16 weeks

My grandma sent me any email this week that apparently influenced my picture taking more than I realized :) :) :) encouraging me to continue on with the Sister Love!

 Juni got rain boots in the mail from her Grandma and she LOVES them! As you can see, she likes to wear them with everything, all the time. This week she used some of her birthday money to buy some sandals, so she's been wearing those a little too, but still hasn't lost the love for her rain boots! This day I asked her if she could please wear different shoes to match her dress. In response, she lifted her dress and said, "But I like THEEEEEEEEEEESE, Mama!" Okay, Juni, okay.

 Juni has been in the mood to create! Every day she is getting out her wiki sticks, her Play-Doh, her markers and crayons to use her imagination. I love it! This is a "person on skates" she made all on her own! :)

 Sister Love

 Sister Love

 A balloon for Juni, Genevieve, Papa, and Mama, made by Juni, of course!

 Genevieve was fascinated watching us eat dinner so I got a plain noddle to hold in her mouth for a quick second. Juni wanted to put one in her mouth just the same way.

 Sister Love

 Juni used more of her birthday money to buy these tangram animal puzzles. She has been obsessed with doing them again and again and again. I wanted to take her picture and she told me I could, but she wouldn't look at me. This picture is her response when I asked why. "Mama, I am trying to focus on these. That is why I can't look at you right now."

 Zach still had to work on Memorial Day but we had a little family time in the back yard after he got home.

 Sister Love

16 weeks! 5.26.14

 Those eyes are as blue as the chair!

She is fighting to sit up. The baby strollers have her leaning back pretty far, which is not her favorite. She's working her ab muscles out like crazy trying to sit-up in the stroller so her core is getting so strong!

 Juni found a ladybug friend. It flew away twice and then came back to her again and again at completely different places in the yard. Today she was hoping for her ladybug friend to come back, but no such luck, yet! :)

Sister Love

15 weeks

 Working on her lacing cards while humming :)

 picking strawberries from Mike and Maura's pots

growing girl!

 grabbing with both hands and getting her feet into things too! She is now loving her play mat!!

my growing up girl! Lately I've been able to see her "grown self" in her expressions/walk/outfits

15 weeks 5.19.14

Genevieve has been blowing bubbles and has started playing with her toys just a little :)

It's getting easier....

Every time someone has asked how we are doing since Genevieve was born I always say, "I keep waiting for it to get easier, but it hasn't yet." We struggled, we learned, we grew. We loved, we cuddled, we cried. I'm so thankful to say, It's getting easier. It still feels like we are getting ready for vacation when we go out anywhere, and the thought of another trip home in 6ish weeks makes me so sick I almost have a panic attack, but things are indeed getting easier.

Our last trip home just a couple weeks ago was such a whirlwind mess for me. I felt overwhelmed each morning, day, and night. I had to ask a dear friend to leave when she had only just arrived because my sweet little Juniper had reached her limit and couldn't handle one more "visit." I had to cancel on another dear friend because there just weren't any hours left in the day. And, I had to reschedule another dear friend to time where all we could do was make a bazillion finger sandwiches together for a shower she wasn't even attending.

This every day insanity I became terrified of in my last trimester has become our new normal. Every day still has peaks and valleys, but we have settled into a groove with our new expectations of the day and we're getting through it with fun times and giggles amongst the chaos. I know these baby days won't last long and the moment they are gone, while appreciating all that is and all that is to come, I will still miss them. So, I do my best to soak them up, to take family baths, to all roll around on the bed together and make silly noises, and to kiss their fingers and toes and cheeks (all kinds! Ha!) every chance I get.

Juniper loves to play with and dance with and take care of her baby sister. Genevieve is a super trooper sleeper and having all the intolerance issues figured out from the start has helped all of us tremendously. I have one sweet toddler and one sweet baby. I feel so lucky to be their mama.

I feel like this is an ode to the "It gets better!" campaign. So, special shout out to one expecting her second child soon ;) ...It gets easier, but even in the chaos, it's awfully wonderful.

12 weeks, 3 months, 13 weeks, 14 weeks

April 28th, 12 weeks

I had asked for a mini outdoor session with this photographer for my Mother's Day gift last year, but we were snowed out! :/ Then, in October when we were back, the photographer was on maternity leave. So, we were finally able to get some photos in her studio this visit. Juni is in a please don't take my picture phase, and Genevieve was tired and hungry, but with a 25 minute session, we just needed to keep moving and get what we could get and I think we left with some great memories of our sweet girls in these early months with Genevieve.

May 3rd, 3 Months

Genevieve is a happy girl! She doesn't like being away from her mama much, but she loves being held, walked, and talked to. She is becoming more and more of a professional at rolling onto her tummy each and every day. She sleeps like a beast at night anywhere from a 5 up to an occasional 10 hour stretch! Who is this baby?!? :) She has great head control and is just starting to find her own voice with squeals and sounds and will call out to get my attention if I walk by her without giving her attention.

May 5th, 13 weeks

May 12th, 14 weeks

Genevieve is really starting to sweetly babble. She wakes up in the morning and will often happily babble for an hour before she wants to be picked up and fed. She is filled with such joy. She loves her sister dearly and will lay on a blanket and talk with her for as long as Juni will stay and then gets sad when Juni moves on to something else...or starts tugging on her a little too much :)

vaca catch-up family, party, etc.

 Juni on "the farm." This is how my soul feels when I am there. A little girl, walking through the grass, without a care in the world.

 Showing Juni the nests up high in the tree

 My dear friend Sophie planned her trip back to Nebraska around our trip so that we could finally see each other after six years. Our daughters have skyped but never met in person, though you wouldn't have known it had you seen them together that afternoon. I know if Sophie and I were lucky enough to live in the same town, we would have play dates nearly every single day :) :) :) Her due date for baby girl number 2 is the same age difference as Lua is to Juni... perfection! Love! sigh. Now if only there weren't 48 states between us. Humph.

 Juni had a very small Frozen themed birthday party with her grandparents and her Aunt Clancy, Uncle Stu, and cousins Connor and Ellie. She had so much fun spending time with all of them and doing fun birthday like activities.

 We made icicle candy that Connor was karate chopping up for us :) Of course Juni wanted it to be yellow instead of blue!

 Attack Grandpa! :)

Time to enjoy some melting glaciers and Olaf cake pops!

 reading with Grandma!

 Sweet, happy Genevieve got little chapped cheeks in all that cold wind we had in Nebraska!

 ...back home, stretching out with relief and relaxation

 Mother's Day family time around the house

 pretty pretty princess

 my little roller girl started rolling onto her tummy right before we left for Nebraska. She is still mastering the art of getting her arm out, but she doesn't seem to mind too much just leaving it there most of the time. Here she was, on her way over.

 Sporting her Berkshire memorabilia

 Sister Love

 Summer time!

 "Thank you Grandma and Grandpa"

 Talking to the grasshopper telling him he is cute and that he doesn't need to be scared. I love her.

 and here start the "phone" pictures. My camera died early in the trip and/or wasn't alwasy around. Here is Genevieve, sound asleep in her carrier, after going through security the first time.

 matchy matchy!

 Benny came down from Minneapolis with his Mama Erin, my college roommate, to see us! Photographing groups of small children, especially those who don't like their picture taken, is quite difficult! Erin got pregnant with Benny right after coming out to California to visit us, so I like to pretend that Juni was such a perfect child she made Erin want one of her own :) Really though, it was so nice to see Benny in person and I'm so thankful for a friend like Erin who was willing to make that drive with such a little boy to spend time with a crazy friend like me. Having Juni, Beeny, and Genevieve all there made me realize how impossible it would be to have 3 children that close in age. I don't know how people do it!?!

 We have a photo of Juni just like this from an Easter before, so I couldn't help myself :)

 celebrating a late Easter with cousins

 Grandpa taking Genevieve to find the last egg nobody else spotted

 again, groups of small children, hard! Ellie was sad she didn't get to hold Genevieve for the photo

 ...but then by the time she was able to, Genevieve and Juniper were DONE :) Sweet Connor, being a trooper through it all!

 Juni taking care of her baby back at home

 Juni asked me to take a pic of her puzzles to show her grandmas and grandpas on the computer :)

Sister Love!