Jack is sitting up!

Oops, this post is long over due! Jack has been sitting up for a few weeks now, but I just haven't blogged about it! Sorry Jack!

There is something so convenient about having a baby at Jack's age! I can put him on the floor and he stays there! I love that! I am in NO hurry for him to crawl or walk!!!

Now that he is sitting up, he's happier than he was when he was always laying down. He'll sit on the floor and grab at anything near him. It's a challenge teaching the girls to keep their little toys away from him!

 I might be partial, but I think he's the most handsome little dude I've ever met! :0) 

It's a whole new world playing with toys when sitting up! He's more content and loves watching his sisters run around! He'll happily sit on the living room floor for quite a while just taking in all the craziness around him! And I can guarantee you that it is crazy!

Girls and gourds!

A few days ago Bailee and Mia were irritating me and were wandering around the house making trouble. There was a problem... they were bored. We have TONS of toys, but sometimes they just need a little direction and/or something new to play with. This was one of those days. I suggested all sorts of things for them to do and none of them seemed exciting enough. Therefore they kept wandering around, fighting with each other and getting into trouble. 

Finally Mia asked to play with my little pumpkin. I knew what she was talking about, but I didn't know why that would interest her. (It was a mini pumpkin that I had grown in our garden this year. It sits in a bowl on our counter top with other gourds for decoration.) She asked several times before I let her hold it. She ended up carrying it around the house for about 10 minutes with out putting it down. She was patting it, rubbing it and holding it close to her. She clearly was enjoying loving this little pumpkin. 

Then I got an idea. Why not let them play with all of my gourds? I didn't care if they broke and it might just spark some creative play. Anything was better than them being bored and bugging me! So, I put them on their little play table and their imaginations took over!

I love this picture of Bailee. She is dressed in her usual princess outfit and was exploring the gourds surfaces. She kept touching them and saying things like, "bumpy, smooth, hard, yucky, and pointy." 

They asked lots of questions about them and wanted to know what the stem was called. 

Here is Mia patting one of the little ones. 

 "Wow Mom, a yellow one!" She was so excited!

 I thought it was so neat that Bailee was also sorting them. She kept categorizing them by color, shape, size and levels of bumpiness! 

 They had a blast and I got a break for a few minutes! Maybe I'll let them play with more of my decorations another day!

Say "Ahhhhh!"

Today was the girl's first trip to the dentist! We have been preparing them for this day for a few weeks and they were so excited to go! (I even bought a dentist Barbie for them to play with!) 

I wasn't sure how they would react because they are not so easily convinced that new situations will be fun. I told them that it would feel funny, the toothpaste would taste good and that it would tickle their teeth. They were giggling this morning when I told them it was time to go (you would have thought we were going to an amusement park!) I think I might have made them too excited because it wasn't as fun as they thought! :0)

Bailee did alright, but was nervous and fussy when we first got there. Mia, on the other hand, jumped into the chair with a smile and said, "Ahhhh!" before the dentist could even get ready! It was funny to see their different reactions to the new situation! 

Here are a few photos from the trip... keep in mind that pictures are NOT flattering when you have someone's hand in your mouth! 

Their favorite part of the whole thing was having their "own napkin." Yes, the stupid bib/cloth they give you was their favorite thing! I had to laugh because they were so excited! Oh, and NO cavities! 

Shaving cream + toddlers = fun times!

Last night was bath night, but before the kids jumped into the tub I let them do a messy activity at the table. Right before bath time is the best time to do things like play-doh, finger painting, eating pudding, etc! Last night I let them play with shaving cream! I had bought a can of cheap men's shaving cream for about a dollar at the store a week ago and thought it would be fun for the bath tub, but playing with it on the table was even more exciting for them! It was clean, it smelled good, and there was little clean up because they went right from the table to the tub! They had a blast!

 It didn't take long for them to realize that they could paint their arms and bellies too! :)

Why don't you try it!

Can't keep up...

Phew! This has been a busy few days for me! I haven't posted a blog in a while and you can probably tell from my "lack" of blogging that my life has been a little crazy! I spent the weekend with family, went to my sister-in-laws baby shower, kept up with the kids and house work, took a young ladies senior pictures and have been trying to start up a new business.

That last part about starting up a business has taken up a lot of my time and energy. I am launching "NicoleLee Photography" soon and have been spending all of my extra time on a website, business cards, making appointments for photo shoots, and contacting clients. It has been tons of fun, but lots of work too! I'll post more details about all that later!

In the mean time, here are a few photos of the baby shower!

Tasha's baby shower!
Tasha and her mom giving a small devotion...

 The beautiful diaper cake!

 Aunt Pauline with Jack!

 The beautiful mom-to-be!

 Her cute niece playing peek-a-boo!

 Look at all of the wonderful gifts!

 Isn't she so sweet!

Have a great Monday everyone! :0)

Wordless Wednesday

I had the opportunity to take pictures of the sweetest little 3 week old baby last week. She was so cooperative and wide awake! I was hoping to get some photos of her sleeping, but she didn't want to miss a thing! =0) Here are a few of my favorites!

 I love those puckered up perfect lips! 

Do you know someone that wants their child's pictures taken? Please give them my name! I would be happy to capture those precious moments!

How can I "be in the moment?"

Kids live in the here and now. They want immediate gratification and everything revolves around the present. If they are hungry, they want to eat NOW. If they want something, they want it NOW. That is the mind set of any small child.

As adult we live in the future. Planning out what might come next. Worrying about finances, our kid's education, and what our plans are for tomorrow. It might be even as simple as thinking about what's for dinner tonight. It's always about the next best thing.

Because of that, my kids and myself are always in two different mind frames. It's hard for me to sit down and just "be" with my kids. It's a challenge for me to actually sit still and focus on what's happening at this very minute instead of what might happen in an hour, tomorrow or even next year. My focus needs to change!

I need to find more time in my day to just "be" with my kids. I find myself always looking ahead instead of looking down into my children's faces. They won't be standing at my feet forever wanting to read that special book so I need to remember to slow down and take it all in.

Everyone tells me that these years will fly by and that I will miss the "baby stage" of parenting, so I need to make a more conscious effort to be in the "now moments" instead of always thinking about the next best thing.

When was the last time you were "in the moment" with your children? 

“I'd rather have a moment of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” -Author Unknown