Annika 3.5 months and transitions

ah, my little girl is about 3.5 months now and I am heading off to a new job back from my maternity leave tomorrow. It is an easier transition this time. First because it is great having Ryan home with her, second because I have done this before and third because I am going back to a .75 position, so I will only be away 2 days at a time and home a day a week. love that!


Annika will be missed though. She is so fun and smiley these days. I'm going to miss my extra time with Patrick as well.

I had a client ask what I did for Annika's 3 month pictures. huh.. well... I really hadn't taken any. Figured I better get in a few. So here ya go!



and the only way I can get a photo of my two kids together is to let Patrick play "picture"

30 months

My little boy turned 30 this month.

He is still 2 though. And with that age comes many joys and many challenges. Verbally he is doing so well and says so many words we can hardly keep up. He is even starting to talk about feelings such as scared. This really helps us to understand him even more and meet his needs the best we can. The other day he was on the potty and Ryan asked if he was done. Patrick answered "almost, sit tight" so funny to hear all these fun phrases.

He has a fiercely independent streak. Lately everything is "myself!" including going on the potty. That's right, I can safely say our little boy is mostly potty trained. He has the occasional accident and still wears a diaper at nap and night, but the other times things are going great. He will tell us when he needs to go "twinkles" or that his "bum hurts" meaning he has to poop.

He also likes to dress himself now. Sometimes he doesn't quite get it right!

Playing in the driveway with his mower is still a favorite activity. Many times he'll just pull up a chair and watch the cars or wait for the snow. He is excited about the snow.

He loves playing pictures and every night before bed he'll tell me to "take pictures mommy, cheese!" think I have been working too much lately? The only way he'll sit for his own picture is if I promise him he can take pictures as well.

He is a fun kid and it is great watching him explore the world around him.

3 months

My baby girl turned 3 months last week, and here I am almost a week late and finally getting to it.

at 2 and 1 months

She is such a wonderful addition to our family. Patrick adores her and so do we. She has changed a lot this month from a newborn to a baby. She loves to sit up and watch all the action. If she is laying down, she will sit up in your arms by herself. So funny to see how strong she is.

She hasn't been sleeping as well, but she is pretty consistent about going to bed around 9:30 and getting up around 8 with 2-3 feeding breaks in between. Part of her not sleeping well may be to one of two things. She is either fighting a nasty cold or she is teething.

We really can't believe she could already be dealing with teeth, but she drools constantly and chews on anything she can get a hold of. She will have little fits of crying where we can hardly console her and the only thing that has worked is an ice cube on her gums. So, not sure but we could have an early teether.

Annika is starting to play more. She likes to grab for things nearby now and is getting more accurate. She also loves to kick her feet and will push off of things if you let her. She stands while being held and sometimes prefers that. Her head control is much better now and she will keep it up much longer on her tummy.

It is amazing watching her change and grow. Not sure on her weight, but she hasn't grown a lot this month in size. She is still wearing some 3 month clothes, but the 6 month ones are much more comfortable.

Annika begged me to try on some of my newborn hats, I had to oblige even though some of them look ridiculous on her!


As soon as we can locate our lost video cord, I'll share some adorable giggling video of her. so fun to watch!

updates galore

miss us? yeah, I've been buried in photo stuffs, so the blog has taken a back seat. Here is what is up in our lives lately.
Patrick decided to cut daddy's hair for him.


We've been doing a little serious potty training this past week. Patrick went without underwear for most of last weekend. He did really great with hardly any accidents. He got a sticker for each trip to the potty and when his sheet was full he got some new Legos. He was super excited about them and has played with them a lot lately.

Elizabeth joined us one morning as well since we were pretty much house bound.

One of the first outings was a trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. Super fun for the kids since Miles and family joined us as well.

Find a cozy spot wherever you can!





and one more of miss Annika looking adorable in a sweater that my mom made for me!

smiles from annika!

My little apprentice

It appears that there is another photog in the house.
Shay and Alyssa came over to play and Patrick insisted that we play "picture" I think he is getting the hang of this thing, maybe next year I'll let him work a wedding with me!


The big kids stepped aside so we could get some of the little girls together. so cute!


and an outtake as well!