christmas when he was 1. He also loves crafts, cars, and taking pictures, and is just getting into more advanced puzzles and board games. He often asks to use one of my cameras, but they are about as heavy as he is, so this year we decided to get him one of his own that he can't break. One thing I must say that I love about this age is that Noah doesn't really have expectations for grand presents, or gifts at all really. So it makes gift giving that much more fun as a parent, because I know whatever I get him will be a pleasant surprise.
This will be the first Christmas since Triston and I have been married that we will actually wake up in our own home on Christmas morning. In the past we have always spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my parents, even after Noah was born, so I am excited to spend a quiet morning with just the three of us before heading over to my parent's later in the day. We are going to wait to put any presents under the tree until after Noah goes to bed on Christmas Eve, just to add to the suspense and magic of it all. Our stockings are already hung on the fireplace, and I can't wait to fill Triston and Noah's with all sorts of goodies (Triston is in charge of mine-I really don't think the parents should miss out on stockings). I envision a fire burning in the fireplace, happy stuffed stockings, Christmas music playing, and our Santa Express train chugging around the Christmas tree when Noah comes down the stairs in his Christmas pajamas that I plan to give to him the night before. I can't wait!
I know so many couples, especially if you have children, often feel torn during this time of year dividing up the holidays between in-laws, but Christmas is one holiday we don't have to worry about because Triston's parents celebrate Hanukkah (which begins at sundown this year on December 20). Not having to choose between parents makes life a little less stressful during this busy time of year. :)

1. Fisher-Price Camera (with video capabilities), $55.14 2. Tegu Original Set-Mahogany-Magnetic Wooden Blocks, $155 3. Green Toys Recycling Truck, $17.48 4. Fingerprinting art set, $11.50 5. Eeboo Tell Me a Story, $9.69 6. Duplo lego sets (if Tegu blocks are out of your budget this year, which they are for us...Duplo sets are a fun and classic alternative that kids love), price varies 7. Our World Floor Puzzle, $17

Halloween 2011

2011-12-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

I told you it would take me a couple more weeks before I would finally post Halloween pictures. Better late than never, right? We had such a great day despite Noah's cold, and I can't wait until next year. My little man is already brain storming his costume, and I think it will be even more big boyish. Time flies when you have children... one moment they are helpless infants, and the next they are walking, talking, wild and wonderful little kids. I am afraid to blink for fear that I might find myself at Noah's high school graduation.
I hope you all have a great weekend! Tonight I will be going out to dinner with my mom, aunt, and grandma and then heading out to see a holiday jazz concert. Happy December! xxx

Arlyse, Cavan, & Jayden

2011-12-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

30 weeks and 3 days...yes I am counting.

2011-11-27T11:11:00.000-08:00

via Baby Center

Are we there yet? That is what I have been asking myself the last few days as I have become increasingly uncomfortable. Last week I felt great, was sleeping through the night uninterrupted, and this week...my how much has changed. I went to see my midwife last week for my 30 week checkup, and was a little disheartened to see that my blood pressure had spiked to an unhealthy level. I normally have very low and healthy blood pressure, and the only other time it has been so high was during the last two weeks of my pregnancy with Noah. My then OB/GYN started testing me for Preeclampsia, but thankfully I went into labor the very same day. My blood pressure wasn't this high so early though, so I hope that by my next visit it will have gone back done, and I can attribute the spike to stress and neck pain I was having that day. One thing I have noticed lately is that the baby is pushing on my diaphragm so I am very short of breath, and I have a hard time breathing especially when I sit or lie down. His movements are very strong and sometimes even painful, and like I have mentioned before sometimes he will move around for hours.

Another thing I have noticed this week is that I have been more nauseated and I get sick if I don't eat very small portions of food at one time. I had made it through my entire pregnancy thus far without losing my lunch, but last Sunday I wasn't so lucky...the nausea just took me over. I think the last 10 weeks or so of pregnancy are the hardest for me, partly because I am a petite woman, I slide in at barely 5' 3" and the extra pressure and weight on my body is especially difficult for me during the last trimester.

What I have taken from the added discomforts lately is how important it is for me to keep my mind and body healthy. I am trying to take the time to nurture myself inside and out because I know it is the best thing for both the baby and I. It seems that I have more of a craving for health and feeling good than food cravings, and for that I am thankful. It is so important for me to listen to my body and give it the nutrients and care that it needs, especially when pregnancy can be so hard on my body.

What I am enjoying this week:

1. My hypno-birthing CD's

2. Prenatal Yoga (Noah practices with me, and his Mountain Pose is the cutest thing ever)

3. Taking good care of my skin

4. Eating lots of fruits and veggies

5. Drinking lots of water...but I still need more.

What I would like to do "for myself" before the baby comes:

1. More exercise: Walking, light jogging, and Pilates

2. Drink more water!

3. I would like a haircut (it has been over 1.5 years since my last one)

4. Get my eyebrows waxed every two weeks.

5. Prenatal Massages (haven't had one yet)

6. A pedicure

7. Sleep ZZzzzzzzz... (filling up that very real sleep bank is so important)

A blog reader suggested that I watch a documentary called Pregnant in America since I liked the Business of Being Born so much, and I really enjoyed it. Definitely worth checking out!

Getting into the spirit

2011-11-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is almost here! Actually we will be celebrating this holiday in two parts, Part I tomorrow evening at my parent's house, and Part II on Thursday at my mother-in-law's casa. So much food! I really love Thanksgiving, and I am especially thankful this year for so many reasons.

Here are a few...
1. A healthy baby growing in my belly, and my sweet and precious son Noah.
2. My family
3. Triston's graduation this December

I can't wait for Part I of the festivities tomorrow, and I am already getting into the spirit of the season listening to a few of my favorite Christmas songs. We normally start decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, but I think we might wait this year until the first part of December. Noah cannot wait to pick out a Christmas tree, he can hardly stand it.

Here are some sweet songs to brighten this winter afternoon. Enjoy! I am off to practice some yoga, and hopefully soothe this wiggly baby. xxx

The Business of Being Born

2011-11-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

As you might know I decided to make the switch from an OB/GYN to a Certified Nurse Midwife for my second pregnancy and birth. After watching this documentary it made me even more appreciative of my decision. I think this is a film that every pregnant woman in America should watch. Some of the statistics and information shared in this documentary will shock and bewilder you.

I can't wait to watch the second installment, "More Business of Being Born" hopefully this weekend.

Costumes

2011-11-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

I am a bit late in posting these, but I wanted to share a few images from October. My niece Emma and Noah were hanging out around our house one fall day all dressed up in preparation for the real thing. Noah is so sweet to his little cousin, and he just loves her so. I am so glad he is so gentle and sweet with babies. Every day now Noah will pull up my shirt to give my belly a hug and a kiss. He will lean in and whisper, "Hi baby, I'm your big brother. I love you with all my heart." It is the cutest thing ever. I feel so blessed.
It turns out Noah did get sick this Halloween after all. I thought this would be our year, but on the Sunday before Halloween he started coming down with a runny nose and other flu symptoms. His cold was the worst on Halloween and the next couple of days that followed, and he wasn't completely well again until the following Sunday. While we were trick-or-treating I carried around a box of Vicks lotion plus tissue to wipe his nose. It was like a faucet poor thing, but he kept strong and finished the night with even more full-sized candy bars than last year. I am amazed by that, I never got that kind of candy on Halloween when I was a kid. The downside however is that we are going to have a bowl full of Halloween candy in our pantry from now until Valentine's Day. Maybe a cute sick voice and the sniffles is the key to success? I have to laugh because my little boy hasn't been really sick (except for a 48 hour cold earlier in October that he caught from Triston) since last May. Last May! Well I will cross my fingers that next year we will have better luck come Halloween.
I have more photos to share from actual Halloween day, but lets be honest, they probably won't make it up on the blog for a couple more weeks. ;)

Mad Hatter

2011-11-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of working on a shoot with Glad Hanning and Celia Hanning-Therens, the lovely mother-daughter duo behind The Mad Hatter Vintage Flea Market. xxx

Visit:

Mad Hatter Vintage Flea Martket

Junebug Furniture and Design

2011-11-13T22:48:00.000-08:00

This post is a companion to my last post which talked about living a minimalist life. I believe that everything you buy should be of the highest quality you can afford. It is not about the quantity of things you own, but rather, it is about how useful the items you do own are, how long they last, and how much help or joy they bring to your day to day. Although it may feel good in the moment to buy what is cheap, you will almost always end up spending more money in the long run replacing that item because it either did not meet your expectations, was made poorly and/or it was broken or worn after minimal use. In that same vein, I think it makes us as consumers really think about something we want when we have to save for it. Whether it takes us a week or 6 months to set aside enough money to be able to buy the best quality we can afford, there is more time to examine our needs and motives for purchasing. When I buy cheap I am looking for instant gratification, but I never walk away feeling satisfied. Don't get me wrong, buying "cheap" isn't the same as searching for the best deal or not paying full price for something, buying "cheap" refers solely to quality. I know for me when I own something that is of high quality, I want to take good care of it, and although I think it is important to take care of everything I have to the best of my abilities, there is something far less gratifying about owning and caring for all that cheap stuff that is disappointing me already. I don't want to own an excessive amount of things that will clutter up my life and end up being thrown away in a year or two. I want to own a basic collection of high quality, usable, wearable, classic, and functional items that will last me a lifetime.

My husband and I are both in our 20's, and relatively speaking we are still just starting out in life. Meaning, we do not have unlimited financial resources to simply go out and purchase the best of everything in one fell swoop. However, the older we get and the more cheap stuff we have owned, the more we value the wisdom of the above message, "Poor people cannot afford cheap things." That is why earlier this morning while we were discussing Christmas my husband said to me, "All I want is a great long slot toaster." I think in the 4 years we have been married, we have owned at least 2 toasters. None of which satisfied our needs, and all of which broke down too quickly. Although it might seem like a boring or silly present, I can just think of all of the mornings my husband will enjoy perfectly toasted bread, and I know that buying him the best quality toaster I can afford will equal a gift that keeps on giving.

My ending sentiment here is that we don't have to have everything overnight, but piece by piece, room by room, we can create an environment that makes our lives easier, and in the end, will save us a lot of money and trips to the dump. Live minimally, own quality, live happily.

Minimalism

2011-11-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about becoming more of a minimalist in every aspect of my life, and how I can accomplish small and large goals that will lead me to a better life, and a happier more minimal living environment. I have always enjoyed purging, even as a young girl I would purge my dressers and closets at least twice a year of unwanted clothing, toys, books, etc. I loved the feeling of having all of my belongings organized and I recognized that I got more use out of what I did keep because it was nice to look at and more easily accessible. Likewise as an adult, I still enjoy the feeling of deep organization and purging. Just this morning I pulled everything out of Noah's ginormous walk-in toy/book closet, and took inventory of the contents. One hour later I had a huge box and trash bag full of stuff for the garbage, and another large bag of toys, books, and linens that are headed for donation. I also decided to get rid of the changing table that I never used that was taking up a lot of space in said closet. It was given to me by my grandmother, and she had it for probably 15-20 years. So it has been used and I don't feel bad about letting it go. Now Noah's closet is clean, organized and has just the right amount of toys...toys that he will actually play with might I add. There is nothing worse to me than boxes and bins stuffed full of toys that never get used. Equally upsetting to me are puzzles and toys that are missing pieces but are kept for some reason. I chucked all of those kinds of things today. After I was done organizing, Noah went into his closet and nicely started playing with his toys. Just like I was as a child, he too finds greater enjoyment playing with his toys when they all have a place, are easy to see, and have all of the pieces.
I don't consider Noah to be a child that has a lot of toys. Probably because I purge so often...but he doesn't mind one bit. It is more satisfying to have a few nice toys that are beloved and used regularly. I always urge family members not to go overboard on birthdays and holidays, which even if they do its no big deal, but I would always rather Noah receive one or two special things that he will treasure. Who doesn't love a thoughtful gift?
As far as Noah is concerned I haven't always been such a minimalist, but I have learned a few things over the years from trial and error. I like a lot of moms I know bought a ton of stuff for Noah before he was born and during the first year or so of his life. Gadgets, baby gear, toys, you name it, if it was supposed to be great I bought it. What a complete waste of money that was. Many of the things I thought I just had to have for my baby went unused and I quickly realized I had just flushed gobs of money down the toilet. That is not a good feeling. I can probably count on two hands the number of true "essentials" that a baby actually needs when they are born. Granted those things are different for everyone, as all babies are not made with the exact same needs and likes, but I know what I really ended up using, and it was probably only 20% of the things I had purchased. I have since either donated or sold all of those useless baby items, even over the past few months while expecting my second I have continued to get rid of things. My family members look at me in horror, but all I can say is, "I won't use it, its taking up space, I am selling/donating it, end of story." A little extra cash or space is far more valuable to me.
I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, the more stuff I have, the more stressed I feel. Especially since more stuff equals more messes, and more time I have to spend cleaning, and finding a place for everything.
Same rules apply when having a new baby. I remember that hot stuffy feeling, where you walk around virtually arm-less and sleep deprived for months on end. I remember feeling like a life vessel/food source...it is a lot of work, mentally, physically, emotionally, and it takes a huge toll on your sanity. Why would I want to make life harder for myself by having a lot of junk to carry around? All I want to carry are my children and the basic necessities I need to make all of our lives more comfortable.
For those of you who might be wondering if I have some items I would like to purchase this time around, the answer is yes. Either because what I owned previously is too far gone, or I never had it in the first place but always wished I did.

Here are the items that are on my current "Baby List."
1. A fitted crib sheet
2. 3 baby bottles, although I plan to breastfeed exclusively, I will have to pump from time to time when I go to a photo shoot.
3. A car seat cover because he will be born in the freezing winter, and I want to keep him snug and warm. Also, I think they are genius for keeping pesky stranger's hands away.
4. Nosefrida
5. Burby Bibs
6. Muslin wash cloths

There is another list, a list of items I have already purchased (and didn't own when Noah was a baby) and while not extensive I want to share those items with you once the baby comes so I can review how helpful or not helpful they really are.

If you are interested in reading some insightful thoughts on minimalism, I recently found The Minimalist Mom, which is a great and inspirational resource for living a minimalist lifestyle. Like most things in life, take from it what will work for you and leave the rest behind. I know that my lifestyle, choices, and needs are different from hers, but I still can appreciate and learn from her words and example.

28 weeks...

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of BabyCenter

I can't believe I am 7 months pregnant and entering my third trimester. Time is zipping by, and I keep reminding myself that this will be my last holiday season with just one child. Our baby boy will be born sometime between New Year's and Valentine's Day (he is due on February 2) and that is just so hard to believe. Over the past week the baby has become increasingly active, and I can tell he is going to be up a lot during the night. There are hours long stretches of time where he hardly stops moving. I feel jabs, kicks, flips, hiccups, and all sorts of other movement. It looks like I am going to have two extremely active sons; I am tired and happy already. My biggest pregnancy woe right now is heartburn. I had it badly during my first pregnancy and I am equally plagued this time around. There is that pregnancy myth that if you suffer from heartburn then your baby will be born with hair, and that turned out to be true the first time. Noah was born with a head full of black hair, and so I am curious to see if this baby will have thick locks too.
I seem to be nesting in spurts lately. There might be a week where I fix something, clean something, sew something, or buy a few things for the baby, and then the next week I will be more focused on regular life and getting things done for Noah. During my first pregnancy it felt as though I was constantly nesting, and had baby Noah on my mind at all times, but I think because I already have a child it is not so easy for me to pour my whole self into baby preparation. Plus there is the added challenge of clothing and providing for two children instead of one but on the same budget as before. Lets just say I am becoming increasingly creative with my resources, and the phrase, "necessity is the mother of invention" has been running through my mind a lot lately.
A couple of weeks ago my friend Jess passed along a series of hypno-birthing CD's to me, and I have to say that having never tried anything like it before, I am finding the program very helpful. I have been suffering from insomnia lately, and I will use the program to help me quiet my thoughts and fall asleep. There are six discs and I am only on the first. I will move on to the second some time around my 34th week, and I won't listen to disc six until I am in labor. I am not a hypno-birthing expert, but I am enjoying learning more about it and experiencing the benefits so far. The program I am using is called Blissborn Hypnotherapy and can be found online at www.blissbornonline.com.
Once the boy's room/nursery is complete I would love to share a photo tour with all of you. I am almost finished sewing a couple of projects for the baby, and after those projects are complete I only have a couple of things left to do. I am hoping to share more before Thanksgiving...hopefully. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I can't hardly wait. Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving food? I love my mom's stuffing, cranberry sauce (from the can oddly enough), and I love my mom's giant round homemade rolls with gravy instead of butter-because I don't like mashed potatoes one bit...I know...I'm crazy.

Lots of love,

Samantha

Model Search UPDATED

2011-11-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies! I am searching for the perfect female model for an upcoming inspiration shoot. If you are interested or you know someone who might be interested in having free photos taken for their portfolio, and a chance to work with me and a bunch of other great vendors in Spokane, please apply!

The Details:

Submit a head shot and a full body shot (does not need to be professional)

with your measurements to...

samantha.scphotography@gmail.com

with the subject line "Model Search"

***UPDATE***

I want to send out a huge THANK YOU to all of the lovely ladies who sent in their head shots. You are all so beautiful, and it was a tough, tough choice. I wish I could choose more than one, but without further ado...

Our model is

KHADIJHAH RED T.

Much love to all of you! xxx

Halloween Greetings

2011-10-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of marthastewart.com

Once Halloween rolls around I feel like we are at the height of fall, and after the 31st, the season slowly gives way to frost and winter. Right now the sun is shining brightly through my office windows, and I can barely see my monitor. I am looking over my backyard at what looks like a million golden Maples leaves scattered across the lawn and the back patio; I know the front yard is even more covered. Our dozen or so odd Maple trees that line our property dumped almost all of their glorious beauty on us over the past few days, and so today Triston, Noah and I will all be taking our respective rakes outside for a "raking party." By the looks of things it may take hours to complete the job, but we couldn't ask for a better day to do it.

Today has been and will continue to be a day for my little family. Enjoying each other, cooking and cleaning together, and simply being together without too many distractions. We need more days like today. This morning I woke up early and made my boys a breakfast of beef bacon, onion bagels with whipped-cream-cheese, soft-boiled eggs, Organic fruit and yogurt, and apple juice. It was a good way to start the morning off right, and I think boys and men are so much happier and accommodating with a full stomach. My boys particularly like waking up to the smell of bacon. Me however, not so much. I love to wake up to a quiet and freshly cleaned house, and curl up in a comfy place with long pajamas, fuzzy socks, a mug of hot chocolate, and a perfect piece of fruit.

Noah is getting more and more excited to go trick-or-treating on Monday. This will be the first Halloween he hasn't been sick, except for his very first when he was only 2-months-old. Two years ago he couldn't even go trick-or-treating because he had a vomiting flu, and only got to wear his costume for a few minutes. He was so sweet and pitifully cute that day. Last year he did go trick-or-treating but he had a cold and his little voice was an octave deeper, so he would waddle up to every door, knock, and say "twick-o-tweeeet" in a gruff voice that didn't fit his little person. He was again incredibly, irresistibly cute, and needless to say, he got a lot of full-size candy bars that year. I suspect this year will be even more fun, as he is older and already so into the holidays. I love that about him. He makes life so much fun.

Have a Happy Halloween everyone! xoxo

26 weeks

2011-10-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Tinies,

Today marks the 26th week of our journey together. I love you more each day, and my heart is swelling with excitement to meet you. I have been researching holistic and completely natural birthing options, and have switched from an OB to a Midwife for the rest of my pre-natal care and your birth. You will also be born at a different hospital than your brother was. I am excited to see how my birth experience with you will differ from Noah's which was natural but very long and stressful for both him and I.
Your nursery is coming together, except for your bedding and a few more accessories, and your brother likes to stare at your crib and talk about how he wants to lay in it with you when I "push him(you) out." He is so excited to meet you and to share life and of course his toys with you.
You have been such a good baby to your mama so far, and I feel so blessed to have had a healthy and happy pregnancy these past 26 weeks. I hope and pray that you will continue to grow strong, and will stay safe inside of my tummy for at least 11 more weeks. I love you little one, more than you could possibly know.

Love,

Mommy

Some local flavor...

2011-10-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

I am a Spokane native, and I know as well as anybody that growing up it felt like Spokane lacked a lot of ummm, whats the word? Oh ya, culture. All I can say is bless the heart's of small business owners in my fair city. In the past several years Spokane has taken great strides in becoming more "cultured," and I love seeing my hometown embrace mom and pop stores and all this new local flavor that has been popping up. That is why I wanted to write this post, to encourage all you fellow locals to get out, and support our small business owners, who are trying so hard to set a higher standard for the Spokane lifestyle.

Here are a few places I enjoyed visiting this week...

The Spokane Public Market. Have you heard, have you been? It is here, it is good, and it is growing and will hopefully keep growing with your support. Open Thur-Sat 10am-6pm

Check out their Vendor List!

A quote directly from the Spokane Public Market website:

"The Spokane Public Market is designed to be part of a central community gathering and meeting place close to the downtown Spokane business core. It is a place where the community can interact with regional food and farm producers, artisans and other unique small businesses which produce products that celebrate the creativity and vitality of the Northwest."

Collage made by me, photo and graphic courtesy of the Spokane Public Market facebook page.

Sun People Dry Goods Co. (which is adjacent to the Spokane Public Market)

I absolutely love this store, and I know you will too. The staff is incredibly helpful and friendly (hi Angie!) and their inventory is absolutely stellar. I was more than pleased to find one of my favorite bedding companies, Coyuchi, there. FYI, Sun People Dry Goods is the only store in Spokane who carries their products. Open Tue-Sat 10am-6pm and Sun 11am-4pm

Photo via Sun People Dry Goods Co. website

A little more about them...

"...Sun People Dry Goods Company aims to be your “go to place” in Spokane for information on green living—creating activists out of consumers. We have tons of great locally, regionally and nationally produced items to help you live a more simple, less energy-intensive, more ecological lifestyle. Sun People offers a unique and informative shopping experience to the Spokane region—full of both innovative and traditional items for everyday use.

We have a fantastic staff of truly sustainable folks to provide in-store expertise in a wide array of topics ranging from rain barrel installation to urban beekeeping to permaculture gardening, along with workshops and trainings in partnership with area nonprofits..." -via Sun People Dry Good's About Us

Chaps Restaurant and Cake Bakery (need I say more?)

I am a big fan of Chaps and of course the dazzling owner, Celeste Shaw, who is a good friend of mine. I stopped in this week to grab some lunch with my friend Cami, and as always the food, the experience, and the service was excellent. Read more about Chaps here and here.

And just in case you have been living under a rock...our very own Trader Joe's will be opening in Spokane on October 28th! While this business is neither "small" or "local," I am certainly happy to be calling them one of our own very soon.

Visit the Trader Joe's Spokane facebook page for more information!

One last thing...

All you expectant mamas (or trying-to-conceive ladies) out there, have you ever heard of Bloom Spokane? They are are great local resource for pregnant women, and women trying to become pregnant. Check out their website to find information on local care providers, videos, informative articles about different birthing techniques, environments, etc.

Here is what they have to say...

"We believe that all women deserve access to credible, accurate information about pregnancy and childbirth. As educated consumers, women are empowered to make informed health care decisions and choose maternity care providers who are best suited to their particular needs and wishes.

We recognize birth as a normal, healthy process—not an illness or disease. Women in our community should have the opportunity to birth instinctively and freely, whether they choose to give birth at home, a birth center or hospital. Families should be educated about their choices: the risks, the benefits and the alternatives. We want our pregnant and laboring mothers to be recognized and treated as individuals with their own sets of needs, desires and goals. Most importantly, the process of birth needs to be trusted, respected and unhindered.

OUR ORGANIZATION

Bloom Spokane is a nonprofit organization seeking to promote and advance the practice of evidence-based maternity care and the principles of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative in our region. Our members include parents, physicians, midwives, childbirth educators, doulas, massage therapists, lactation consultants, chiropractors and public health professionals—each committed to these same principles and practices." -via Bloom Spokane's About page

Bloom Spokane will be offering a FREE birth options class this November 12. Pre-registration is required as class sizes are limited. The class will be hosted at Sun People Dry Goods Co.

Click on the above photo to be taken to their website.

Here are links to more of my favorite local spots

1. Pink (My friend Celeste's new store!)

2. Main Market Co-op3. ROOST4. Orphaned Decor5. Froyo Earth6. lolo Boutique7. Petit Chat Village Bakery8. Sacred Heart Gift Shop (I know this is a weird one, but between you and me, you can find some unexpected and lovely things in the baby section).
Ta ta for now! xoxo

Photo-less...a journal entry

2011-10-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

It almost feels like blogging taboo to publish a blog post without a photo. I mean seriously...especially from a photographer?! Come on. I couldn't really find a photo that would represent all that this post is going to be about...which I forewarn you is a lot.

I guess we can start (and probably finish) with me. On Thursday I will be 25 weeks pregnant. 25! Where did the time go? What is it about pregnancy that makes time feel so achingly slow and incredibly fast all at once? It truly is a mystery. Most days I feel really good, dare I say, I almost don't even feel pregnant. Except of course for this sweet baby boy growing and kicking in my belly. Yes, he is a kicker and a flipper, and I think he punches too. Just like his big brother.
Every morning I wake up and inspect my belly and sides for stretch marks. No new ones in sight. Thank goodness! Just the same old faded ones on my hips from my pregnancy with Noah. My stomach made it through my first pregnancy unscathed by those pesky little scars and I hope to make it through this one just the same way. Hope isn't a strong enough word actually.
On Sunday we had a scare as I fell down a flight of our wooden staircase. My klutzy pregnant self plus thin socks plus newly cleaned wood floors do not mix. One step and I slipped. I initially started to fall forward, but time slowed down and my body went into adrenaline mode, and somehow I was able to adjust my fall enough where I would land on my back-side. Well...my tailbone hit the lip of the top step and I continued to tumble down to the bottom where I just laid there crying. Far more than the pain, I was crying because I was so shocked and worried for the baby. Luckily Triston was home, and he rushed to my side to assess the damage. I could probably go into a lot more detail, but the most important thing is that the baby is doing fine and he is as active as ever. I woke up the next morning with large purple bruises on my back and bum, and in quite a lot of pain, but I am on the mend too. I fell hard on ice when I was 6 weeks pregnant with Noah, and probably forever damaged the right side of my tailbone. To this day, that injury causes me pain, and after this fall the left side is terribly damaged, so my gosh, one more fall and my tailbone will probably fall off. Probably. At the very least it is no good to me anymore.
Enough about me and my bum tailbone...I wish there was a better way to say that.

Noah. Noah, Noah, Noah. He is potty trained! Yes, I want to shout it from a mountain. Our frustrating days are over! He has actually been potty trained for about a month now, and our world is completely changed. So how did we finally do it? I loosely followed the book, "Potty Train Your Child In Just One Day" by Teri Crane. After literally months and months of trying everything I could think of, bribery included, I finally broke down and had a three day potty lock-down at our house. Meaning that Noah and I didn't go anywhere, for three.whole.days. In case you are unfamiliar with the book I will go ahead and break down what I did to get Noah potty trained.

Day 1:
I set Noah up in the family room with potty training books and DVDs, and I brought his little training potty into the room as well. Thank the Lord we have wood floors.
Because Noah was so stubborn about going on the potty, I couldn't let him wear a pull-up or underwear during this time or he would go in his pants. So he had to be naked. Had to be.
Anyway, I laid a thick towel across the couch for him to sit on, and then I would make him sit on the potty every 15 minutes. However, I was probably asking him if he had to go potty every five minutes out of sheer paranoia that he was going to have an accident on the couch. If he sat on the potty, I would give him one m&m, and if he went in the potty, he would get two m&ms. I was incredibly skeptical about this, but to my surprise it worked, and we breezed through day 1 without a single accident.
Day 2:
We commenced with the exact same set-up and routine as before except this time I had him sit on the potty every 30 minutes. The day went really well, although I was getting tired of him being naked, and he was beginning to love it more and more. Oh boy. At the end of the day he had had one small accident, but nothing major. Even so, I was growing tired of constantly dumping his little toilet out, and then disinfecting it after every use. That was a lot for my pregnant self to handle.
Day 3:
Again, everything was the same as before except now I had him sit on the potty once every hour. All was going well until about mid-afternoon when it happened. They say that every mom has a poop story, and good Lord do I have a poop story. I cannot even begin to account for all of the disgusting details, but suffice it to say...there was poop in piles and smeared everywhere. This all happened within a 5 minute time frame might I add. He must have been holding it in because I don't know how Noah's little body could produce that amount of poop. Noah came to me in my office with a panic-stricken look on his face, and he tried to tell me what had happened. He was probably as horrified as I was. Bless his heart. He had tried to make it to the potty, as I deduced from a trail leading to the potty and in the potty.
Well, I scrubbed that boy down 3 times in the shower, and in between each shower I disinfected the tub with Clorox Bleach. I then picked everything up, mopped and disinfected the floors, and then steam cleaned our entire brown suede sectional just in case. Because it is brown I couldn't tell if there was anything on it, but at that point my nose was broken from the smell and my stomach was turning (yes there was dry heaving involved) and so I just scrubbed the whole thing for good measure. Finally after at least an hour, the house was put back together again, Noah was clean as a whistle, and I think he was shocked enough to never want to have a poop incident again. The next day we put him in underwear, and the rest is history. He was potty trained! Since he only wears a pull-up at bedtime, we have already saved so much on diapers and wipes too. It is really amazing how those things add up. Basically, having a child who is potty trained is the best thing in the world. I just love that he tells me when he has to go potty and he gets more and more self sufficient with each passing day. Hallelujah! I also want to add that after our 3 days using the little potty I put it in the basement and switched to a toilet cushion and a stool so he could go on the big potty. That made life even easier, and lets admit it, those little potties are disgusting. Useful yes, but so disgusting. Moving on...

Triston has been busier than ever lately with school and work. He will be graduating this December, and we both can hardly wait as it has been a long journey to get him to this point, but I am so proud of what he has accomplished. I can't really go into details, but I know our lives are going to be changing here in the next 3-6 months. I don't know to what extent, but change is coming...I can feel it. I feel as though right now we are stuck in the time between the times. We are in a state of limbo I guess is a good way to put it, and so much of what lies closely ahead is completely unknown to us at this moment. This can be a scary thing with a toddler and a baby on the way, but I do have peace. If I knew more I could share more, but I don't, so this vagueness will have to do for now. Just so you know, I really hate being vague.

Coming back to me, I have been busying myself lately with re-structuring my business and trying to make it work for me and for my clients better. I have been doing a lot of soul searching and serious thinking and I am finally coming up with a plan that I really like. No matter what your business might be, if you don't do it right, you will burn yourself out and fast. My words of advice for today are, do not undervalue your time, and do not base your business model on the standard in your market. Make your business what you want it to be, and trust that work will come your way. If something isn't working for you, change it.

Phew. That's all for tonight, but I will return again soon. xoxo

Sunset on a grassy plain...

2011-10-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Annalee, Class of 2012

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Annalee is one of the most beautiful young women I know, both inside and out. We had so much fun together early one September night walking through fields, and just capturing her. I am so proud of this girl, and I know she is going to have a beautiful life journey ahead of her. Here is a small collection of images from our shoot. xoxo

Stefani & Christian

2011-10-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Spokane Club

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More to come...

Our baby, 23 weeks and counting...

2011-10-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

It has been embarrassingly long since I last posted a baby update, but at long last, an update I have for you. Last month we had our 19 week ultrasound to determine the gender of the baby, but the tech didn't get a good look at his heart so we needed a follow-up ultrasound today, and thankfully baby looks perfectly healthy. What a great big sigh of relief. Although we still didn't get a great look at his face because he was snuggled up into my back, we did come home with this picture, and oh.my.goodness. he looks like Noah's twin in so many ways. I know ultrasounds aren't perfectly accurate, but this just makes me that much more curious to see what our sweet little boy will really look like. How special would it be if Noah and "Tinies" looked that much alike?! Pretty special in this mama's book. Speaking of Noah, I am off to play legos with him, and wait for Triston to come home from work so we can share the events of our day while I cook "brinner" (upon the husband's request of course). I will be making these breakfast burritos for dinner, except I will be substituting turkey sausage for the regular pork sausage.

Have a great night friends!

Kailey & Steven

2011-09-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Duncan Gardens

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A birthday dinner...

2011-09-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Circa August 21, 2011

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and the next morning...3 years old and 1 day.

It has taken me quite awhile to finally post a few pictures from Noah's birthday. This year we did a family dinner in our back yard with mine and Triston's immediate families, and my grandmother. Just that group alone is huge! Unfortunately, as hostess I didn't have time to take that many pictures. In hind sight I wish I would have photographed more of everyone and everything, including the food. As you can see, I did get a few of the cake, which I made from scratch the night before. It was such a lovely summer evening...I love my darling 3-year-old boy.

Footnote: Blogger seems to be resizing my images once they are put into a post. Although they all start out the same width, they all end up looking different. Trying to troubleshoot the problem, but I don't really have the energy right now. Sorry for the strange look of things.

DIY cushioned toy box

2011-09-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have been busy this past week or so painting and decorating the boys room. Just the other night I finally got to hanging the window treatments, and little by little the room is coming together, although I still have a lot I want to do.
Earlier this summer on one of my Saturday yard sale outings, I followed a trail to a sale way out on an old highway. The trek was worth it because I found lots of rustic goodies like an old wooden banana crate. When I saw it I immediately envisioned it as a toy box for Noah, but it just has been sitting at the foot of his bed for the past couple of months, which is fine, but I wanted to make it extra special. Which is why I was so excited to stumble across this DIY from Design Sponge featured in Oprah Magazine. Yesterday I finally made it out to the store to buy the necessary supplies and headed to "tool land," aka my father's shop to put it together. It took me under an hour to cut the wood for the top, drill the caster wheels on, and stapled the foam, batting, and fabric to the top. Such a simple DIY, and I love the results! To be honest, I am a fan of anything a little rustic and utilitarian. My seat top looks a little bit different, but I didn't follow the instructions. I just looked at the magazine, and bought the size of foam I thought was appropriate. The fabric I picked is a warm floral, which might be a little girly for the boy's room, but it the is only feminine fabric (okay, okay, the window sheers might be a little feminine but more on that later) that is going to be in the room, and the colors worked really well. I also like to see a pattern somewhere, because everything else is simple stripes or solid. Plus, if I do end up getting tired of it, or the fabric gets worn, it couldn't be easier to change it out.

Here is the final result!

Oh baby...

2011-09-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true! We are going to be welcoming our second little boy into the world in just a few months. We found out a couple of weeks ago, but I have been so busy, I hadn't had time to put together a proper post. Regardless, I just couldn't wait any longer, so I decided to do a little grouping of some of the items that I will be purchasing for this little guy. First of all, to any of you that read this post, you know that I was hoping for a little girl this time around, but we are so excited for this little boy to join our family, and couldn't be happier. I can't write this post without saying that the ultrasound tech didn't even have to tell us the gender, it was that obvious. She said to me, "what do you think it is?" and without hesitation I said, "that looks like a boy." Yes, there was no denying it, the results were crystal clear. At first the moment was marked by a tinge of sadness, and a tear or two, but as the day went on, and the next followed I became more and more enthralled in the reality of having two sons. I am eager to see what the relationship between my boys will look like, and the bond between brothers. I know I am in for some very special times. However, I am still holding on to my box of baby girl things, who knows, I might just have a daughter someday too.
Now, more about this new baby boy of mine, whose name we have picked out but are keeping a secret until he is born. As you can imagine I already have most everything I need to bring another boy into the world. Just the other day I went through all of the boxes and bins of Noah's baby clothes to figure out what will work for the new baby, and what won't. My biggest hurdle is that the boy's are going to have been born in opposite seasons. Noah is ofcourse an August summer baby, and this little one is due on February 2, right in the middle of our cold Northwest winter. So I do have to buy some new clothes, which is a-okay with me. ;) Above our some of my must-have items on my baby shopping list. I plan on finding a lot of things for the baby on Etsy, both for him and the nursery. Boys are incredibly difficult to shop for because a lot of baby boy things are cheesy and not that cute or chic or interesting. I think girls get all that fun stuff, but for the past 3 years I have discovered several sources for adorable boy clothes and accessories that I am so thankful for, and I am so excited to know about them now before my "tinies" is born, because it took many months and years of searching after Noah was born before I had found anything great. Now I am armed with an arsenal of knowledge of where to find the cutest stuff for boys.

Listed in my shopping board above I have included some very basic newborn necessities that I am waiting to buy. 1. Snuggly Wool Italian Eggplant hat from Etsy. 2. ERGObaby Organic Carrier. 3. Minnentonka Moccasins. 4. Onesies, Onesies, and more Onesies. 5. Aden and Anais for Target swaddlers. 6. Aden and Anais for Target burby bib. 7. Pee-pee Teepees.

Thanks again for sticking with me dear readers. I have received several emails this past week from some of you who wanted to check in on me and the baby, and your kindness and support mean so much. xoxo

Flower Girl

2011-09-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Besides being the bride, my favorite role I have ever played in a wedding is being the flower girl. It is such a lovely title to hold.

Reminder: Fall Mini Sessions

2011-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

There is still time to book! Now extending the offer through the ENTIRE month of October. Reserve your session date and time today.

Lewis and Clark 2012

2011-09-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

xoxo

Elliot

2011-09-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

My first cousin and my husband's brother got married and had a baby and our children are 75% related. I just love these two handsome boys. xoxo

Lets talk food...

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Seeing that I am pregnant, food is on my mind quite a lot. Whether I am thinking of it in disgust or mentally drooling over a flash-craving which in a matter of hours or even minutes will inevitably sound completely horrid. Whichever way the wind might be blowing at the moment, food is nevertheless on my mind. I fancy myself a good cook, like Amanda Shelton in Simply Irresistable, you know, after she meets the magical crab *tongue in cheek*. I cook both emotionally and creatively and it was probably that film that made me this way. I can still remember my eleven-year-old self soaking in each blissful dish she made. I am a home-learned cook and have picked up most of my knowledge by watching my mother in the kitchen all my life and falling asleep to countless episodes of Martha Stewart shows every night. Around the age of twelve or thirteen my first boyfriend and first great love was a musician and at that time in my life something awoke in me a passion for exotic food, and so I started to eat and cook it as much as I could. It felt so bohemian and against the grain of my family to go out for Indian and Middle Eastern food, and I loved it! I followed my heart to Denver for one semester right after high school graduation to attend the University of Colorado at Denver, and I still crave the food I ate there during those few short months. Fuegos on 32nd St. and the little taqueria that served the most delicious smothered burritos, and Jerusalem Cafe, be still my heart. Jerusalem Cafe was open 24/7 and was the tiniest hole in the wall that was always jammed full of people. The gyros, tzaziki, yellow rice, and baba ganoush smothered in Siracha still make my mouth water. I have since considered traveling to Denver for the sole purpose of eating.
So yes, food I love it, who doesn't really? I love to cook it, smell it, eat it, style it, and photograph it. That is why I am going to start a new food series on le blog very very soon. My recipes, other people's recipes, styled and presented here. I think that sounds just fine and I hope you do too. Cheers to eating!

Image via

The day after tomorrow...

2011-09-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

via Pinterest

I found this quote today on Pinterest and it immediately made me think of Noah. His beautiful brown eyes are my blue skies.

I am a little anxious today. The day after tomorrow is our ultrasound, and I am so very excited, and nervous, and lots of other things like that. I can't wait to see that sweet baby profile, and to notice whether or not he or she kind of looks like Noah or one of us. Not that ultrasounds are all that clear but I swear, each year they get a little better...

I will be checking in on Wednesday or Thursday with the big news. See you then. xoxo

Noah

2011-09-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Noah came to me and out of nowhere asked, "When are you going to take pictures of me again mommy?" It was then that I realized I had stopped photographing him as much. Maybe it was because our summer had been so busy, maybe it was because I didn't think he liked me taking his picture, I don't know, but since he was born the camera was always right in his face, and all of a sudden he noticed a change. That question took me back a bit, and made me a little sad. After all, he is the reason I became a photographer in the first place. So tonight I took him out for a few minutes in the setting sun, and although not much has changed (he still doesn't like to look at the camera or hold still), I think the routine of it all is comforting for both of us, and...there is no one in this world I would rather see through my camera than him. xoxo

2011-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

Katlin

2011-09-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

A preview of one of my 2012 seniors. Its still not too late to book your session...

Welcome Fall!

2011-09-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

September is officially here, and it is so hard to believe that summer is almost over. Mornings around Spokane are cooler and you can smell that crisp Fall smell in the air. Life is sort of hanging between two seasons right now and I think we have the best of both worlds. Cool breaks in the day, warm sunny afternoons, and beautiful golden light in the evenings. I found a new spot near my home that I am dying to photograph in this lovely light. I seek that golden light, long for it really, and once the Northwest winters roll in with the blue-grey skies and cool light, my heart sinks a little. Instead of thinking too far ahead I want to savor this unique time of year...I love you Fall...welcome.

Here are some of the things that get me in that special Fall mood.

1. You've Got Mail

2. Fall fashion...here are some of my favorite trends, although skirts won't work for me and my expanding torso this year. Sigh.

*Long floaty skirts

3. Fall footwear, here, here, here, and here.

4. Lipstick... here, here, here, and here.

Some other things that sounds amazing, homemade chicken noodle soup, my mom's apple pie, Green Bluff U-pick , and the list goes on.

Alright lovelies, I am going to resume my day of potty training with Noah in tandem with catching up on work. We have been trying to potty train Noah for a while, but it has become apparent that drastic measures need to be taken. So for all of today and the next couple of days we won't be leaving the house in order to keep him on a "potty schedule" amongst other things. We are hoping that by day 3 he will be ready for underwear. I have also been meaning to post a pregnancy update but haven't had the chance yet, and I think I might wait until week 19 to do a big update which will include the big announcement of "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl!" xoxo

The age of why? and other things

2011-08-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

So here we are. Noah is 3 years old, and I couldn't love him more, but some days this 3-year-old makes me batty. We have all heard of the "terrible 2's" but I have heard from so many moms, my mom included, who say that 3-years-old is the most difficult age. I saw this coming a couple of months ago as his birthday drew nearer. Over the course of the summer Noah has been testing his boundaries more and more, asking "why?" to everything I say, and doing a few other things like running away in stores, and acting out in public. Now, when I say acting out I don't mean tantrums. Noah is not and has never been a fit thrower. He doesn't cry and beg for things, throw himself on the floor, scream, kick, etc. He has never once (so far) done that to me, and I am truly thankful. Generally speaking, when we are at home he is a really good little boy. He knows how to entertain himself, he is very helpful, and has a really sweet and tender temperament. Other than the constant "why?" and our exhausting struggles with potty training, at home I feel like I am a pretty lucky mom. When we are in public, however, is when he likes to really test his boundaries, and he does that by never staying by my side, running away, and disobeying in other areas related to doing what I say for safety reasons. He is also a hide behind the clothes-racks silently child. Fun! I have panicked on more than one occasion when he has suddenly disappeared. Since I do not discipline in public other than a quiet but stern voice, and a glare, he still thinks he can get away with all of these things and my "scary mom" faces don't phase him. So I have been trying to be consistent with consequences once we get home. The problem is, if I don't discipline him every time, if I forget or he falls asleep on the car ride home, it just doesn't work. Now, things aren't so bad when he can sit in a shopping cart, although he does try to grab things, random things, and throw them in the cart, or he has on more than one occasion tried to stand up in the cart. If we are in a clothing store, or I am trying to get some other shopping done, this is when I can't seem to reign him in, and get him to obey. Some of you might say that a stroller is the answer, but honestly, Noah won't sit in one. He asks to get out, and I always end up pushing it with one hand and trying to keep track of him with the other. Since he wants to be more independent now, strollers just stress me out more. So at this age of 3 I kind of dread taking Noah anywhere, which makes me so sad because I used to love taking him anywhere and everywhere. He was my buddy and companion all the time, and loved to go out and do things. So here I am fretting over all of these things, but I know this too shall pass with the help of love, discipline, and consistency. It is just so darn frustrating to be a mom sometimes, isn't it?

Ice-cream, Cantaloupe, Salt, Oh my!

2011-08-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, hi, hello! I just wanted to pop in and share my favorite summer treat with you. My grandmother made this for me when I was growing up, and I still love it just as much as I did then. Please do give it a try, I think lots of you will love it just as much as I do. xoxo

A whole new look...

2011-08-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Things keep changing around here on the blog front, stay tuned...

Under construction...

2011-08-25T11:45:00.001-07:00

Don't mind the mess around the blog for a while, we are just doing a little updating. xoxo

Our week so far..according to my camera

2011-08-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Tuesday...

*********************************************************

Wednesday...

My sister is in town this week, and when she is here we like to hit up our favorite local spots. On Tuesday we headed to Green Bluff fully intending to pick peaches, but since the weather has been so strange this summer there was no U-pick going on, so we bought a couple of boxes instead. We ate lunch at High Country Orchard, and then headed over to Harvest House for some pie and ice-cream.

On Wednesday we ate lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Gordy's, it is a hole in the wall but seriously good. I always order the Lemon Chicken and Gan Bian Green Beans. To die for! After lunch we stopped by Manito park to walk around the gardens, and show my 3-month-old niece, Emma, the large fountain and other favorite spots.

It is so nice to have my sister here, and I am thoroughly enjoying my time getting to know miss Emma. She changes every time I see her! Babies tend to do that of course.

Will be back soon with a 17 week update. xoxo

Happy Birthday, Noah!

2011-08-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my darling birthday boy! I love you with all of my heart. We just said goodbye to the last guest at your 3rd birthday party, and I have to say what a blessed day you had. I don't know if you will remember this someday, but all of your family was in attendance, and they all love you so dearly. You ate homemade enchiladas, and some amazing homemade cake, and drank Coca-Cola made with real cane sugar from a glass bottle. You had a pinata and lots of presents, and more than all of those happy things, you were, are, and will forever be loved so dearly. You are such an amazing little boy, and you are growing up to be an amazing slightly bigger boy. I can't believe three years ago today I was holding you in my arms for the first time, and now I can hardly imagine life without you. My life truly began when you were born, and I cherish every day and every moment I get to share with you. Keep growing my love, I know God has great things in store for you. Keep dancing and singing, because it brings all of us such joy. Keep talking and learning more every day, because you are so smart and have such great depth already. Keep smiling that beautiful smile with your white baby-Chiclet teeth, because it melts my heart. Keep being so sweet and polite, because it shows what a good boy you are. Keep being you, because you are the only you out there, and you, yes you, are the best you around. I love you my precious son, Noah Triston Cabrera. Today you are 3, and it is oh so good to be 3!!! I love you mi amor to the moon and back!

Love forever and always, Your Mommy

16 weeks...

2011-08-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

thoughts on pregnancy the second time...

Not much has changed over the course of the past week except that my baby pooch is beginning to harden, and it feels more like the beginning stages of an actual baby bump. When I was pregnant with Noah I didn't show almost at all until I was 7 months along, and then I really "popped" during the last couple of months. This time around I knew I would start showing earlier, but the bump still isn't too noticeable yet. Today I woke up and I think the final bit of nausea has finally passed. Now I can enjoy the happiest stage of pregnancy to the fullest! In less than 3 weeks we will be going in for our second ultrasound... you know, the really important one. I feel so nervous about this for some reason, I think it is because there are so many unknowns. Is the baby healthy? Is the baby developing normally? What is the heart rate? Is it a boy or a girl? While ultrasounds are amazing, I go into them holding my breath, and I can only exhale when they have told me, "everything looks perfect!"

Okay, okay, okay, lets get real here...while of course the absolute most important thing is the health, the second thing which is rattling my nerves is the gender. I have been on an emotional roller coaster with this issue since I found out I was pregnant. Boy or girl? What is the difference to a mom? You love them the same, right? Of course you do! They are both equally wonderful...I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt, but there is still this aching feeling inside of me hoping to have a little girl. So what I am trying to say is that besides the baby's health, I am most nervous about me. About my reaction to the big reveal, and the self loathing I will feel for even the tiniest bit of disappointment if I hear the words, "its a boy!" This whole pregnancy I have been trying to suppress that desire for a girl. In fact, Triston and I have just assumed its a boy this entire time because the Cabrera family is pretty much all boys. Really, there has only been 1 girl born in the last 3+ generations, and all the other women have married into the family. I swear, Cabrera in Spanish means "breeders of men." All kidding aside, I know how joyous it was when Noah was born, and I love the fact that my first born was a boy, and I think it would be so precious for Noah to have a little brother (he still wants it to be a boy btw), but that deep, quiet ache for a little girl still exists. I know some people say not to worry, that you will have a girl someday, and all I can think of is, "have you seen my husband's family?" My sister-in-law has 3 middle names because they tried to cram them all in one...ahem...Mercedes Otilda Teresa Yvanna Cabrera. No kidding!

Excuse me for my rambling, and my self therapy, but there it is. I think the desire for one or the other is something most mother's feel at some point, but it is hard to talk about because of mom guilt, which is a culmination of your own guilt and guilt from other judging mothers. So here are the two things I know, and I am choosing not to feel guilty for saying because I want this blog to be real and honest. 1. I do want a girl right now. 2. If it is a boy I will hold him in my arms and fall in love with him, never wishing for another child for a second...and I will be the beaming mother of two beautiful boys.

Thanks for sticking with me dear readers, I will be back soon. xoxo

inspiration

2011-08-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

All images via Pinterest

As you might already know, I have been giving our home a bit of a makeover. I must tell you now that I don't use a lot of color when I decorate. I love white, bright, and clean in my own home, but that doesn't mean I am not attracted to colorful design...I am just normally too shy to make use of lots of color in my own spaces, example 1. That however, is about to change with my master bedroom makeover. Our home is over 100 years old, and the style of the house lends itself to colorful, ornate, and detail oriented design. My main goal in undertaking our bedroom is to make it different from the rest of the house. I want it to be inspiring, relaxing, and I want it to feel like a little retreat...the room in which my imagination can come to life. My office is still in mid-makeover, and that room is bright and white with industrial elements, and has a more masculine/modern feel with just a few feminine accents thrown in. I need to work in a space like that, I find it helps my productivity and sense of well being. On the other hand, a room like the one above will bring out the dreamer in me. I think while very different, both will be conducive to my lifestyle while being strong representations of my personal style and design aesthetic.

By the way, if I could design a room inspired solely by a film...this would be it. While the story line is disturbing and haunting, the cinematography, set design, and wardrobe are stunning.

see you soon!

15 weeks!

2011-08-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

vintage baby graphic via

What I've been up to lately...

2011-08-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak peak of my office as it is finally coming together. I still have to bring all of our things in like computers, more storage, art work, etc. but I am so happy with how it is turning out. I wish I had a before picture to show you, but trust me, night and day difference. The drafting table that I am using as my desk was my grandfather's when he worked as an engineer designing valves for rocket ships. There is a huge drawing that is now framed in my grandma's house that he made on this very table of the valves he designed to get Apollo 7 to the moon. I love this table, it is like having a piece of my grandfather with me at all times. The stool was also his, and the lamp you will remember from this post. Now I need to give Triston's desk a makeover and figure out a book case. See you soon!

I went shopping...

2011-08-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello, hello! I have just spent the last 4 days or so (with a wedding in between) giving our office a major facelift. Long story short, the room used to be red, as in bright red, from walls to ceiling, and the wood floors were a chippy blue. It took all of those 4 days, a bit of my sanity, and many shed tears, but finally the red is gone! I would like to take this time to say that I would thoroughly enjoy kicking the person who painted said room red in the shins for about an hour. The ceilings are slanted and made up of skinny wood paneling, so we had to hand brush every single crack to cover up the red. I finally broke down sometime during day 3 and bought a paint sprayer which saved me a few early grey hairs. The best part of this makeover in progress? My lovely glossy white-washed wood floors. Oh, they still need a second coat but they are so shiny and pretty and clean. Goodbye blue, I will not miss you! For those of you who might be asking the question right about now of "why on earth were you painting while pregnant?!" I can assure you that I was very careful and wore a special mask the entire time, asked for help when I needed it, and kept the windows open. Today, however, after the floors were done, the paint fumes filled the house (thank you oil based floor paint), and so Noah and I evacuated for a day of shopping and errands. It turned out to be a good excuse for me to do some things that I really wanted and needed to do, and I found some lovely things in the process.

1. Vintage baby cards. Why can't illustrations be this cute anymore? When I found these sweet little cards I couldn't resist, I had to buy them! I am thinking of turning a few of them into a framed piece of art for the new baby, and using the 1st birthday card as a gift tag for my niece's 1st birthday next year. We shall see!

2. I have been looking for a desk lamp like this for ages, and I was so happy to have found this one today. While reproductions of antique metal goose-neck desk lamps can run upwards of $200, I found a real old one for under $50. Although this was my splurge of the day, I am still happy with the price I paid, and of course the light works great. :)

3. As I was cautiously walking around a new-to-me thrift store, I passed by this pretty little desk. I have been keeping my eye out for something in this style for Triston, and couldn't believe my eyes when I found this one, and for under $20. I bought it on the spot, and after a little DIY magic, it will be good as new. The desk also matches a chair I found last week for $1.99

I must admit that I used to be a thrift store/yard sale snob. I hated thrift shopping because of the smells and the grimey feeling on everything (you know what I am talking about), and it always felt akward to walk around a stranger's driveway parsing through their discarded belongings. I don't know what has happened to me over the last year, but I have gotten over that in a big way. I don't notice the "thrift" smell anymore and I have developed an eye that can pick out exactly what I am looking for in a heap of junk. Eventually you learn what you will inevitably see a lot of in every store, what is over priced, and what is precious vs. what is not. I like the hunt, and it feels really rewarding to find something unique and on the cheap. A lot of the styles I am into right now, the same ones that are featured in every high-end decor magazines and blogs are just throwbacks to an era gone by, and you can find many of those favorite "trends" at thrift stores but for a fraction of the price, and they are the originals. Okay, I am making myself want to shop more... Happy thrifting!

Just about 14 weeks as of midnight...

2011-08-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, so much for documenting every week. It seems as though life has been on warp speed and I don't know where the time has gone. I guess it is because I have been working so much lately. First I would like to start off with a love note to baby no. 2 and then a little list of some of my current "feel good" items. Someday I promise I will include a belly photo in these updates!

This weeks 5 "feel good" necessities:

1. Prell Shampoo. My hair is naturally smooth and shiny, but that also means that my hair gets oily fast, especially during pregnancy! I love Prell because it makes my hair feel incredibly clean, and gives my long mane body.

2. Water! I am craaaving H2O...still.

3. Swimming!! I am hitting the pool as often as I can. I love diving into cool water during these short but hot summer months, and feeling weightless is oh so nice at any stage of pregnancy.

4. Pinterest is keeping me occupied with loads of inspiration. After our next ultrasound I plan to start "pinning" all sorts of inspiring nurseries and children's rooms.

5. Froyo...need I say more? Although delicious whether pregnant or not, something about it soothes my stomach, and it usually always sounds good, which is amazing because right now, nothing sounds or smells very appetizing. This is my favorite local spot where I get a cup of Original Tart flavor covered with fresh seasonal fruit.

I will be back soon with a wedding or two to share! xoxo

The day has come...

2011-07-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Gaspar are a lovely couple from Florida, she originally from Texas, him originally from Alaska, and they are getting married today on top of the beautiful Schweitzer mountain. Soon I will be off to capture their special day. See you in a little while!

Katie + Rob

2011-07-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Comfort items

2011-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a board of some of the things that have brought me comfort as I have weathered through the queezy first trimester weeks.

1. Great Mother's Belly Butter before bed, in preparation for the stretching to come.

2. Extra Strength Tylenol which takes the edge off of my chronic headaches and neck pain. Oh how I miss Ibuprofen though. Sigh.

3. Ginger Ale for the nausea

4. Never before have a liked memory foam pillows, but they have really helped me sleep since becoming pregnant and do wonders for my aforementioned chronic neck pain.

5. Pregnancy movies, I also love Father of the Bride II and Baby Mama.

6. I love love love this scent, and during the first trimester when smells can be unbearable for pregnant mamas, finding a scent that actually makes you happy is a miracle! Available at World Market. I am seriously going to fill my house with multiples of this candle.

7. Water! Water! Water! I am craving clean, fresh, cold water which I am very thankful for because I had an aversion to it during my first pregnancy.

If you have any pregnancy comfort items, please do share! I would love to hear!

Getting settled

2011-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Although we moved in about a month ago, we are still getting settled. I have really spent the last few weeks discovering how much TLC needs to go into taking care of a home that is 100 years old which is sort of exhausting and exciting at the same time. I want to decorate each room thoughtfully and carefully, as it is sometimes my tendency to do things on impulse without keeping the big picture in mind. Pinterest is really helping me sort through all of my inspiration and map out a design plan. My main goal is to do lots of DIYs that I plan to share with you, and to find furniture similar to the pieces online that inspired me but at thrift store and garage sale prices.
Now that we are expecting our second baby I think the shared children's bedroom is going to be on of my last rooms to complete. Once I find out the sex of the baby in 8 weeks (!!!) I will know if I will be decorating a room for two boys or a boy and a girl. Oh, the anticipation is killing me!

It's a baby!

2011-07-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Many of you might remember this post I wrote a few months ago about my battle with PCOS, and our struggle with infertility. I am thankful and happy to say that after our first round of Clomid we were able to conceive. My mind has been away from this blog for several months as I have been focusing on the pregnancy, and since I couldn't share the news yet I felt a little uninspired to blog. First of all, I want to thank those of you who commented on my infertility post, I soaked in each and every encouraging word, and enjoyed hearing your heartfelt stories. Thank you so very much.
Now that I am back in this space, I want to document the pregnancy week by week as I have seen so many talented ladies do in the blog world. What a precious keepsake that will be to look back on, especially since I know how easy it is to forget the little things that make the journey to motherhood so beautiful and painful at the same time.
Officially I am due on February 2, 2012 or 02.02.12, I think that is a pretty sweet due date, and I am secretly hoping that this little one arrives on schedule. Noah was a week and a half early though so I won't get too attached to the idea.
These past three months of pregnancy have been trying at times. It is harder to be sick when you already have a child, even during those moments where I am more nauseous than I can handle, if he needs me I have to get up. However, more than all the aches and pains, I am only happy to be having another child, and I feel truly to blessed to be here again.
I will leave you with a little note I wrote for my new little Tinies, but I will be back soon with more fun stuff. xoxo

Beach Vacation

2011-07-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I drove over to the Oregon Coast with my family for a summer beach retreat. Although the sun wasn't hot or the water warm, it was lovely all the same. Our home was right on the beach and had views overlooking all of the serene waves. At night I loved to open my bedroom windows and hear the waves crashing and smell the ocean air. There really isn't anything like it. While on vacation I surprisingly only took a few pictures, but I shot this little video using only my iPad. I hope you enjoy! xoxo (You can see me for a second in the video with the white floppy hat giving Noah a kiss) ;)

Music: Lover's Carvings by Bibio

Happy, happy sunshine!

2011-07-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

I love happiness and sunshine, don't you?

Making home

2011-06-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

That darling little boy of mine is sound asleep, taking his afternoon nap. I thought our napping days were pretty much over until we moved. Almost every day this past week Noah has been coming to me in the afternoons saying, "It's ny ny time Mommy," and he lays down, usually on my bed, and take a 1-2 hour nap. Heavenly.

The house is coming along, and starting to feel more like home every day, but I have to remind myself that I don't have to finish every task at once. Instead I have been focusing my efforts on one or two rooms every day. Today I unpacked our last box, and it felt oh so good.

Last night the Mr and I cared for the lawn, and the weeds, and the watering. I had to chuckle to myself from the kitchen window watching my husband mow the lawn, since he has always vowed to me that he would never have real grass (much to my horror and disgust) because he was going to get turf. Over.my.dead.body. How embarrassing to be probably the only people in Washington state, heck the Northwest with a fake lawn. Yuck. Sorry Arizonians, I know you have to do it.

Right now I am sitting in our sun room turned office that hangs in between the first and second story of the house. The windows are made of wood and have old hardware and the paint is chipping which shows their age all the more. The sun room overlooks the back yard and six of the dozen or so giant Maple trees that surround our home. I can hear them crinkling in the breeze now and see the sun bouncing off of their warm green leaves.

This is totally unrelated, but here is a video I have been enjoying today. I love this girl, and this video too!

See you soon!

Watercolor

2011-06-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

His sweetness is never-ending.

White

2011-06-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Why does everything always seem to happen all at once? That is the question I have been asking myself every day for the past few weeks. I know life is always busy for all of us, but sometimes the chaos swells into a monster I can't reign in. You might be wondering what has kept me away for so long, and all I can say is...chaos. Not necessarily bad chaos, lots of it good for sure, but some bad too. We are, however, officially moved into our new home. Ahem, we are moved in but not completely set up yet, and I still have wallpaper removal, painting, and yard work to do besides organizing all of our belongings. Wallpaper removal, you ask? Yes, this house is about 100 years old, and comes with really old wallpaper. I can't wait to share all sorts of pictures with you. All the "Befores" and "Afters," and I will do so as we slowly but surely decorate and make this place home.
It's good to be back, and I look forward to catching up with you, and with life. xoxo

Phew! That was fun!

2011-06-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

For all of you who came out to The Farm Chicks show, you know that it was a blast! Great vendors, great stuff, just goodness everywhere you looked. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to see the show unfold as I was able to walk around on Friday during set up, and Saturday two hours before the show officially started at 10am. I can't wait to share more of my images from the weekend!

Here is the outside of the front of the Spokane Fair Grounds on set-up day.

Here is a close-up of the amazing background at Celeste Shaw's booth, Chaps. She had a bunch of vintage farm prints blown up in black and white, and hung it up like wallpaper. She is so creative!

More to come!

Motherhood: Making a tough decision

2011-06-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

When you become a parent you have to start making a lot of tough decisions, from vaccines to going back to work, decisions are everywhere, and there doesn't always seem to be a clear path to take. With every decision you make as a parent, there are consequences both positive and negative, and when you examine those things and how they might affect your child, decision-making can become an incredibly anxiety ridden task. As your children grow, that decision making doesn't become any easier and you are often left wondering if you did the right thing for your child. I had to make one of those tough parenting decisions today, and I am left in a wake of emotions and tears.

Nearly one year ago today Noah and I sat down with a team of developmental specialists ranging from speech therapists, to teachers, to physical therapists. At the time, Noah was a couple of months away from his second birthday, and was only saying a few words. The most puzzling part was that he had started talking around the time he turned one, but progressively lost his words, one by one. Bringing him before these highly trained strangers was both humbling and frightening at the same time. I didn't want to feel judgement against Noah or myself. I knew my son was smart, and he was ahead of the curve in many ways. Family told me that he would just start talking again one day, after all, he is a boy and boys talk later. Regardless, my motherly intuition told me that I needed to make sure I was doing everything possible to ensure Noah was happy, healthy, and flourishing developmentally. If he needed extra tools to do so, then by all means, bring it on.

Turns out, making the decision to bring Noah to them was the best decision I could have made for him at the time. In a couple of weeks he began one on one therapy, and within two months he was attending their preschool class three times a week. I had already seen tremendous improvement in him as he quickly learned over 50 words with sign language and was speaking a new word every week. As his speech progressed he started to drop the sign language until he replaced it altogether. His class was wonderful, ranging anywhere from 4-10 children at any given time and 6 teachers and specialists at all times. The other children were just like Noah, normal, sweet, and playful, but they just needed a little extra help in a specific area(s). Every week Noah brought home a bag full of his art projects, he made good friends, and fell in love with his teachers. We really couldn't have asked for a better learning environment for him.

The only downside to this otherwise amazing preschool was that Noah was getting a flu or virus every other week. Now, the school is clean, they disinfect toys, wash the children's hands, and do everything they can to prevent the spread of germs, but with 10 two-year-olds together in a room, sickness is par for the course. Towards the beginning of spring Noah was sick so often that he spent one week in school, and by the weekend he was sick, so I kept him out of school all the next week until I was sure he was 100% well. I would bring him back the next week, only for him to catch something else by the following week, and so the cycle continued until we were exhausted of illness. Around that time Triston and I began to discuss whether or not it was the best thing to keep Noah in school through the summer (he would be "graduating" on his 3rd birthday in August anyway). We went back and forth for several weeks until we ultimately decided that it would be best for Noah and our family if he left school early, mostly because we wanted Noah to have a healthy and fun summer. We also felt so confident in how far Noah has come with his speech and see that he is right on course as a healthy almost three-year-old boy, and completely thriving developmentally.

Even knowing these things, this decision was so, so hard. I still go back and forth in my mind wondering if it was the best decision to take him out early, and if our leaving was too abrupt. I think to myself, maybe I should have let Noah have one last week, where we talk about it and he knows when his last day will be, but then I think how terribly sad that would be for him, and start to cry. Its amazing to me that those intimidating strangers we first met one year ago, became so much more to us. We got to know them, and they got to know and deeply care for Noah. They helped him come so far with his speech, and they taught him so much more in the process. Saying goodbye to them, that is the hardest part.

Maybe there is not always a right decision, but maybe you can only make the best decision you can with the wisdom and understanding that you have.

To his teachers, you know who you are, thank you for all that you have done for Noah. We love you and miss you! xoxo

Emma Loo

2011-06-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

There is something about a new baby that is other-worldly special. It was great to get to visit my niece during the first couple weeks of her life, and just look at her in loving amazement. My sister was meant to be a mother, her ease and grace and patience, even with little sleep absolutely blows me away. Even so, it is perhaps more strange to see her actually have her own baby and be a mother than it was for to see my own self with a baby when Noah was born. I am still trying to figure this out.

In other news, we will be moving in a few weeks and couldn't be more excited. There will be lots to do during the interim, however, like cleaning the house, taking down wallpaper, painting, packing, gardening, etc. etc. etc. All in the midst of weddings, engagement sessions, and of course The Farm Chicks show! Speaking of which, I will be there taking pictures on Friday, which is the day that all of the vendors come to set up all their amazing goods, and on Saturday to shop and take more pictures. Triston and I will also be attending the after party on Saturday night. Hooray! Hope to see you there!

The Farm Chicks Show!

2011-05-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

I am bursting at the seams with excitement for the upcoming Farm Chicks Antiques Show!!!! This year I have special cause to be filled with so much anticipation because next month we will be moving into a charming house built in the early 1900's. The timing of the show with our move couldn't be more perfect. What could be better than furnishing a lovely old house than with all the treasures to be had at The Farm Chicks Antiques Show? Bursting I tell you...I am bursting. If you are at the show you might see me taking pictures, or walking around feverishly along with thousands of other eager shoppers. I am going to be in the zone, that is for sure. I am trying to decide what I should bring to cart around all of my *soon to be* loot? Any ideas? Goodness knows it will be hard to carry everything with just two arms. Oh...the anticipation.

I hope to see you there, and I hope we both find (and are able to snag) what we are looking for.

**Word to the wise, if you find something you love, buy it...immediately. I have learned time and time again that waiting is a losing game, if you think about it too long it probably will be gone, especially in such a competitive shopping environment like The Farm Chick's Show. Do you hear me perfect rug that I missed out on because I left you in my online shopping cart for a week (while I was trying to convince myself to buy you), and by the time I was ready to click "checkout" you had sold out?! Sad, sad day.

P.S. The blog has been a little quiet lately, that is because we are in Portland visiting my sister and brother-in-law and their brand new baby girl. I am in baby heaven right now, and I love how sweet Noah is to his cousin. He is just the sweetest thing in the world... what a precious and tender little boy. Countless pictures of the sweet baby girl to come. xoxo

Modern Family...Laugh out loud!

2011-05-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

I am not a big TV person, mostly because there aren't that many shows out there that I find appealing enough to watch consistently every week. However, I recently bought the first season of Modern Family on a whim, I just had a feeling I would like it, but I was wrong...I love it! This show is seriously laugh out loud funny, and I found myself finishing the first season in two days. I think my favorite characters are Cameron, Phil and Gloria. While I can't fully relate to this show, I think so many of the family dynamics are universal, and that is why the show is so appealing to a broad range of viewers. Although my relationship is different in many ways, I do relate to the aspect of interracial marriage. My husband is Ecuadorian and I am primarily French, English, with a dash of Chinese. Our relationship is full of squabbles over culture, traditions, and everything in between. We were raised very differently, but we temper our differences with a strong dose of humor, and I see a lot of that in this show. I know I am really late on this Modern Family bandwagon, but just in case you haven't seen it yet...I think you might like it.

See you soon!

An afternoon in downtown Spokane

2011-05-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

Today I needed to get some fresh air and sunshine. So, I got Noah ready and headed to downtown Spokane where we rode on the Carousel, soared over the mighty Spokane Falls on the Gondolas (for the first time...ever), ate lunch, and just walked around enjoying the balmy summer-like weather. It feels so nice to get out of the house simply to enjoy the city every once in awhile, and I have decided to make a point to do this more over the summer. Which is why I am so excited to see that Groupon Spokane is selling day passes to Riverfront Park at half price. I bought mine this morning, and I haven't checked the weather yet, but the next nice day we are heading out for an afternoon filled with those classic old rides, the Imax, and of course the free but always fun big Red Wagon. I am also thinking that some shaved ice will be in order... I like mine with the cream on top.

On a not so happy note, a gas line broke in my car today (and we just replaced all the brake pads and the rotors 5 months ago). I seriously have the worst luck with my car, and I pretty much hate it with every fiber of my being. Here's hoping that I will take the plunge and buy myself a new car in the next couple of months!

Surviving air travel with small children

2011-05-11T10:06:00.002-07:00

via

I started flying with Noah when he was almost three months old, and I have been pretty fortunate to have been blessed with a child who is a great traveler. For the most part, Noah enjoys everything new and exciting, he is always up for an adventure, and has that natural joie de vivre about him. However, keeping him happy amidst the ear-popping, crowds, and confined spaces isn't always a piece of cake, so I wanted to put together a list of things that keep our airline travels running smoothly.

SOS supplies

1. Neo-Synephrine, I could not even think of stepping onto a plane without this stuff. I spray it in Noah's nose right before take-off and it works wonders for ear-popping as it clears nasal passages and helps to balance out his equilibrium. (Note: Please consult your doctor/pharmacist before use)

2. Large sippy cup, I keep one of these in a side pocket, and fill it up with juice before we board the plane (after going through security of course), and encourage Noah to drink, especially during take-off and while landing to help with any discomfort due to the changing air pressure.

3. Wet Ones, it is hard not to become a germ-a-phobe when you have infants or small children, especially when they are in public places and sticking their hands in their mouths. I always keep a few packets of Wet Ones on me when I travel, so I can wipe our hands, and wipe the areas around us. I keep a pack in Noah's back-pack, my purse, and a couple in my suitcase-for good measure.

4. Hylands Chamomilla, this stuff is great when you are traveling with teething babies, and is a completely natural way to help calm a fussy and uncomfortable kiddo. (Note: Please consult your doctor/pharmacist before use)

5. Boogie Wipes, for runny/stuffy noses. I love these things.

Distraction is key

1. iPad, what is better than an iPhone when you have small children? An iPad 2. With all of the apps and the capabilities, this is the all-in-one life saver for entertainment, both educational and fun. For our next trip to Portland, I am loading mine with a couple of educational shows, and maybe a new app or two that Noah hasn't played with yet, to keep things exciting. I used to travel with my laptop, but it was such a pain to have another clunky item to carry around, especially through security when I was already worrying about a million things. An iPad makes everything more simple, and helps keep the luggage load light.

2. Two or three small toys that aren't loud and can fit into a small plastic Ziploc bag (I would bring more if the flight was longer than two hours). I try to bring things that Noah will actually play with, like cars, or finger puppets (we love to act out skits with them).

Note: With an iPad everything is simple. You can read books, watch movies and favorite shows, play games, learn the Alphabet, etc. On a short flight I would leave at home extras like crayons and coloring books, to keep packing light and to avoid the inevitable battle of having crayons spilling all over the floor, ripped up pages, and books being tossed to and fro. My goal is to keep Noah entertained without having to fill a large bag with stuff. No muss no fuss, the less stuff you pack, the less stuff you have to keep track of, and then you can rest easy without having your body temperature soar through the roof!

Snacks

I like to pack some of my favorite child-friendly snacks, all organized in small Ziploc baggies inside of a medium-sized Tupperware container that fits inside my carry-on. Something along the lines of this, but on a travel-sized scale.

1. Goldfish

2. Apple slices, drizzled with lemon-juice

3. Fruit leather

4. String cheese

5. Grapes

Comfort items

If you have a child who must have a special stuffed animal or blanket with them, then by all means bring it along, but if you are like me and don't have a child like that, then leave stuffed animals home and pack one blanket in your overhead carry-on or in your checked luggage. Airports and airplanes are dirty, filthy in fact, and they are usually always stuffy and/or uncomfortably warm, especially when you are toting around a hot-bodied, wiggly toddler. Dropping blankets is inevitable and they usually always get dirty, get in the way, or end up strewed over your shoulder as you are de-boarding. Seriously, sometimes traveling as a parent makes you feel like a pack animal. That is why I leave all of those extras at home unless I think a blanket is really necessary, and even then I pack it in our luggage.

My best advice is to keep it simple, don't try to pack your entire toy box to keep your little one entertained. Stick to the basics, and everyone will be less stressed. The key is staying comfortable, and if you can achieve that then traveling is so much more pleasant. Even in coach.

Now if only airlines could make a comfortable and practical area (or an area at all) for diaper changing. Do you hear me Southwest?

Ashley

2011-05-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

I am an aunt.

2011-05-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday I became an aunt for the first time...twice. My sister, Ashley, gave birth to her daughter, Emma Louise early in the morning, and then my cousin, Jessika, who married my brother-in-law, Corbin, had her son, Elliot Michael, later in the afternoon. The babies are here, and we are all so excited!
Just today I bought plane tickets for myself and Noah to fly and meet Emma in a couple of weeks, and I am itching to go already! I cannot wait to take her newborn photos, which I will be debuting here next month. So exciting!
In the meantime, I have a newborn inspired post coming up very soon.

One fine sunny day

2011-05-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

My baby isn't such a baby anymore. In fact, I guess it is time to start referring to him as a little boy. I can't believe he is going to be 3-years-old this summer... the BIG 3! Wow. I often ask him what he wants for his birthday, and he say every time without fail, "Birthday cake!" This little boy would be completely content with just cake on his big day- I love that about him.
By the way, the goats are his grandmother's, and they follow him around wherever he goes, just like dogs. It is unbelievably cute to watch. See you soon!

Sunrose + KP

2011-05-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Fin

Living simply is living sweetly

2011-05-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Live simply, get rid of stuff, remove the clutter that over-stimulates us, clean, create an artfully edited play area for your children with simple, classic, and "playable" toys, buy less and save the difference, run and play, and live in the moment.

All of the above are on my to-do list this week. Happy Tuesday!

Forget-May-Not

2011-05-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Happy May! The weather in Spokane has been having a hard time letting go of winter, and the scenery outside my windows has been changing from day-to-day. As of right now, however, the sun is shining, the grass is oh so green, and I am so thankful that it is May. Today people have come from all over the world to run and walk in Spokane's annual Bloomsday Run. Triston is running it today with a friend, and I am staying at home with Noah relaxing and enjoying the day.

via

Did anyone watch The Royal Wedding? I did and I couldn't help but cry. The whole wedding was beautiful, magical, and a bit surreal. I was especially blown away by the coverage of the day, the incredible filming made it possible for millions all over the world to feel like they were really there. I loved the music, the choirs, the message from the Bishop of London, the bells, and of course the palpable love between Prince William and Kate Middleton. What that must have felt like for Kate on her wedding day, with the world watching, I can only imagine, but for me, it was like watching history unfold before my very eyes. Do I even need to mention her dress and veil? No? Well, I have no words. She quite simply looked perfect, almost unreal, but I think her silk tulle veil was my favorite part.

TAGE SALE!

2011-04-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Motherhood: On raising a little boy and battling infertility

2011-04-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

It was 9:45 in the morning, I was 20 weeks pregnant and I had just had my second Ultrasound. I was sitting on the table in my patient room, and I had tears streaming down my face as I was trying to explain to my doctor that I had no idea what to do with a boy. He smiled at me and said, "Well, boys and girls really aren't that different for the first year or so...they poop, pee, cry, eat, and sleep, and do it all over again." I shrugged my shoulders and sat there quietly, still wiping tears from my eyes.
Although I definitely know quite a few people who genuinely don't care what the sex of their baby is, most of the people I know hope for one over the other. Of course, our biggest concern as parents is to have healthy, full term babies, and the gender really seems like a trivial issue. At least, these were the kinds of things I was reminding myself when I found out that I was going to have a boy, and although I cringe at my initial reaction now, back then I went through a little mourning phase for the little girl I had hoped to have. I spent about a week or two feeling a little sorry for myself, while I simultaneously felt tremendous guilt and self-loathing for feeling sorry for myself.
As I sit here and type this, three years later, I have to laugh because as a mother of a beautiful, healthy, 2 1/2 year-old boy, I now know that it is not because of his gender that I love him or can relate to him, it is because of his person, his heart, and his love. I love him for who he is, and I do not have the words to express how good.he.is. One thing I can say though is, I am truly blessed to be his mother, and I am truly humbled by the fact that the Lord chose him for me and I for him. Although I hope to be able to write down all the sweet and glorious things he says and does, I know I would only fall short. All I can do is soak him in, every moment, even the harder ones, and document as much of his life that I can....but here I go digressing...ahem (wiping a tear from my eye)...
When Noah was born, the first three months were like a 24-7 get to know you meeting, and at certain points I remember thinking, who are you and how can I make you happy? I think as parents we "learn" our children, each one individually, and fall more deeply in love with them every day. Noah has given me a new found appreciation for bubble guns (see above), cars, trains, and wrestling, and his very existence has filled me with an endless need to find cute boy clothes that fall outside of the monotonous norm of boy fashion. Far more than any of those things though, is the gift that I have to kiss his lips, touch his shiny soft hair, smell his smell, wiggle his fingers and toes, hold him close, and watch him grow up. Some of my favorite moments with Noah are in the morning after he first wakes up, and in the evening right before he goes to sleep. We lay together in bed, and as he touches my cheeks and twists my hair, we have quiet conversations about little nothings that are so much something to me. He always says, "I miss you all day mommy, I am so happy...mommy is home," (even though we have been together all day) and I reply "I miss you all day Noah, and I love you with all of my heart...I am so glad Noah is home." It is sort of our way of saying, I love you so much I can hardly stand it, and I am so glad you are here.
You see, having a child isn't about the gender, it is about the gift of their life and their very presence in your world. When I cried over having a boy, I was crying over the loss of dresses and hair bows, ballet classes, and mommy daughter things that I thought would be so wonderful. Honestly, I still want those things, and I still want a daughter some day, but even if I have 4 more boys, I know that the gender doesn't matter at all, not really.
To speak candidly, there has been nothing that has made me realize this more than my struggle with infertility since Noah has been born. I was able to get pregnant with Noah only a few months after going off of birth control, and when I did become pregnant I had no idea just how lucky I was to be having my own baby, and I honestly thought the whole thing had been so easy. After all, we weren't officially "trying" yet, and I wasn't even tracking ovulation.
Last year, however, I was diagnosed with PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and as I had never struggled with many of the awful symptoms associated with PCOS, the news came at quite a shock to me. However, when I found out, the symptoms that I had been suffering from suddenly made so much sense. As of right now, I only ovulate spontaneously a couple of times a year, even though I was able to get pregnant with Noah from a completely natural and "spontaneous" ovulation. So as it is not impossible for me to become pregnant naturally, it definitely won't be easy, since having such an irregular and often times completely absent (for 6 months or more) period, I never really know when I could or could not be ovulating. Part of the reason why I didn't notice this earlier in my life was because I had been on birth control that only allowed me to have a period four times a year, and then immediately after Noah was born I had an IUD put in. I am not a doctor, and I am certainly no expert, but I know my body and my story, and I know that before I ever started any kind of birth control, I always had a period, regularly, and I was in great overall health and fitness. Since taking that particular oral contraceptive and having an IUD in, I have never ever had a normal cycle. So the timeline for me was literally, birth control, pregnancy, IUD, nothing... and it wasn't until I had the IUD taken out over a year ago that I discovered my period was completely absent and would not come back on its own. I have no idea if by taking that initial birth control that it was a catalyst for this hormonal imbalance, and if it had something to do with triggering this condition in me, or if it was something that had always been there, but by being young and fit my body was able to keep it under the surface. I really don't know.
I am just now beginning the process of getting my body back on track by way of prescribed medication (a little apprehensively), and my husband and I can only wait and see what the future holds. I know that I will continue to document this journey, as I gain more insight into my situation, and I know that I am not alone in these things. I have even recently discovered that a few of my friends have PCOS, and it is nice to share in open dialog with them. No matter the outcome, I have a complete peace about my life and my family's future, and I am so thankful to already have a child, and even if I was never able to conceive another, I would be completely fulfilled. I now know more than ever what a blessing it is to be a mother.

I know that there are a lot of women out there who suffer from infertility for various reasons, and I want you to know that my heart and prayers go out to you.

P.S. If you have made it to the end of this looong post, thank you for sticking with me and letting me share a bit of my life with you. xxo

Design Board: Girl & Boy Twin Nursery

2011-04-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

I have often wondered what it would be like to have boy and girl twins. It is such a rare occurrence, but secretly I have always thought it would be cool to have these kind of twins, despite the design challenge it would create when coming up with a nursery that would suit both sexes. So since everyone I know is having babies right now, I thought I would put together a little inspiration board for any expecting mamas out there, especially those mamas of twins. Here I have tried to create a nursery using a neutral color palette that works for both girls and boys, and I have used the furniture and the textures to really play up both feminine and masculine elements in a subtle and cohesive way. I really love how this design board came together, and I hope you do too.

Paint:

1. Chalkboard Paint (any brand really) for an accent wall, or paint a large rectangle on one wall, and frame it with a giant thrifted picture-frame that has been painted or stained to go with the decor. I love this idea because it gives your soon-to-be artists a canvas they can constantly change. In the meantime, you can use the wall to write loves notes to your little ones, encouraging proverbs to yourself, or anything your mind can dream up.

2. Heavy Cream, Martha Stewart for Home Depot. I love a neutral backdrop that will reflect the perfect amount of light.

Design Elements & Finds:

1. Marielle Armoire $1649; This is the big splurge item in the room, and I would use this in lieu of traditional dressers, dedicating one side for each baby. If you are concerned about a changing station, think about finding and refinishing a unique antique side or buffet table, and re-purposing it as a changing table. This teamed with a brilliantly organized closet will be practical for storage and function, and give the room a strong and beautiful presence.

2. She & Him "mock" concert poster; Designed by Nate Wragg. What artwork could be more fitting than this? I am utterly enchanted.

3. Jenny Lind crib via Giggle; you can find these virtually anywhere (I frequently see them listed on Craigslist for around $50), and their versatile design and affordable price tag are perfect for anyone style-conscious parents on a budget. I also love painting these... an off-white or roughed up grey would be lovely here.

4. Chandelier $39.99; for the perfect touch of feminine whimsy.

5. Striped Bedlinen £55.00; I love the idea of making your own crib bedding, and it really is pretty simple if you buy some flat sheets. Here is a great crib duvet tutorial, and here is a wonderful and inexpensive duvet insert.

6. Striped Wool Rug $200; I love the grounding and chic look of this rug. Simple stripes work wonderfully for boys and girls, and this black and cream design gives the room a charmingly European look.

7. Industrial Baskets $229 (set of 3); Honestly, you can find this look for less if you hit antique fairs regularly enough. Another option would be to find some vintage locker baskets, and sew your own liners using linen or burlap, and hand stamping numbers on them. If you want the baskets to move around you can even attach small caster wheels on the bottoms.

8. Grand Glider $600; This is the one item I did not have when Noah was born, and having gone without one I know how valuable they are. When we have our next baby I am going to save my pennies to buy a comfy slipcovered glider and ottoman. They really are a nursery must-have, and I honestly don't know how I got along without one.

9. Sophie the Giraffe $17.47; What nursery would be complete without Sophie, and in this case two of her? She was Noah's favorite toy from infancy and the best (and cutest) teething toy on the market.

Fin

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. The sun is beginning to turn everything green again, and all is new once more. Isn't nature such a beautiful illustration of God's gift to us?
In the same vein of Spring and new life, I have included a few photographs of my sister and her husband, and my sister's sweet pregnant belly. What a perfect time of year to have a baby. I can't wait to meet this new, delicious baby girl, our little Emma or as we already endearingly call her, Blueberry. I can almost smell that sweet pink baby smell now.

He is risen!

A tisket a tasket...what's in our Easter baskets.

2011-04-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

I love shopping, holidays, tradition, and making things special. Those four things make me especially sunny, and so I wanted to share a little combination of those things with you. I love putting together Easter baskets, probably because I looked forward to mine every year when I was growing up. Confession: my mom still makes every one of her kiddos an Easter basket, every.single.year. So I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. This year I purchased a $3 (huge) basket from Target, and gorged it with goodies, and I have included many of my favorites in the collection above. I keep telling myself that someday I will buy this basket, but for some reason I haven't been able to pull the trigger.

You might notice that Peeps are missing from this list...that is because I find them disgusting, but I understand that many of you could very well love them, and find them an endearing part of your Easter celebrations. So, take no offense, but I just can't heart the Peeps.

1. The Rabbit Problem

2. IKEA-Landet garden toy

3. Cadbury caramel eggs

4. Crayola Color Bubbles

5. Bambi on Blue-ray

6. Lindt chocolate carrots

7. Salt-water Sandals

8. Schylling Tin Friction Cars

Tomorrow we are going to dye Easter eggs, and prepare for our Easter egg hunt with Noah. As for tonight, I am off to relax with the mister and watch a couple of Friday night movies I picked up at a RedBox this afternoon. Has anyone out there seen The King's Speech or How Do You Know? I confess I don't know much about either.

Motherhood: Potty Training

2011-04-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am officially getting serious about potty training Noah. He will be 3-years-old at the end of this summer, and I couldn't be more ready to get him out of those diapers. You may remember this post, when Noah first showed "interest" in the potty, but since that one incident we haven't had much luck coaxing him onto the potty, at least for the "real deal." Sure he will sit there, and sit, and sit, but nothing much happens until he exclaims, "All done!" hops off the toilet, and flushes the potty. At least he is starting to go through the motions I guess. Anyway, I decided earlier this week that once we got home from our trip to Portland, we were finally going to try our hand at potty training. So it was a great surprise to see my friend, Angel, talking about potty training her adorable little girl Mari on Facebook, and she came up with the clever idea of making a prize basket that Mari could pick from every time she went on the potty. Genius! At least I hope so...
So today I went to the store alone, and picked out two baskets and tons of dollar store toys, candy, and a handful of "special" prizes from a local big box store. I am using one basket for all the dollar store stuff (toys, books, coloring books, squirt gun, bubbles, etc), and some candy, like fun size milky ways, licorice, and smarties. Then I am going to use the second basket for the bigger and slightly more exciting prizes like Noah's favorite toy cars from Disney Pixar "Cars," a couple of loveable DVD's I found for $5 a piece, full-size candy bars, and some other toys. I had mixed feelings about rewarding Noah with candy, but since he doesn't get it often, I wanted to make this whole experience a little more exciting for him.

So here is how I am going to do it:
Every time Noah goes on the potty I will let him pick out a prize from basket No.1, but I will only allow him to pick candy once a day.
When he has gone on the potty consistently for 3-7 days (haven't decided exactly yet), I will let him pick something from basket No.2.

I have heard that potty training boys is considerably more difficult than potty training girls, and I have already run into a couple of issues today. For example, here is a blurb from a conversation I had with Noah earlier today...
Me: "Noah, would you like to pick a prize from the basket?!"
Noah: "YES!"
Me: "Okay, then you have to go on the potty"
Noah: "No thank you" (as he walks away)

Hmmm... you see? I could have a long road ahead.

If you have any potty training success or horror stories I would love to know!

P.S. I am starting a new series on Motherhood that I will be writing weekly or bi-weekly, and I am really excited about it. This is just the beginning of some consistent series that will show up on the blog. So look out next week for my potty training follow up...Week 1. xoxo

Tag Sale!

2011-04-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Hello! Okay I have some really exciting news to share with all of you. My friend Serena contacted me about participating in a tag sale at the end of this month, and I couldn't be more excited about getting to share this SALE with all of you. There are going to be lots of women involved, and plenty of stuff and "junk" to go around. So come early and come with cash! Serena and I and all the other ladies will be excited to see you!

So here are the details...

TAG SALE with Serena Thompson and friends

Saturday, APRIL 30th

8am-3pm

Five Mile Prairie Grange

3024 West Strong Road, Spokane

Keri + Dave

2011-04-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of photographing Keri and Dave's beautiful wedding at Camp Spalding in Newport, Washington. It is always so refreshing to photograph a couple that is truly, and sweetly in love. That is certainly the case for Keri and Dave as I found myself wiping a tear or two from my own eye throughout their special day. Keri's sister is the lovely and talented Dana Muchow of the beloved Spokane Bride Blog, and she along with Keri's three other sisters were an integral part of Keri's wedding day. Not only were they all bridesmaids, but each sister also being talented photographers and wedding aficionados were responsible for all the lovely details that filled the day. They even put together all of the flowers themselves, on a budget, and came up with something truly beautiful. Just look at Keri's bouquet, stunning no? I just wanted to share a few of my personal favorites, but look out for more real wedding inspiration coming to SBB very soon!

Portlandia

2011-04-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

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I feel like shouting, "here I am!" In Portland...
Yes, I am here in Portland, Oregon visiting my very pregnant sister right before she is about to give birth to my first niece, Emma Louise. We have been resting, shopping, visiting tulip fields, you know...all the stuff you can do while you are pregnant. Being around my sister this pregnant brings me back to my pregnancy with Noah, and I will tell you I took one look at her swollen ankles and said, "okay girlfriend, its time to hit the eject button!" Maybe to some of you that might not sounds like the most sensitive thing to say to a pregnant woman, but if you know our relationship, you will know that it only made her laugh because it is oh so true. Wouldn't it be nice to have an eject button right around the ninth month of pregnancy?
I will leave you with this little Portlandia treat! Put a bird on it!

I will be back soon once I get settled back home tomorrow evening. See you soon!

Hold on, wait a minute!

2011-04-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

Oh no, oh NO! Something is seriously going on with Photobucket right now, but hang in there with me. I hope they get this fixed soon. Meanwhile, I am probably going to switch my image hosting to another site. Oy to the vay!

Why hello there

2011-04-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been so long...again. I don't know what it is about time lately, but it sure does seem to be moving at lightning speed. I wanted to attach a photo or two to this post, but photobucket is currently undergoing some "maintenance," so I am left with a photo-less blog post. You won't mind just this once, will you?
So what have I been up to these past 11 days? Lets see...honestly, I can hardly remember. That is how fast time has gone by. I photographed a lovely wedding at a beautiful and new to the wedding scene venue (more on this later), and I have spent days working on other more commercial projects, and I have been busy just being a mom as I am sure many of you out there understand. Truthfully, these past couple of weeks have been hard for me, and maybe that is why, more than the every day things, I have been so absent from this space. On a personal level, there are some things in my life that currently have me holding my breath, and I cannot wait to exhale...hopefully that will be soon. So my mind is sort of distant, and my thoughts consumed, as I hope for the best, and pray for some clarity and direction.
I have also spent some time thinking on what I would like this blog to be, and the plan and future I have in mind for it. If you know me, then you know that I am a very open and honest person. More aptly, I am "real"...about as real as they come, and I like to surround myself with real, non-surfacey people. So, I want this blog to be a reflection of that real, loving, passionate, and hopelessly flawed person that I am. I also want this space to become more of a resource for people, and a source for lots of inspiration, not just related to photography, but anything and everything...all the things I love. I don't want this blog to be confined to any one identity, rather, I want it to be as multi-dimensional as are our lives; but more than anything, I want it to be real, and touchable, and honest. Someday soon I might share my journey making over my son's bedroom on a small budget, or my first attempts at gardening this spring, or my passion for cooking and music, and foreign films. I might even share some personal secrets, revelations, and anecdotes, or maybe even some deep desires and unbridled hopes and dreams. When you open up my blog, wherever you might be in the world, I want it to feel like I am welcoming you into my home. So, lets sit down and chat, eat some delicious chocolate chip cookies, and get to know each other, shall we?

High Hat Cupcakes...I'm in heaven.

2011-03-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching Martha Stewart's new show, "Martha Bakes"? Well I have and it is rocking my world. One recipe that caught my eye was for these beautiful High Hat cupcakes, and after baking them last night I am head over heels. One thing Martha doesn't mention in the show is that these taste like Hostess Cupcakes, just 1000x better. The base is a moist homemade (of course) Devil's Food cake, topped with a 7-minute frosting, then dipped in a chocolate ganache. These cupcakes are about as nutritious as a brick of chocolate, but they are oh so heavenly, and one is enough to satisfy even the most chocolate obsessed.
Martha Stewart has posted the recipe for High Hat or "Hi-Hat" cupcakes right here for you to follow, try them they are delicious!

See you soon!

Noah "the kid" Cabrera

2011-03-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my two brothers, Noah has discovered guns...of the water and Nerf variety. I secretly hoped this day would never come, but boys will be boys. They have this almost magnetic pull to these kind of "toys;" guns, swords, all of that good stuff. Now it is just a matter of teaching him what is okay to point a gun at, like a tree or a rock or the sky. Not a person... but we are still learning not to do that one.
It is kind of interesting for me to see Noah in this picture. While most little boys like to dress up like Cowboys when they play with guns, my son pulls of a pretty impressive gangster look. I think he gets that from his dad, who might I add has dressed up like a 1940's gangster for Halloween the last 4-years-in-a-row...its just that good...
Okay, now I am in the mood to watch The Godfather, at least the first one which is my favorite.

*Coming up later today (I hope) are a couple of special treats that I can't wait to share. See you then!*

Samantha Cabrera Photography

Hello, Baby

One week ago...

1

2

3

4

5

The boy's room...a constant work in progress.

pssst

Hello handsome.

all boy

life lately...

Resolutions & Resolve

Behind the scenes...

Welcome 2012

Growing up

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

32 weeks and 4 days...still counting

Gifted Part I: A Christmas shopping guide...

Halloween 2011

Arlyse, Cavan, & Jayden

30 weeks and 3 days...yes I am counting.

Getting into the spirit

The Business of Being Born

Costumes

Mad Hatter

Minimalism

28 weeks...

Model Search *UPDATED*

Halloween Greetings

26 weeks

Some local flavor...

OUR ORGANIZATION

Photo-less...a journal entry

Sunset on a grassy plain...

Stefani & Christian

Our baby, 23 weeks and counting...

Kailey & Steven

A birthday dinner...

DIY cushioned toy box

Oh baby...

Flower Girl

Reminder: Fall Mini Sessions

Lewis and Clark 2012

Elliot

Lets talk food...

The day after tomorrow...

Noah

Katlin

Welcome Fall!

The age of why? and other things

Ice-cream, Cantaloupe, Salt, Oh my!

A whole new look...

Under construction...

Our week so far..according to my camera

Happy Birthday, Noah!

16 weeks...

inspiration

15 weeks!

What I've been up to lately...

I went shopping...

Just about 14 weeks as of midnight...

The day has come...

Katie + Rob

Comfort items

Getting settled

It's a baby!

Beach Vacation

Happy, happy sunshine!

Making home

Watercolor

White

Phew! That was fun!

Motherhood: Making a tough decision

Emma Loo

The Farm Chicks Show!

Modern Family...Laugh out loud!

An afternoon in downtown Spokane

Model Search UPDATED