I'm such a nerd!

In the past couple months my desire to obtain Photoshop for my Mac has become almost unbearable! ;) Today while searching the internet in hopes of finding a deal on it, I came across Adobe's website where you can download a free 30 day trial version. It's been on my computer for less than 3 hours and I'm already hooked!

One of the things I have been desperate to do is to make my own photo cards. I absolutely LOVE them and really wanted to do one for Chloe's birth announcement but they are so stinkin' expensive to have made. Well, with a little tinkering around, here's what I came up with...



Chances are this won't be the announcement everyone receives in the mail, but even if it is, I still can't help but share my creation! ;)

Goodbye Summer!

It's snowing.

Photo Fun!

This morning while getting Chloe dressed I started to think about how it seemed like just yesterday that I was doing the same with Bella. After a bit of reminiscing in my mind, I decided to dig out a few pictures of Bella at 3 months old. It was so much fun to look back on those days. She has grown so fast and sometimes I forget just how special it was becoming a family of 3.

Here are 2 pictures...one of Bella and one of Chloe...both 3 months old.

Okay, I've just spent way too much time trying to get them to post side by side, so this is going to have to do... ;)

Roley Poley!

At 3 months and 1 week old, Chloe rolled over for the first time today! :) She's been getting close, so I wasn't too surprised, but it was still very exciting to see her finally get all the way over. Of course as soon as she landed on her tummy and realized she was stuck there, she started to holler. ;) I will try my best to get a few pictures of her doing her new trick, but for now, you will just have to take my word for it! :)

Chloe Faith

I've been working diligently on this slide show for quite some time. Now that it's finally finished and ready to share, I have to admit that I'm experiencing a whole range of emotions.

I can't quite seem to accurately describe what I feel as I watch this video and reflect over the last 3 years of our life. There was always this amazing juxtaposition of emotions as we became increasingly aware of what a true blessing Bella was in our life and at the same time, how desperately we desired to have another child. It was as different as night and day, yet somehow the two fit together in a way that I can't really describe. It's the perfect picture of God's faithfulness in the darkest of times (whatever the situation may be) and we will forever be grateful for those really tough times because without them, we wouldn't have our precious miracle baby, Chloe Faith.

the|rock church

The local News and Review did an article on our church and I thought I would share it...

A Few Good People

3 Months!

I'm finding it hard to believe that Chloe is 3 months old today, but none-the-less, it's true! She is such a sweet little girl and continues to amaze people with her calm and happy demeanor. I'm constantly getting comments about what a "good baby" she is, and I have to say, she really is! :)

In the last week or so she has figured out how to grab her toys. It's so neat to watch her learn the most basic of things like how to use her hands. She has also gotten more and more responsive over the last few weeks. She just lights up when people talk to her. She is finding her voice and loves to mimic the sounds that we make. If you talk to her and pause, she will "talk" back...it's just too precious! And just because she loves her mommy so much she has been sleeping 7-8 hours straight for the last week!

I'll stop bragging now and share a couple pictures I took today... ;)

My long lost friend!

SLEEP!! :)

Chloe slept for 8 hours straight last night (9 p.m. to 5 a.m.)! After nursing her to sleep I put her in her swing while Andy and I hung out downstairs. I decided to go to bed at 10:30 and Andy was going to stay up to finish watching a movie he started. I went up to bed and quickly fell asleep and the next thing I knew I woke up and realized that I was still in bed alone. I looked at the clock and it was 3 in the morning. I couldn't believe Chloe hadn't woken up to eat and actually wondered downstairs to check on her. I found Andy sleeping on the couch and Chloe swinging away in her swing. I quickly sneaked back upstairs and fell back to sleep. It was a full 2 hours later that Andy woke me up asking me to take Chloe (he had come to bed at 4 and she had slept with him in bed for an hour). She ate and fell back asleep until 7:00!

I'm sure it was a fluke, but whatever it was I'll take it! It's amazing how good I feel after 6 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

Kindergarten!

Well, it's official...Bella is in Kindergarten! This is a day that she has been anxiously awaiting for some time and she was more than thrilled when it finally arrived!

There's not a whole lot I have to say about it, other than I simply cannot believe that this day is actually here. I know it sounds cliche, but I swear it seems like yesterday that I was looking at her for the very first time. As hard as it is to see her growing so fast, we find so much joy in watching the little girl she has become. She is such a joy to have around and is constantly making us smile. Her excitement for life is contagious, and I'm just so proud to be her mom!

Here are a couple pictures from this morning...

2 Month Well-Baby Visit

Chloe had her 2 month check up yesterday and as expected, she is as healthy as can be! Her current stats are...

Weight: 13 lbs 10 oz
Length: 23 1/2 inches
Head Circumference: 15.7 inches

In the 5 weeks since her last visit she has gained 3 pounds, 1 1/2 inches in length and .7 inches in head circumference.

I found a neat percentile calculator online and this is what the results said for her stats...

Length for age is in the percentile: 75th-90th
Weight for age percentile: 90-95th
Weight for length percentile: 50-75th
Head circumference for age percentile: 75th-90th

I find it so amazing that not only did my body sustain her 9 months of growth inside the womb, but that it alone continues to nourish her as she grows outside of the womb...truly that handwork of God!

Six Flags!

I couldn't get this slide show to load in my previous post, so here are the Six Flags pictures...

Weekend of Fun!

This past weekend we joined Grandma and Grandpa McMinn, Auntie Meagan and Uncle Morgan in San Francisco for a Giants game! This is our 3rd game this year and finally we were able to see the Giants pull off a win! :) It was also "kids run the bases" day so Bella got to go down on the field and run the bases. I'm not sure if her or Andy were more excited, but either way, it was a lot of fun to watch.

After the game we made our way down to Pier 39 for some Clam Chowder. When we were done eating we said our goodbyes and headed over to Haight Street to Amoeba records.
After searching through thousands of CD's we decided to make our way to our hotel in Vallejo for a good nights sleep.

The next morning we woke up and got ready to go to Six Flags. We spent the day in the park and had a really great time. Bella was in kid heaven and went on every ride possible. By mid-afternoon she was riding the rides by herself as Andy and I could no longer stomach another second of spinning round and round. Not only did we have a great time in the amusement side of the park, but we also really enjoyed checking out the animals. I think our favorite was the Shouka Show (killer whale).

By the time we got home on Monday night we were completely exhausted, but it was well worth it. I've put together 2 slide shows...one from the Giants game and the other from Six Flags. Enjoy!

Soccer and Stuff!

Bella had her first soccer practice on Monday. She has been waiting for several weeks now for soccer to start so she was pretty excited when her first practice finally arrived.

When I signed in to Blogger today I noticed that there is a movie reel in the tool bar. It appears as though you can upload video now, so I'm giving it a shot by creating a quick slide show of the soccer pictures.



And now onto the "stuff"...

Here is another garden picture. This is one days harvest by the way. What you don't see pictured is the 18 cherry tomatoes (Bella counted) and 1 roma tomato we also picked. I plan on making several loaves of zucchini bread today. I'm going to give some away and freeze the others. If anyone reading this lives nearby and would like some squash please let me know! :)



After picking the squash Bella got the hose to water her pumpkin. I was still checking out the tomato plants when I heard her screech, "Bugs ate my pumpkin" and with that she started hysterically crying. I went over to see what she was talking about and this is what I saw...



Bad mom I am, I started to laugh. First off all it struck me as funny that she thought bugs could actually do that and just the sheer fact that she was so devastated by it struck me as a bit funny too (terrible, I know). I quickly controlled my laughing and comforted her as she really was upset by the sight of her half eaten pumpkin. I told her that I was pretty sure it wasn't bugs that ate it and that it was more than likely some kind of animal. After assuring her that we would do something to protect her pumpkins (possibly chicken wire around the garden box) she calmed down and said, "well that's okay, I still have 3 more".

And to wrap things up, here are a couple pictures of Chloe. Nothing fancy, just a few I snapped that I thought were pretty cute...

Green Thumb...

Well we all know that I didn't inherit my mom's green thumb, but it appears as though Bella may be following in grandma's footsteps. She is so thrilled by our garden this year and is constantly going outside to "see what's growing today". The other day she went out the back door and a few minutes later I looked out the window and this is what I saw...

Thankfully my camera was close and I was able to get a picture before she realized she was being watched. By the way she is hunting for "candied potatoes"...translate...Cherry Tomatoes! ;)



And here she is after realizing I was watching...



And since we managed to get ready for church this morning with a little time to spare I snapped a few pics of my girls. This morning Bella was singing a song that she made up to Chloe..."I have the best sister in the world...she is the prettiest little sister ever...I love my little sister so much" and on and on. I can't tell you how it warms my heart to hear her be so sweet and gentle with Chloe. I hope that someday Chloe realizes that she has the best BIG sister in the world!

And without further ado...here are the sisters...

2 months old!

Chloe is 2 months old today. I was looking at some picture from the day she was born and it's amazing how much she has grown already! We are having a lot of fun with her lately. She has figured out that she can get our attention pretty much any time she wants it by flashing a smile...of course we are suckers for it and eat it up!

Just like I was pregnant with Chloe longer than I was pregnant with Bella, Chloe now has taken longer to sleep through the night than Bella did. She still wakes up every 3 or 4 hours to eat, with the occasional longer stretch of sleep when cuddled up on her daddy's chest. Thankfully she only wakes to eat and then goes quickly back to sleep. Even though I would love to be getting more sleep, I am still enjoying those quiet little moments we share while the rest of the world is fast asleep. In those moments I remember just how long we waited and prayed for her and I thank God for each and every precious moment with her.

Here are a couple pictures from a photo shoot we did today...

PostSecret

Many of you have probably heard me talk about Post Secrets. I am so intrigued by the whole idea of sending off your deepest secret with the hopes of it being posted for the world to see. People wouldn't do it if they didn't find some kind of relief from their burden and it makes me wonder just how many people are walking around, weighted down by something that they feel they can never escape from.

Anyways, check out this video and then visit www.postsecrets.com every Sunday for new post cards.

30.

She smiles!

Chloe has been smiling for a couple weeks now, but it wasn't until Monday that I was finally able to get a picture of it.

I forgot how something as simple as a little smile can bring with it so much joy...

5 Years Old!

I'm not sure how it happened, but our precious little girl turned 5 years old today! She has been anticipating this day for several weeks and woke up absolutely thrilled to finally be a 5 year old!

She celebrated with her friends at Chuck-e-Cheese on Friday night and today we spent most of the day at one of her favorite places, the Waterpark! She had a great time going on all of the slides that she wasn't quite tall enough to ride last year. She even tricked me into going on one that she knew would scare me...little stinker! ;)

After we were done at the Waterpark we took her to get her ears pierced. She's been wanting this done for quite some time now and Andy and I talked about it and decided she could have them pierced when she turned 5, so she has been counting down the days! I decided to have them done at an actual piercing place and she did amazing! We prepared her, telling her that it would hurt a little and that if she needed to cry it was okay to do so. She made up her mind that she wasn't going to cry and determined little thing she is...she didn't shed a tear. I have a whole sequence of pictures that I will post later, but I have to say she looks pretty cute with her little pink earrings! :) After that we took her to Olive Garden for dinner and then finally made it home. She is now fast asleep, exhausted from such a long and exciting day.

I don't quite know how to express what I feel today. My love for her is so far beyond anything I ever imagined it would be and it only grows stronger with each passing day. She is an amazing little person and there are times (like today) that my heart is so filled with joy that it literally feels like it's going to explode. I told her today that she would forever be the one who gave me the most special gift I've ever been given...she made me a mom. Sometimes I get scared when I realize how fast she is growing, but at the same time I am so thrilled to see the person she is becoming and look forward to what each new year will bring.

So, in an attempt to not ramble on too much I will just say a very special HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to our Isabella Grace. Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know and we will forever be grateful for the amazing blessing we were given that August 6th, 2002!

And of course we can't forget that Bella shares a birthday with another very special little girl. Our sweet Kendra! Happy 3rd Birthday Miss Kendra! We love you so much and can't believe that you are 3 years old already. Such a big girl compared to the tiny 2 month old you were the first time we met you! We hope your day was very special and look forward to celebrating with you next week!!

I will leave you with a picture of the birthday girl...earrings and all! :)

I should be sleeping!

It's 10:30 at night. I've been up since 5:00 this morning. I should be in bed, but instead I'm choosing some quiet time to myself while Andy works late and the girls are sleeping.

Our busy lives continue to speed along. We attended 2 weddings this past weekend. One for my cousin and the other for my uncle. The weddings were great and seeing family that we haven't seen in a while was even better! I have a few pictures of the festivities to share. Bella had a great time playing with her cousins, dancing and as you will see, catching the bouquet! ;)



















And here are a couple pics from the last week or so. One is just a cute one of Chloe and the other is a precious picture of Chloe fast asleep, cuddled up with her big sis.

First Harvest!

So this may not look like much, but I'm pretty proud of it none-the-less!! :)



We planted our garden the day before Chloe was born and we are very pleased with how it's growing so far. We have tomatoes, squash, radishes, pumpkins, melons, corn and a few herbs.

It's amazing how well things grow when you actually water them... ;)

1 month

Chloe had her 1 month check-up yesterday and besides being at the Doctors office for 2 hours everything went great!

Our little peanut isn't such a peanut anymore. At exactly 5 weeks old she weighed in at 10 lbs 11 oz (moms got some good milk)! I have to admit that there was a twinge of sadness at how quick she is growing, but really I'm just so grateful that she is healthy! She has also grown 1 1/2 inches in length. Other than that it was just a routine appointment.

Here is a picture of our little 5 week old...



She has recently taken notice of the birds above her swing and is absolutely mesmerized by them (which is why she is looking up in the picture).

Blessed...

Update and Pictures (Isn't that an original title?!)

I know it's been a week since I've posted and I've actually sat down a couple times to write an entry, but honestly can't seem to muster up the brain power required to write.

It's official. I'm sleep deprived. I feel a bit wimpy considering the fact that Chloe is such a good baby, only really waking to eat at night, but over the last few years I've gotten used to the luxury of a full nights sleep, uninterrupted by anything baby or child related.

Anyways, now that I've given you my excuse should this post not be as eloquent as you might expect from me ( ;) ), we can move on to more interesting things.

Bella -- She started swim lessons on Monday and absolutely loves them! She kept telling me that she needed lessons to learn to put her head under water so within 10 minutes of getting in the pool on the first day of her lesson she was going under the water. Now you might think that the instructors were encouraging the kids to go under the water, but that wasn't the case. It was as simple as what Bella had been saying all along. She was at swimming lessons so she could put her head under water! I tell you, she's really something else! ;) Today they got to go in the big pool and she did great. She's floating on her back, learning to kick, jumping off the side and going under the water every chance she gets!

Here is a picture from her first lesson, courtesy of Grandma McMinn's camera...




Today we signed her up for Soccer. She is beyond excited and has been talking about it non-stop all day! She will be on the same team as 2 of our neighbors which will be fun! It's a non-competitive league and of course the first thing she said was, "I bet my team will win!" She has quite the competitive spirit so it will be interesting to see how she does when there isn't actually a "winner" each game. She doesn't start until early September and the season is just a little over 8 weeks. We are pretty excited to see how it goes.

Chloe -- Our littlest girl is 3 weeks already! The time is going by too fast and as much as I try to enjoy each moment, they seem to be passing me faster than I can keep up with. She is really starting to grow...still not fitting into any of her newborn clothes, but getting closer with each day. She has a significant amount of awake time each day and we all love holding her and just watching her explore the world around her. Between the 3 of us, she spends most of her time in someone's arms. With Bella we really had to fight against the belief that you shouldn't hold a baby too much for fear that they would become spoiled (even though our research told us different), but now that we are comfortable with our parenting style we are really able to enjoy the blessing of indulging ourselves in our precious baby whenever we want. She's only 3 weeks old, but so far she still has her hair! ;) I can't really remember when Bella's hair started to fall out, but I'm praying that Chloe's stays put...time will tell I suppose!

Grandma and Grandpa McMinn visited us this past weekend. It was nice to spend a few days together, just hanging out. We watched movies, did a little shopping, and ate way too much food! :P On Sunday night Andy and I (and Chloe, but she slept the whole time) went to Sushi for dinner while Bella spent some special time at home with Grandma and Grandpa. It was so nice for us to have some time together to just sit and talk and of course after not being able to eat Sushi for 9 months, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every bite of raw fish!

Here are a couple pictures of Grandma and Grandpa spending some time with Chloe..





And a couple more taken in the last couple days...

Happy 4th of July!

I usually have something fairly thoughtful to say today, but with my brain functioning at it's current sleep deprived level, I honestly can't come up with too much to say.

Today marks 8 years since my Dad died. It is also the due date of the baby that we lost to miscarriage. I'd be lying if I said that the memory of those 2 events didn't bring a small cloud of sadness to my day, but more than anything, I'm so thankful for the healing that has taken place in my heart over the past several years. I am able to focus on the blessings in my life and in spite of the losses I have experienced, recognize that I have been given so much to be thankful for.

Last year I posted a picture of Bella, my little "firecracker". In addition to my firecracker (which she definitely is), I think it would be fitting to say I now also have a little "sparkler". ;) So, without further ado, here are our 4th of July pictures...









Happy 4th of July to everyone! :)

P.S. -- Check out my last post...it's been updated!

No Training Wheels!! (UPDATED)

I mentioned in a previous post that Bella decided she no longer needed training wheels last week. Since then she has been doing amazingly well riding on 2 wheels. She's so proud of herself and her excitement over it is so fun to see.

Today I was finally able to snap a few pictures of her riding around and thought I would share...









And as an added bonus, here is a pic of Bella and Chloe yesterday on Chloe's 2 week birthday! ;)



Shortly after these pictures were taken Bella took a nasty fall on her bike. In addition to the classic scraped elbows and knees and a bloody nose, she also came out of it with a nasty fat lip...



I know I should be used to these kinds of things by now, but the sight of my little girl bleeding and obviously hurt never ceases to make my mommy heart skip a few beats.