Family

TWO

February 17, 2016

Greta's Two

My sweet girl turned two last month and I’m just now getting around to sharing a few photos from her special day. We decided to keep things really low key this year and had a fun morning at the zoo and then cake and presents in the afternoon with family. I don’t think Greta really understood the birthday concept before but she is now pretty obsessed with the idea and exclaims “birthday party!” any time I pull out a tablecloth or when she wears a dress, it’s pretty cute.

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The cake I made was a gluten-free white cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Only after making it did I realize it was kind of a dead ringer for the emoji cake slice, haha. It was a great recipe and the cake turned out very moist and springy. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a simple gluten-free cake recipe!

Birthday

Can’t believe how quickly two years passed and what a little kid she has become. Happy Birthday my Greta Girl!

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Thirty Three

January 19, 2016

33

I turned 33 on the 15th and while that still seems pretty young to me I can’t help but reflect on how different my life is now from just a couple of years ago. So much has changed in this sliver of time and I feel like I’ve been working really hard to get here and am just starting to recognize that and am proud of the things I have accomplished. There’s still a lot more work to do of course, there always will be but I am content feeling my life is headed in a healthy and happy direction. My birthday is so close to the New Year that I always use it as the time to set intentions for what I would like to change or work on. Some of these things are leftovers from previous years and others are new and exciting. I just thought I’d write them out to have a little accountability so maybe I will actually remember to drink enough water.

Be The Change I Want – I put this one first because it is definitely the hardest for me and the most important. I have loads of supportive and awesome people in my life who I am so thankful for but I can’t expect them to make all the changes and do all the work for me, or ultimately to make me happy. That is my job to do for myself.

Make My Health a Priority – After having Greta I definitely let my health slip away from me and suffered the consequences. Before getting pregnant I was eating a pretty clean diet and exercising regularly. I let that all fall by the wayside early into the pregnancy when I could not even look at a vegetable, let alone eat one. The hatred of all things green didn’t last that long but I got in the habit of eating things I know don’t make me feel great, like alllllll the gluten and sugar. I’ve finally cut out gluten for good and am working on reducing my sugar – that seems to be the hardest because I love baking treats!

Ask For Help – This is something I have a really hard time with, being the stubborn Capricorn that I am. I went way too long without regular childcare which definitely drove me crazy. It took a long time to give myself permission to do it and not feel like a bad mom because I need time by myself. Luckily I have an amazing neighbor who runs an in-home daycare that is affordable and so convenient for us. Greta gets to go there to play with other kids two days a week for a few hours and I get to do super exciting things like laundry or organizing the basement. Really though, just having time alone is so important for me so it doesn’t matter what I am doing. Sometimes it’s just sitting in silence for a half hour and that is ok.

Drink More Water – I guess this could go into the health category but I think it is deserving of a solo spot because I am constantly putting it on my lists and never following through. This time I am for real, and to help with it I went out and purchased a water bottle for every activity and situation. I have one with a straw to keep in my car so I don’t have to unscrew a lid (which I had hilariously been trying to do for the past year). I also received a cute new tea mug and have replaced a lot of my coffee with herbal tea which is another great way to stay hydrated in the winter.

Feed My Creativity – One of the hardest parts about becoming a mom has been the loss of free time and therefor my creative projects. I have only recently realized how important it is for me to make something with my hands, something I always did but never really realized how big of an impact it had on me until I stopped doing it. I took a break from my creative self for a good year and became pretty depressed. Luckily I have since found ways to get back into it, the main mediums being knitting and sewing. I LOVE IT. I took a knitting class the fall after Greta was born and finally learned how to go beyond a scarf. I am working on my second sweater for her right now and am so proud that I can make something beautiful out of a ball of sheep fur and some sticks while watching Netflix.

Declutter – Oh man. Ok so I really don’t like to admit this but I think I might have hoarding tendencies so this one is really tough for me. I know I have way too much stuff and feel happier and calmer in a more minimalist environment. This has meant that I have pretty much had to stop going to thrift stores all together which really pains me but I just can’t say no to all the treasures! They are like sad little cast off friends begging for a home and I want to take them all in. Aside from trying to reduce the amount of stuff I am bringing into the house I have been really working to let go of a lot of the things I already have. It mostly feels good which is encouraging but I am so sentimental I know I could never even be in the same room as Marie Kondo. Oh well, working on it!

Go Somewhere – I really need a vacation! Like a fun one where I go on a plane by myself and it is actually relaxing. I fantasize about being in a hotel room all alone with a big white bed and room service. Maybe I will go by myself or maybe with a friend, it will probably only be for a weekend but it will be AMAZING.

Stop Feeling Guilty – This is another thing I have struggled with my whole life and am working so hard to overcome. I was born a worrier and most of the worry comes from feelings of guilt. I said the wrong thing, wasn’t present enough for my daughter, bought the wrong kind of soap. The range is from reasonable to completely ridiculous but I have to learn to let it go.

Garden More – Feeding off of my last post, I have found such pleasure in gardening and really hope to keep it up this year. Last year I went a little crazy with adding and planting new and this year I will do a little of that but also work on fine tuning the spots that are already happy and reviving some sad neglected things that came with our house. You can never have enough David Austin roses though and I will definitely find some space for a few more.

Do It All Over Again – This one is both exciting and terrifying but I have always pictured two kids so we are going to try for another baby soon. Watching Greta around other babies is basically the sweetest thing ever so luckily that is encouraging. Just trying to focus on getting myself in the best shape possible both mentally and physically and hoping for the best. Ahhhhhhhh!

 

ONE

February 18, 2015

To celebrate Greta turning one the talented ladies of The Weaver House graciously offered to take some keepsake photos for us. I met Hannah and Kelty through mutual friends and the great connector that is the internet. We have since bonded over sleepless nights and the never-ending sweet moments of motherhood. I was so touched when they offered to take photos for us, their work is so lovely and I knew they would capture the quiet moments of our day to day life perfectly.

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Thank you so much Hannah and Kelty, I will treasure these beautiful photos always!

It’s My Party

February 9, 2015

ONE

Greta turned one a few weeks ago and I am still trying to figure out how that happened so quickly. It seems like she went from baby to toddler almost overnight and as amazing as it is to watch her grow into a little girl I wish I could freeze time and keep her small just a little longer. She is busy exploring the world and starting to show her personality more and more. Currently she is displaying her dislike for peas by throwing them on to the ground, one by one. Just yesterday she loved peas! So it begins.

My mom came up to help celebrate and we made a birthday cake together. Honestly this was probably my second time making a cake from scratch and I was reminded why I don’t make them often. So many rules and steps, I tend to find the baking process tedious rather than relaxing. Four hours later we had a two layer cake covered in sprinkles for the big kids and a tiny Greta sized cake covered with strawberries for the birthday girl.

We had a very small and simple get together of a few close friends as to not overwhelm Greta. She didn’t know what to think of her little cake when we placed it in front of her – she carefully picked all the strawberries off and ate them first! I finally took her hand to show her that she could eat the cake too and then it was game on. She soon dived right in, face first. Classic!

ONE

 

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Eleven Months

January 6, 2015

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My little elf turned 11 months old on Christmas Eve! We drove down to Humboldt for the holidays and she did really well on the drive until the last hour or so when she decided she was really over it. Of course she doesn’t understand the whole Christmas concept yet but she really enjoyed looking at the twinkling lights on the tree and playing with ribbon. She mastered crawling while at my moms house, before she had just been army crawling around but the carpet helped her gain traction and now she is FAST. Walking is coming up next, exciting but I am tired just thinking about it!

Twenty Fifteen

January 1, 2015

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Happy New Year! Last night we had a cozy night in with a roaring fire, champagne and fresh dungeness crab dinner. Greta went to sleep at 7 and I managed to stay up till 11:15 before deciding to throw in the towel. The fireworks at midnight woke me up anyways so I watched the clock tick over before falling back asleep. The crazy glitter filled nights out of the past were fun but I much prefer a quiet night in and waking up feeling rested on the first day of the year.

The sun has been shining brightly today but it is freeeeeezing! Literally, everything is frozen solid outside. We managed to take a quick trip to the dog park and then out for tacos at Tienda Santa Cruz in St Johns. If you haven’t been you must go! Best tacos in town. Greta enjoyed her rice and beans, they are her new favorite.

Wishing you all the best in 2015!

Ten Months

December 31, 2014

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So behind with these monthly updates, I guess that is what comes with a mobile baby! Greta learned to army crawl on her tummy while visiting her Great Grandma Barbara at Thanksgiving. I think it had been hard for her with all our hardwood at home so the carpet was a useful to help her get the traction she needed. She has been exploring new foods and seems to love everything so far – she really enjoyed sharing my turkey dinner!

Nine Months

November 12, 2014

Nine Months

Greta turned 9 months old a few weeks ago, I feel like so much has happened! She now has all four front teeth and is thisclose to crawling. I haven’t been pushing her to crawl as I am kind of terrified of what will come with her newfound mobility. Currently she can army crawl and roll to get where she wants to go and I am already having to keep a constant eye on her.

She is having a lot of fun exploring new foods and reading books. I am having so much fun with her and it brings me so much joy to see her little personality shining through. This year has gone by so quickly and the need to slow down and cherish these last few months of her being a baby is strong. Trying to soak up every moment with my sweet girl.

Draper Girls Country Farm

October 15, 2014

The last weekend in September we loaded up the car and headed out to the gorge in search of u-pick apples, landing at the charming Draper Girls Country Farm outside of Hood River. We weren’t the only people with this grand idea – seemed like half of Portland was there on that glorious sunny day. It was a little too sunny which seems like a funny thing to complain about but it was pushing 85, not exactly my fall apple picking fantasy. We persevered and managed to pick two buckets of apples , one honeycrisp for snacking and one a mix for baking. We were so hot and tired after we forgot to visit the baby animals, sob! Next time…

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I’ve been busy cooking up apple recipes and will be sharing them shortly! One miiiiiight include bourbon and is quite possibly the best dessert I have ever tasted.

Eight Months

September 24, 2014

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They say time speeds up once you have a baby and that has been undeniably true for me. Sure, the days can be long. Sometimes it can feel so repetitive it’s almost like watching the same movie over and over, but then the calendar ticks over to the 24th and I realize Greta is one month older. It goes by too fast. My heart aches when I realize her days of being a baby are coming to an end.

The most important thing motherhood has taught me is to slow down and to be present. Watching her discover something as simple as a raindrop landing on her forehead is so magical. She is endlessly amazed by the world and I am so surprised by how complete I feel watching her grow and become her own little self.

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