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Summer Days Gone By

I can't believe I have not posted since MOTHER'S DAY! Yikes! I have been alive and well over at my tilt blog
in case you've been worried.

We are having a busy summer, mostly staying close to home and finding ways to spend a lot of our time and not a lot of $$. Things have really picked up with the studio and I am enjoying a variety of photo sessions and it has been quite enjoyable.

Baby C. is going to be three months old! Where has the time gone? She is a smiley girl, with lots of chub and she is as sweet as ever. I recently posted some updated pictures of the kids on my Tilt Blog in case you want to take a peek.

I am in the middle of moving massive amounts of data from one drive to another so I do not have access to my millions of images. This post will have to be "image-less." Just imagine me yawning at my computer, surrounded by four kids on a HOT afternoon. ;)

Glad To Be

. . . her Mother.

She's got me wrapped around her little finger, and she knows it! I just wish I could catch a few zzzzzzz's when she does (23 hours a day) . . . but with three other kiddos to love that just doesn't happen.




. . . and this is some of what I did on Mother's Day:


{this chair was purchased mostly for DH as a "Sunday Nap Chair." I love to snuggle with the kids in it- and I would say I use it more than the Papa Bear. Perhaps it is "too soft" for his liking? Anyhow, it is great for a Sunday Snooze, because it is in our sunniest room in the house, and it reclines really far back so you can actually get some rest in it. Baby C. seems to like it too.}

I hope all of you Mothers and Mothers-to-be enjoyed a beautiful, sunny, snuggly Mother's Day on Sunday. I am so thankful for my own Mom and Mother-in-law who made me feel extra loved on Sunday too.

Be Still My Heart

{Baby C on her due date--12 days old}

A huge heartfelt THANK YOU for all of the wonderful comments, phone calls, visits, surprise packages in the mail, yummy meals, play-dates for the older kiddos, carpools, lovely gifts, sweet and tiny outfits for sweet and tiny newborns, childcare, movies on loan, grocery trips, and love. We couldn't have done it with out your help.

More pictures to come. We introduced baby C to the studio yesterday- just a simple, quiet outing with M and C while the big girls were at school. C was amazing to photograph and was such a good sport. We're off to a good start. I have plenty of photos from the first (almost) 2 weeks that I hope to share when I have a minute.

{3 days old and only 24 hours a day to sleep}

We're In Love . . .

. . . with our brand new baby girl! We're so glad to be home now and settling in to a new routine as a family of six. Baby C's arrival came late Saturday night following a swift and intense labor and delivery. She is 6 lbs. 13 oz. & 19.5" long. She's by far our tiniest baby yet she is healthy and robust and her proportions seem perfect. She's eating like a champ and working hard to add some chub onto her petite frame.

Our sweet babe has won us over with her beautiful eyes, heavenly scent and purely amazing spirit packaged in such a perfect little body. My recovery has been quite remarkable and there's no doubt we have been blessed to feel the concerns regarding the baby's growth quickly fade away. Her sisters and brother are smitten with her and I feel spoiled that being the mom I get to hold her the most!

I will post more details and pictures soon, but for now-- a quick sneak peak!

Still A Round . . .

. . . bellied, pregnant mama tonight. This week has been quite the whirlwind with one visit to the hospital on account of false labor, one non-stress test (just got home from this one tonight), one ultrasound (earlier today), two birthdays (DH and DD on the same day), a first ever soccer practice, and possibly a baby's arrival this weekend. If not, I'll likely be induced in the middle of next week. With all of the craziness, life is good and we are ready for our baby's arrival.

We've been on "high alert" for a couple of weeks now, as the babe has been measuring small in the tummy and femur but her head measurements are right on. There have been many NST's, a few ultrasounds, plenty of prayers, eating excessive amounts of protein and fat (thank you to my good friends who have supplied me with the most decadent foods known to woman-kind!), and lots of nesting going on. My wonderful DH even caulked the bathtub for me because for some reason it was high on the "must do before the baby arrives" list. We've been so blessed with help from neighbors tending kids and a brief stay from one of my sisters and her husband which really made a difference when we had to make a late night trip to the hospital. During all of this, our sweet little A. developed an abcess on one of her front teeth which affected the neighboring two teeth as well and so she had three extractions in one fell swoop. This was a hard one for me as a mom--and she is now finally getting used to having a window in her smile. The same day S. had one tooth extracted and we were confined to eating soft, squishy foods for a bit.

I share this because many of you are close friends and family and perhaps it is also my therapy-- I want to remember the craziness that surrounded to the miracle of our little girl's arrival. Even though things can seem difficult and overwhelming at times--there are SO many blessings squished in between everything. THREE of my best buddies from college have given birth this month. The very day I was "rejected" from being admitted to the hospital with false labor, a good friend was admitted and experienced the safe and healthy delivery of her baby. Miracles happen all around us--and many seem to go unnoticed. I hope to recognize each one.

Lest I go on and on, I've got to share a few images captured by my wonderful business partner Kimberly of Tilt Photography during a studio session last week. Kimberly captured some images that I will treasure always--especially that I feel they really show the connection I feel with my children. While I am shy about sharing my baby belly with you all, I am proud of the work my body has done to grow a baby, and I am thankful to have these pictures to remind me of the blessing of motherhood. Be forewarned, this belly hasn't seen the light of day, well, since I was a baby. ;)

A Case of Utah Springtime Weather

There's a lot of talk about today's "surprise" snow-pack. We always act surprised when it snows in April. Only after enjoying sunny days wearing short-sleeves, planting peas in the garden, watching the trees bud out do we get to experience a true Utah spring: ie. another snowstorm.