Falling For Autumn

Welcome, fall!  Last week, our patience was rewarded with the first cold front of the season.  Hurricane Sandy, in the Atlantic, brought us some very windy days and ultimately some much cooler weather.  For the first time, I was able to take you outdoors to play without mopping sweat off of your nose.  I have been spending the days taking you anywhere that resembles "fall" and not in front of my computer.  What I'm trying to tell you is that this post will be a tad photo-heavy.  I think we'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Freedom Park, aka: my favorite local fall destination.

It was a chilly morning.  I made sure you dressed the part.

Peek a boo.

Shoe-less babe.  I brought them, you just won't wear them.

Fallen leaves and squirrel-eaten acorns.  It kinda resembles autumn around here.

Now that the birthday party is a memory, we have been able to focus on some fall traditions. The house is decked out in fall leaves.  We have visited pumpkin patches, painted mini pumpkins (disaster!), carved a jack-o-lantern, and made costumes.  The first batch of pumpkin bread was baked just the other day and the windows are wide open in the house.  It is officially fall.

Hot & sweaty pumpkin "patch" visit.

Too hot to cuddle.

Sydney, my fall buddy.

One is too young for pumpkin painting.  You literally ate a handful of paint.

Daddy decorated the house for Halloween.  You loooved the pumpkins!

Pumpkin Patch: Take Two

Today was actually supposed to be their annual fall carnival, or so I thought.

Turned out that they had it on Saturday this year (the day before we went). 

Syd was thrilled.  Not.

We hung out for a bit anyway because the weather was beautiful.

Never mind that this church is bordered by the jail and a homeless shelter, we've been customers for years.

And we had no place else to be.

I love spending my days with my girls.

Picking out more tiny pumpkins.

Breezy day.

We decided to picnic in a hidden and unlikely spot we've had our eye on for years.  Bad idea.  Fire ant central.

We did carve our pumpkin.  And Sydney actually got her hands dirty!

I still need to upload our Halloween photos, so that will have to wait.  But for now, I need to catch up on this latest change of seasons!  We have been spending almost every day outside.  Finally!  You have always been an outdoors-kind-of-girl, but Florida summers call for more indoor play than out.  Those days are over though, at least for now.  You've been strolling the sidewalks, riding on your Big Wheel bike that Pop-Pop brought over, eating leaves and exploring the grass.  

We took windy walks that required a blanket in the stroller.

You love a nice long walk.

Sydney was showing me her "new way of walking"...okay.

The trampoline is seeing regular visitors again now that it doesn't burn our feet.

We spent a Saturday morning at the Buddy Walk.

Some of us walked more than others...not naming names.

Some of us were happier about it than others.  Again,  no names mentioned.

Syd really enjoyed the inflatable obstacle course.

You were there, too.

This happened (!!!)

And we enjoyed a delicious outdoor lunch, as a family.

Now that I finally got somewhat caught up, I will get busy uploading and editing some Halloween pictures.  I should've known that a change in seasons would put this whole blogging gig even further behind.  But I'll find a way to fit it in.  Tomorrow's Daylight Savings...we gain an hour.  No excuse not to work on a Halloween post.  And I give up on editing.  I started out editing some of these photos and single-handedly crashed the site I use.  So, bad lighting and all, I will just throw them up here.  You get what you get sometimes.  Until then...happy fall!

The Big ONE

Front door decor.  The bunting above spelled out "Chapter."  The "1" was made out of ruffled crepe paper glued to foam board.  It was a bit humid and it started to come apart by the time I photographed it.

...and just like that, you were one.  I could go on and on wondering where this year went.  I'm sure I've done just that in many a post.  But we have a party to talk about!  On your actual first birthday (a week and a half ago!), friends and family gathered in our home to commemorate the first year of your extraordinary life.  You were lavished with gifts and love and attention.  You were fed even more unwanted sweets.  Our house was turned upside-down, swapping furniture around and decorating walls, all in the name of celebration.  Your birthday party theme was "Chapter 1".  It was vintage book-inspired, recalling the 70's style Little Golden Books artwork: round-cheeked, barefoot children with wispy hair (you always remind me of those illustrations), and very homespun, granny-chic.  We borrowed family china and crocheted doilies from Grammy, went thrifting for many items, and made basically every single other thing.  It was a pink and gold affair, full of ruffles and lace and ribbons and doilies.  I wanted everything to be soft and beautiful and meaningful.  You were charming and lovely, if not a little sleepy.  And the two-hour party that we planned flew by in the blink of an eye.

The invitations.  I made them using scans of vintage wrapping paper and overlays on PicMonkey.com, topped them with gold "F" stamped doilies and a flower, tied together with a bow.  They were book-style with multiple pages and a little rhyme inside.  The pink version was the standard one for most guests.  I couldn't help myself though, and made a gold "bootleg" version, too!

Gathering Supplies.  I used a lot of clean, re-purposed jars I had saved.  The were wrapped in lace and doilies.  The held everything from straws and food pics, to utensils and favors.  The blue mason jars were Goodwill finds!

One favorite detail: Walkway stakes that read "Once", "Upon", "A Time" on the way in and "Happily", "Ever", "After" on the backside (on your way out).  They were made by using a free doily png image (here) edited with text and glued to a real doily and then layered onto a gold tissue rosette.  Dowels were painted gold and tied with ribbons and lace that blew in the breeze.  I love them.

Odds & Ends: Doily bunting and antique gold frames as wall decor, homemade bubbles (labels are a free download here) with gold glitter and pipe cleaner bubble wands, stripey straws and homemade flag food picks (scrapbook paper), pink vanilla sugar in jars as favors (recipe and inspiration here), and detail of ribbon wands (on dowels, painted gold) also as favors. 

The dessert table.  I was short a cupcake stand, so I made one by stacking plates on tin cans wrapped in lace (you can tell from this angle, but couldn't if you were standing.  There were white cupcakes with pink frosting, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a chocolate fudge cake with a whipped buttercream frosting.  The table itself was a dresser, covered in a vintage sheet that I found with just the right colors.

Despite the fact that months of planning went into your party, things (as usual) did not all go according to plan.  I wanted a sweet and simple party for you.  Somehow I got it in my head that "homemade" equaled "simple."  I will never make that mistake again.  I made so many things from scratch for this party it isn't even funny.  It was the least "simple" party I've ever thrown.  It makes it personal and special, for sure, but there are many things that I planned to make or decorate that just never happened.  However, I suspect nobody was the wiser.  In addition to the incomplete checklist, you were extremely restless the night before, resulting in a sleepless night.  This threw off your entire nap schedule and you were ready for bed by the time guests arrived.  But you pulled through like a champ.  I never did find the gold sandals I had hunted for, so you were barefoot.  I handmade a headband for you.  Crocheted band, handmade flowers...you wouldn't wear it.  Not even for one picture.  The weather was decent, but pretty warm.  Consequently, guests stood and sat around our living room all day even though we moved the big table and bench to the patio.  Your dad and I initially tried to open up the house to encourage guests to wander in and out, but the temperature sky-rocketed instantly inside.  Because of this, the icing on your smash cake began to melt and the whole thing started to wilt and slide around.  It did not end up looking like the pretty cake I envisioned when I planned this fete.  The lighting in the house wasn't ideal for photos and I was too busy setting up and then greeting guests to get any proper "before" photos.  Oh, and Sydney threw up.  In the middle of your party.  But despite all of this, it was a perfect day.  

More details:  Pumpkin cupcakes, doily & monogram backdrop, "Choose Your Own Adventure" Activity (guests were asked to predict who you would become, makeshift cupcake stand closeup, stripey straws at the beverage station (your sister's desk, covered in the same vintage fabric, favor station (your bookshelf) with favors like re-wrapped crayons in scrapbook paper, cookie pops and a vintage "Let's Party" printout that I turned into a black & white coloring page, the main food table- mid-setup, and an overview of the big cake (doily stencil with cocoa powder and a mini pearl bunting)

My other favorite feature: The photo wall.  It was so hard to narrow them down.

You were a bit clingy when the house first filled with people, but come present-opening time, you realized you were center stage and loved every second of that spotlight.  After opening the first gift, you threw your hands up in a "touchdown-like" pose with pointed fingers.  Everyone laughed and you knew you had us.  You were such a ham opening the rest.  I believe that for your sisters' first birthdays we got through about three presents, max, before they began to lose interest. Not you.  No sir.  You opened every single one and made a huge mess in the process.  Christmas is going to be a blast.

The star of the show.

When it came time to serve you some cake, we swapped your sweet party dress for a "Birthday Girl" t-shirt. I handed you your half-melted cake on its pedestal and you couldn't have cared less.  We ended up having to feed you a bite just to get your attention. You made a mess alright, but basically just on your hands.  I think you thought you were finger-painting.  This is actually fine by me.  If I had to choose, I'd take my spinach and broccoli-eating baby over one who dives into sweets any day.  

Melted smash cake and a homemade cake pedestal.  Dollar Store plate + painted  thrifted candlestick , et voila!

A little messy.

And that was about the extent of it.  Nothing major.

And because it's a birthday post, it's time for:
What Finnlee's Digging: 12 Months

• Music/Dancing: This is my current favorite thing that you do.  Every time you hear music you throw one hand in the air (or both if you're sitting) and do the most enthusiastic bounce.  I call it your "Raise the Roof" dance.  It is hysterical.  
• Kisses: You have become quite the love bug and insist on showering those closest to you with tons of kisses.  A lot of them land on our knees, shoulders, biceps, and backs.  And a lot of those kisses involve a baby tongue.  But you won't catch us complaining.
• Sisters: You are obsessed with your sisters.  You started saying Sydney's name a couple of weeks ago (Nid-nee), and Kylee's name has gone through and evolution.  It started out "Ya-Ya" and now is closer to "Da-Da".  We're working on it.  Just yesterday I believe you were trying to say Ashley's name, but I can't be sure of that pronunciation yet.  A lot of things are sounding similar to "Da Da" these days.
• Dogs: The obsession continues.  You can spot a dog a mile away.  I can barely walk down the toilet paper aisle these days because so many of the packages feature puppies.  
• Our stereo equipment: It's a "no-no", which probably explains the initial draw, but you can't get enough of all of those buttons, lights and noises.  You love opening up the cd door and watching everything light up.  You really delight in finding the power button for the surround sound and watching mommy jump at the sudden noise.  And no matter how many times I tell you to stop, you always find yourself back over there.  Electronics have a hold on you right now.

After everyone left, I took you outside to try to capture you at exactly one year old.

The light was beautiful and so were you.

But you were also very tired.

Very, very tired.

First birthdays are always special, of course.  But there is something so bittersweet about watching your last baby try to make the leap from babyhood to toddlerdom in one day.  It's not lost on me that I won't be planning another first birthday.  Not for my babies anyway.  And as much as I told myself to soak the day in, it seems like a blur.  There's never enough time.  In the last month, you have started looking older.  Your hair is coming in thick and getting longer.  You follow understand directions.  Words are making sense and some of them are making their way to your lips.  You have the best sense of humor.  You know when you're being funny and you thoroughly enjoy making us laugh.  You eat, or at least gum your way through, just about anything that I am eating.  And you play in the big kids' playroom, toy kitchen, dollhouse, toybox and all.  One of my favorite features at your party was the photo wall where I hung an assortment of pictures from your first year by clothespins.  It is painful to look through those images and see how rapidly you changed during this year.  It's sad to realize that it's only the beginning.  That in a very short time I will be looking at pictures of today and marveling at how you've grown.  But I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited to watch you become a little person.  I look forward to chasing you at the park, having conversations with you and hearing what your little voice will ultimately sound like.  I feel so blessed and fortunate to have had this year with you.  I'm sure my memory will, in time, block out the sleepless nights, fussy days and messy rooms, and leave me with rosy happy times.  I'm okay with that.  I anticipate the next stage, realizing that it too will have its challenges.  I welcome it all.  But I have no desire to live in the past or future.  I want to stay in the moment with you always.  Today you are a sleepy, fuzzy-headed, music-loving one year old. We are making your Halloween costume, doing a little housework and getting some fresh air. There's no place I'd rather be.

It was a long day.  Until next year...

Happy One Year, my dearest little Finnlee!

Walk On

Hi, Finn!

Up until the age of four, Sydney didn't understand the difference between "hot", as in temperature, and "hot", as in spicy.  Consequently, whenever anything was the slightest bit warm, it was "spicy."  Buffalo chicken?  Spicy.  The metal part of the carseat buckle?  Spicy.  So, in the words of your sister, it has been so spicy outside lately.  Ick.  While not surprising, this is mostly disappointing because (as I mentioned before), in my mind summer ended when August ended.  The kids are back in school.  The calendars are featuring cooler weather photos on them this month.  Most of the country is enjoying full-blown fall by now.  We ought to be feeling some relief.

It's "spicy" out here!

 Your birthday month is a tricky one.  We can go from summer to fall overnight.  I think you feel it in the air.  You seem to be fully aware that your birthday is right around the corner and you're determined to prove it.  Saturday, your preferred method of getting around became walking.  Well, you still crawl plenty, but where you were just catapulting yourself toward your target in 3-4 step bursts before, you are now taking careful, calculated steps.  Many more than the 4-step limit you had imposed on yourself before.  And now you walk to places where there isn't a person waiting to catch you.  Officially a walker, I would say.  

Places to go...things to do...

We've also had a food breakthrough.  Usually I feed you tiny pieces of what we are eating, but because of your lack of teeth, you haven't been very interested.  Consequently, we've had banana shampoos, Cheerios in your diapers and an almost permanent Puff-littered spot beneath your high chair.  But last Wednesday, I put diced green beans, shredded pork tenderloin and brown rice on your tray, expecting the usual food-scattering to commence, but you surprised me by eating.  For twenty solid minutes.  You sat quietly in your high chair and chowed down.  This is one milestone I am thrilled about.  The second tooth that's popping through?  Eh, I have mixed emotions.  Maybe if you would stop thinking of me as a teething toy, I might be more enthusiastic.  

Now it's time for shoes!

Teeth!  I have the hardest time getting a picture of these elusive little chiclets.  See the second one?

So far, this October has been all about you.  I have been consumed with preparing for your party.  I am getting so excited about this beautiful day of celebration.  I just hope everyone stays healthy and that you stick to a nap schedule that day.  Am I asking too much?  Sydney is home sick today with a cough, but she already is sounding better.  I have forbidden you from catching it.  There is a small part of me that is ready to get this big day behind us, because there are other things I want to focus on with you.  Namely: fall.  We need to hit up some pumpkin patches, take a drive to the fall festival in Bradenton, paint some pumpkins...stuff like that.  I have an "official fall soundtrack", and it's Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits (I don't know why, but since my early 20's, it has reminded me of fall, and it plays on repeat all fall, every year), and it hasn't even made an appearance yet in 2012.  It's hard to tell by looking at the pile of lace and doilies on the dining room table, but it's practically Halloween.  And I've got the homemade costume sitting in the closet to prove it.  But we'll talk about that later.

Sweaty nose.  Hopefully, not for much longer.

First things first.  Birthday party, cooler weather...and not necessarily in that order.  I am really tempted to stick some leggings or tights on you just because I'm in the mood.  But you get sweaty outside in your little airy bubble outfits.  I just can't bring myself to do it to you.  I am getting irresistible urges to buy you mary janes, boots and cardigans.  I want to make some homemade applesauce and my favorite sweet potato curry soup.  And I mostly want to take a walk with you without feeling the need to stick to the shady sidewalks.  

As usual, Florida is late getting the memo that it's fall.  Nothing new, I know, but I am really looking forward to it this year.  It is my all-time favorite time of year, but last year I was in a funk.  I didn't really appreciate the season like I usually do.  I didn't do most of my favorite things.  And with your arrival in mid October, preparing Thanksgiving dinner seemed mostly like a chore.  For lack of a better word, this makes me sad.  I hate to think of a wasted year.  To be fair, Mother Nature must've felt my pain.  She did her best to keep the fallish temperatures from us.  Winter, too.  We didn't have many cool days at all last year.  I feel good about this year though.  It's going to be a good one.  I can feel it.  Ya hear me, Mother Nature?  I'm feelin' it!  Bring it on!  (Please.)

A {Cake} Smashing Good Time

Sunday was kind of a big deal for you.  You've never had anything sweet, aside from fruit.  You've certainly never had cake.  And you've also never really eaten anything that wasn't in bite-sized pieces already.  So, I figured a trial run with a birthday cake would give you (and me) some much needed practice.  It also gives me a good excuse chance to take some pictures.  So Sunday became "Cake Smash Day."  

Hey, Finn...you've got a little something on your chin.

First I drooled a bit over some of my favorite professional cake smash shoots and lamented that I do not have a studio, professional camera, hardwood floor or actual photography knowledge.  Then I came back down to earth and remembered that it was about capturing you, as you are, in this moment.  And that I can do.  So, I baked four tiny cakes in tin cans (instructions here: http://ohhappyday.com/2012/02/mini-cakes-diy/ ).  I layered and frosted them, proving to myself that I will need to practice a bit more before your actual birthday.  After picking out a little clearing in the backyard, a makeshift scene was set using some wacky supplies (rag bunting from Sydney's woodland party...why do I still have that?, a flattened cardboard box wrapped in faux bois wrapping paper from the dollar section in Target {aka: fake wood flooring}, an almost-complete gold foil "1" that I am making for your party, and a cake stand I made out of a spray-painted brass candlestick and a dollar store plate.)  It doesn't get much more DIY than that!

Staring in disbelief that we are going to let you touch this thing.

Touchdown!

The skies were threatening an all-out downpour, but there was no turning back.  Cake was frosted, baby bellies were naked, it was happening.  My favorite part was when we first set you down next to the cake.  You looked at it, wide-eyed and shook your head, wagged your finger and whispered "no-no" as you looked at us for reassurance.  It took several seconds of us promising it was okay and encouraging before you took a swipe at your tiny cake.  Chocolate with buttercream.  When you finally got a piece in your mouth, you shuddered and made a face.  If I'm being honest, you didn't exactly eat it.  You tasted it, sure.  But you weren't crazy about it.  You made a substantial mess.  Enough for a few priceless photos.  That was all I could ask for.  Let's just say I am glad there's no video of the slippery, angry bath that followed.

Not feeling it.

I've been spending my days making every last detail for your party.  I've let a few hints slip out on Instagram, but I haven't posted any here yet.  I must be crazy, planning an entirely homemade party for a one year old.  It is time consuming and sometimes a little stressful, but the result will be something that is a true labor of love.  Someday, when you look back at the pictures, hopefully you will see that I poured myself into this party because I can think of nothing more important on October 13th than to celebrate the first year of your bright, shining, miraculous life.  

I see a very sweet bath in your future.

You've been keeping yourself busy with some major baby skills.  You have learned to say Sydney (Nee-Nee) and Kylee (Ya-Ya).  Sometimes I have a hard time differentiating between "Sydney", "Night Night" and "Num Num" and even "No No".  They all sound a bit similar.  But once I guess "Sydney" and it's the right answer, you leave no doubt.  You kick and get so excited and start pointing in the last direction you saw her.  When you say "Kylee", you yell it at the top of your lungs.  I wonder if that has anything to do with the frequency with which I have to holler across the house in the morning so Kylee doesn't lose track of time and miss the bus (again).  You are also pretty sturdy on those legs now.  You have a lot of control getting up and down, but still only take a few steps at a time.  Which is just fine with me. 

We still have so much to do.  I plan on taking first birthday pictures this weekend.  If only we could get a little fall weather here.  But one thing at a time.  I probably would never finish your party decorations and favors.  We would be outdoors all day.  I'm trying not to fly through these days.  I want to take it in.  It's your first and last 1st Birthday.  I won't be throwing another of these parties.  Time to be a sponge and soak the last of this first year up.  There will be plenty of time to miss fall later.

Time to Just Accept It: You Are 11 Months Old

11 Months Old.  Bruised cheek and all.

I don't know what's wrong with me.  I've had a harder time than usual getting around to writing this post.  I have sat down no fewer than a dozen times to start it, only to find an excuse to do something else.  Anything else.  Scrolling my Pinterest inspiration board for your birthday party?  Sounds like a reasonable thing to do.  Searching for my recipe for chicken chili?  Well, someday it might feel like fall around here and I might need it.  Organizing the printable files I've been hoarding?  Why not.  Anything not to have to start this post.  But it's time that I just face the facts: You are 11 months old.  

You turned 11 months on the darkest, cloudiest day we've had in a while.  Blurry pictures are to be expected.

Actually, you are 11 months and one week by now.  Why is this so hard for me to come to terms with?  Maybe because it is the last time that I have no choice but to relay your age in "months."  Maybe because the day you turned 11 months you also decided to take your first steps.  Maybe because you still are practically toothless (just tiny bottom ones peeking through) and hopelessly chubby and I just still feel like you are my baby.  Baby!  Not a toddler.  And probably, mostly because you are, without a doubt, the last baby of mine.  The last one to cross this month-to-year threshold.  I don't want to see this year come to an end.  

September Sunsets

Low tide is magical.

If I'm being honest about how quickly you are growing up, I'd have to admit that you are changing every day.  Your hair has grown and is halfway covering your ears.  This whole standing/walking thing that you are doing lately.  The way that you play with your toys and how much more deliberate, thoughtful and inquisitive you are with them.  But one of the biggest is in your comprehension.  I feel like I can have a conversation with you now.  I mean, I do it all of the time, regardless of whether or not you understand a word.  But now you respond to my questions with "Yeah!" or a headshake or "No no."  When I ask what you want to wear today, you thrust a pointing finger toward your bedroom.  If I ask you where something is that you recognize, you go get it.  Amazing!  You couldn't do any of this a month ago  (well, maybe the yes and no thing, but it is much more accurate these days).  

And about this crazy walking you are doing.  I find it funny that you have decided to stand on your own and walk all within about a week's time span.  You only try to take steps when I put you down with the intention of walking away.  Then you hightail it back to me and hold on tight.  Or if something you want is a step away from where you are already standing.  You are wobbly and inaccurate in your steps.  I don't think it's as much a case that you can walk as it's a case that you don't know that you can't.  You just plow forward, goal insight, and not much planning or practice behind it.  You do it a lot, so it's not a fluke.  I just wonder if it has any bigger meaning.  Will you be impulsive like me?  I hope you learn to plan and think things through a bit better than I do.  It frustrates me that I don't approach much with a plan.  Or that I plan like crazy, but when it's time for action, my plan goes out the window.  Yep.  That's me.  I hope for your sake that you find a balance in your impulsiveness.  Be spontaneous.  Follow your heart.  But also learn to save for a rainy day and that actions have consequences.  At least for now, the most I have to worry about is a bump on the head from your impulsive decisions.  But don't think I don't worry about the times that I won't be there to catch you, both literally and figuratively.  

You were a mess!

Before I get to deep, there really was a "birthday" point to this post.  So here is 
What Finnlee's Digging: 11 Months

• Plums.  You gobble them up.  I love them too and am happy to "share" one with you.  
• "Outside."  I just say the word and you are crawling to a window, face smooshed against the glass, pointing wildly at the great outdoors.  You love to venture out there and explore.  This will become much more fun once you are truly walking.
• Shoes.  But only other peoples' shoes.  And never on you!  You rip off your own shoes every time I try to put them on.  But if someone leaves their shoes within your reach, good luck getting them back.
• Dog-dogs.  In books.  On tv.  Walking down the sidewalk.  You point them out and say "dog-dog" in your whispery little voice.  So cute.
• Photo albums!  You found our stash of albums and flip through them over and over again.  I've hidden the ones you can damage, but there are still plenty for you to peruse.  
• And (finally!) baths!  Ever since I started letting you take baths in the big tub with Sydney, you love your bath time!  I'm so relieved about this.  Who knew you had something against small, pink tubs?

Playing with daddy.

It's been a crazy week around here.  Today, all three of you girls are sick.  Sydney and Kylee stayed home from school.  It feels a little like a clinic around here.  We have a roofer coming today to check on a leak.  Ashley's brand new iPhone was stolen over the weekend.  I can do without all of that kind of craziness.  But there's also a dining room table full of birthday party crafts and Halloween costume supplies.  I've been "making" and "crafting" for a few days now.  That kind of craziness is okay by me.  The countdown has begun.  You will be turning one whether I am ready or not.  And you are counting on me to pull off this party I've been talking about for a year now.  It's showtime!

The Instagram Effect

That's right.  An entire post dedicated to Instagram.  Because this little app, that is nothing more than a tiny square on my iPhone, has become something much more significant.  It is a community and a challenge to enjoy and document every day all in one.  And it's also keeping me on my toes when it comes to this blog.  When I first started writing to you here, nobody- with the exception of  couple of close friends- knew I was doing this.  I felt it was personal, but not private.  Something that I wanted to do for you, but that I didn't want pressure to have to do.  But also something that I hoped might inspire other moms to do something similar for their little ones, should they happen upon this site.  But I get distracted easily and I manage to make excuses for myself like nobody's business.  So, I found myself slacking on posting regularly.  However, ever since I posted the link to your blog on my Instagram profile, we have had regular visitors here.  So, "Hi!" if you are reading this because of IG!  I love this because it reminds me that I really need to update once in a while.  Time is flying by and you are learning things everyday.  There's just no time to be a slacker.

Some of my favorite IG shots.

After seeing so many beautiful iPhone photos, I thought that once I upgraded my phone it would just automatically take stunning pictures.  Wrong.  I had no clue how to use it.  Or how to edit.  Or much of anything about it.  I was pretty disappointed.  When I first installed Instagram on my phone, my pictures were not reflective of who you and your sisters were.  They were dark, grainy and boring, and I lost interest very quickly.  I also refused to hashtag any photos, insisting that I wasn't on there to get a bunch of "likes,"but what resulted was that I ended up posting photos that only I saw (thank goodness, now that I look back at them).  What I was missing was the "social" aspect of this social app.  Enter Kelle Hampton's lovely blog and her decision to feature reader's IG photos on Friday's.  It was her always-breathtaking "Friday Photo Dump" that made me long for an iPhone and this little app in the first place.  Once I started to get the hang of using my phone's camera, I started using her "enjoyingthesmallthings" hashtag.  More importantly, I started browsing the hashtag and finding other moms who, like me, take tons of pictures of their kids.  It was obvious that these kindred spirits enjoyed life, loved their babies and realized how important it was to capture these memories.  

Some more favorites.

What I have found is a community of like-minded people, sharing our daily lives, whether that be a child's achievement, the color we painted a room, a cozy nap, a yummy breakfast or our latest shopping score...and everything in between.  A place where you don't really need to apologize for posting too many pictures of your baby (even though I usually do).  A place where I find inspiration to make the most of every day and find extraordinary moments in the ordinary.  A place where we support each other on a rough day and cheer one another on when it's called for.  I enjoy checking in daily to see what other families are up to and to share my latest glimpse into our life.

Latest batch of favorites.

Of course I do not need an app to remind me that we should go outside and enjoy a beautiful day.  Or to make me take notice of the absolutely perfect ratio of nose to cheek that your profile sports.  But it does challenge me to look at our daily routines differently.  I find myself seeking beauty in everything from grocery shopping to mess-making.  More frequently, I find myself stopping, to not only notice how beautifully the light is hitting your hair, but to snap a picture before the moment is gone.  Because history has taught me that I cannot rely on my memory alone.  

Another cool thing that has happened has been the opportunity to see your pictures on Enjoying the Small Things.  Every week a roundup of reader's photos are chosen from Kelle's hashtag to be featured on her blog.  You've made the cut twice.  It makes me so happy to see you there.  I respect Kelle so much as a mother and as a photographer.  If I look back someday and feel that I've captured my children's personalities with even a fraction of the magic that her photos possess, I will have accomplished something.  Assuming these links still work by the time you are able to read this, here is a link to the blog post that first featured your photo: http://www.kellehampton.com/2012/08/enjoying.html .  And here is a link to the second appearance you've made on her blog: http://www.kellehampton.com/2012/09/nineteen-grays.html  And if that's not the case, here are her collages (all other photos belong to the respective IG members and the collage is the creation and property of Kelle Hampton/enjoyingthesmallthings.com)

Your first appearance.

And your second appearance.  (Sorry for the blurriness, but I don't feel right about posting other people's pictures without their permission.)

 Obviously, it's not all about Instagram around here.  It's been quite a while since I've posted and you've had some big firsts.  Just this week you began standing for a few seconds at a time.  Of course, this led to another first: your first boo-boo.  You fell face first into the coffee table the other night, and your right cheek has a bruise the size of a quarter as proof.  I've never heard you cry so hard.  I had to trick you into putting an ice pack on it by pretending that I liked to lay my cheek on it.  You mimic every move and sound we make lately, so the ice trick was a success.  I'm selfishly grateful that the fall didn't happen closer to your first birthday, but the bruise will be around for your 11 month pictures, for sure.  Speaking of the whole "mimicking act" you've been putting on lately, you are saying quite a few words now.  You will attempt pretty much any word we repeat to you ("turtle", "Cruz"...daddy's current favorite Giant).  Your steady vocabulary are things like "Mama", "Dada", "Yeah", "Dog", "Night Night", and my favorite: "I love you".  But you also do the cutest whisper imitation every time I whisper to you.  Your head-shake for "no" is now accompanied by a wagging finger (where on earth could you have learned that), and you display this trick right before you reach for something that you know is off limits...which is frequent.  And you copy daddy's beat boxing when he's trying to entertain you (it ends up being the other way around).  Your two bottom teeth are becoming visible.  You like to test them out when you nurse.  I don't like that part so much.  You have been eating some big girl foods, too.  I try to feed you a little bit of table food at dinner time,  I shred everything to the tiniest size but your lack of teeth makes it difficult for you to actually eat most things.  It's a slow process, but I really hope you are able to down some birthday cake next month.  Next month!  Yikes!!  Where has this year gone?