One sweet little session.

Hi Friends!

Hi Friends!

I had to share these maternity shots I took of my dear Mama-Friend, L at her house last week. L, Gemma (her 2 year old) and that sweet.little.bump are so cute it makes my heart melt! I did these for my photography website but loved them so much I had to post--- Isn't she the cutest Prego ever?! I love how the shadows guard the privacy of their 'moment'-- I was going for straight silhouettes but I loved the light on their faces and those smiles...such sweet smiles and subtle looks, just beautiful! :)

 If you're considering a maternity session don't be dissuaded by a lot of the maternity photos out there--- maternity sessions can be so lovely, private and beautiful! You can make them exactly how you want them-- these pics are just more proof that these moments are worth capturing! (Even if you do feel prego-blahhh! :)

Thank you L and Gem! I heart you long time. xoxo.

These next few make me laugh every time---that little surprised face when she feels the baby kick melts me! So sweet Gemma...that's a moment you just have to have on film!

xo. 

S

exhausted.

Hi Friends,

I don't know what is going lately but my kid is MAKING ME CERTIFIABLY CRAZY!

Isla has never been a great napper, this is common knowledge, but she's always been happy in the afternoons which has gotten me through it. Lately she's not only been blowing through naps but from 3-7pm she is an absolute.holy.terror! She has started having these full on, throwing herself on the ground, working up the dramatic tantrum face meltdowns. I usually ignore her when she decides this is the best use of her time but they are getting to the point where I feel like I have to step in. She has been super destructive-- not just the normal kiddo mess...but full-on, going around wanting to DESTROY things. Within minutes she goes from destruction and whining/crying at me to saying 'up,up,up' and wanting to cuddle and be carried around. If I don't pick her up it's the most ridiculously sad pile of baby tears I've ever seen.

She's so mad and tired---- why won't she SLEEP during the day?!!!!! 

I am literally so exhausted....so exhausted you guys. It doesn't help that because she won't nap I can't get ANYTHING done during the day so I'm making dinner/cleaning (the mess she made!)/editing and working on our personal stuff on the computer late at night. I feel like I don't have even a SECOND to myself (which is completely dramatic because I do....I've finished like 6 books this month so I absolutely have time to myself and time to relax but at the end of the day it feels completely desperate).

The worst part is that I don't like the 'Mom' I am during those hours. I spend 3pm-4pm trying to find things to entertain her so she won't turn to destruction and frequent meltdowns (walking, snacking, playing, watching Elmo, etc) and from 5pm-6pm trying to keep her on schedule with her dinner routine and from 6pm-7pm trying not to lose my sh*t while she absolutely melts into a puddle of toddler tantrum and unstoppable hyper-energy.

I literally take slow deep breaths 35 times a day....and the juries still out on whether it works or not.
I find myself saying 'you're making me crazy', 'I can't believe you did this again'---etc,etc.etc. I am so damn tired by the end of the day I feel like a threadbare version of the  Mom I know I am... the one that lives in the moment and practices patience....and seeks to connect with Isla.

At this moment I feel like I'm struggling with this phase (God, let it be a phase!) I'm sure tomorrow I'll wake up and it will be just fine....because most days that is the way of things, but right in this moment I just want to curl up in the fetal position and sob about how absolutely horrible my toddler is in the afternoons. I am bleary eyed and every one of my limbs feels heavy---it's time to take a shower, drink tea and refuel. They didn't say raising kids was the hardest job there is for nothing!

Hope your day was easier than mine!
xoxo.
S

Today.

Hi Friends!

I can't believe it's only Wednesday! August literally will not end.

We were in Priest Lake, Idaho last week for the Hubby's annual family vaca. It was a long couple days and trip home but we were glad we went for Miss Isla! She had a great time playing in the sand and getting loads of attention....and even though I was a sleepless zombie it was worth it just to see her in this bathing suit on the beach..... gahhhhhh (enter the emoji with heart eyes here!)

I've spent the last 2 days playing catch-up....Monday at home all day on the computer and putting our house back together. Tuesday running errands all day and taking my Sister lunch (loved our visit!) Since my brain is running WILD today (due to the items below) this blog post will be a bit frenetic.
Sorry! Welcome to my Wednesday (of the week that will not end).  In no random order here's what's in my head today:

1. 5-to.the.freakin.-AM! That's what time my kid got up this morning. I actually felt bad for her that she soaked through her jammies and was covered in pee but after listening to my hubby hit his alarm for 45 minutes (why B, why?!) and then spend another hour trying to get Isla back down I was ready to go sleep on the sidewalk out front.

2. I can't get rid of this godforsaken headache. Ug. Make it stop! (Two coffees, a jug of water and a tylenol are not doing the trick!)

3. Isla now says "elbow" -- after I hit my funny bone yesterday and signed that I was "hurt" and said "elbow" she now loves to run around and says "L-BOW" in your face--and then laughs like a maniac because she knows she's a genius.

4. Yesterday I literally thought I was Super-Mom and decided it was the best.BEST idea to carry Isla with a load of groceries and other bags around multiple times during the day. OH 45 lbs of sh*t, no biggie! I got this! (really S, REALLY?!) By 5pm my back and neck were done. Officially done. It was totally locking up! B had to take Isla to the park and then I did a quick bedtime routine. I literally sat on my couch and binge watched The Killing on Netflix for two hours before retiring to bed to read The Book Thief. I'm binging on both! (The Killing literally scares the bejezzus out of me! I have to surf pinterest, read or watch kitten vids immediately after to not get nightmares! obviously watch it! (except for you L, you just cannot)

5. I just booked a Spokane girls weekend with my cousin and I can't freakin wait!

6. My genius car that was like one.million dollars keeps locking me out. MAJOR, MAJOR fail BMW. I've found out--if you put your keys in a bag (or the stroller) and put them in the trunk without unlocking the other doors first you're screwed. Really terrifying when Isla's in the car and the sun's out!

Worst Part of my day so far : While playing wife.of.the.year and making B a lunch so him and Isla could dine on brown-bag sammy's together.... Tuna for B and PBJ for Isla..... the tuna splashed in my FACE and HAIR so now all I smell is fish. All the time. It's so gross.

Best part: Besides spending time with my crazy monkey (don't I have to say that? :) , discovering that Homegrown Sandwiches serves Stumptown coffee! Made my day!

Time to get serious about my to-do-list while my kid fights her nap (Go to bed Isla!)

xoxo.
S

Today (in all its glory)

Hi Friends!

First off, it was an amazing Anniversary weekend around here! B and I celebrated 7 married years on Friday Harbor and it was just lovely. Isla's Auntie&Uncle spent the weekend with her and she had the time of her life. I think she was ready to send us away again when we got home. To the next 50 years---we can't wait to see where they lead :)

Second, I had SUCH a day. Let me just tell you.

My kid woke up at 6am...which is fine if she would have napped but OH NO, she blew right through that (literally) courtesy of a seriously gross diaper. ug! I'm loving all the new verbal skills but when I hear "POOP" from Isla's room I know I'm in trouble. I had so much to do to catch up from our weekend I'm felling SO BEHIND! I tried to do as much as I could during the day without wanting to lock Isla in her crib but alas here I am, in front of the comp with no dinner...about to take on my to-do list (This blog had to come first---it's a matter of sanity you know). I'm about to drink a Corona for dinner- desperate times call for desperate measures right?! I couldn't really blame Isla for her poopy-naptime issue or that she wasn't even in a bad mood. She was so happy and fun she was just SO HYPER. She was bouncing off of every wall--our condo wasn't big enough for her! After she broke off part of my plant (the part that proved I can make plants grow--it now just looks DEAD :( *SOB*), I trapped her in the stroller and took her on a second walk....that would be where I sweated my guts out at the park in direct sun while she played on fake landscaping rocks and sorted wood chips. If you strolled through Heritage Park today and saw a bedraggled Mom who was looking incredibly parched (She dumped my ENTIRE water bottle on herself in the stroller--standing water EVERYWHERE!) that was me. When I screamed "Isla too far, I have a cookie! Come get a cookie" I knew I was close to rock bottom. When I followed it up with a text to L about the social acceptability of buying a 'fifth' and drinking it while strolling Kirkland's swanky downtown I KNEW I'd hit it. Not my finest hour.

well hmmmmm..... (please insert the eyes turned to the ground, blushing emoji here)

Well, I feel like I redeemed myself tonight. She ate her entire veggie sandwich (even the spinach and tomato!), I made an effort to put down my cell even though I was super stressed and had clients to respond to and at the end of the night when she gave me an extra big hug and fell asleep on my shoulder I knew the 'mom-battery' was recharged.

Same time, same place Isla. I'm bringing my 'A-game.'

Hope you Mamas had a great Monday!

xoxo.
S

grief.

Hello Friends,

I'm going to warn you this is going to be a tough post so you may want to fill up that wine glass or just skip it-- I won't blame you! It will leave you with a heavy heart.

Today was a hard day.
A really sad day.
A day when my head didn't understand and my heart ached.

Friends of ours lost their newborn Daughter. She has been fighting since the moment she was born and today she left this world.

When B told me my heart went into my throat, I felt physically sick, every piece of me ached for them. I hovered over Isla wanting to smother her and squeeze her. I ate my dinner in silence, my mind racing and trying to find a thought that didn't begin and end with their immense loss. No one should ever have to grieve the loss of a child. No one should ever have to know that brand of pain. It is just unimaginable.

I know that the only way I can honor her sweet life is to live in the moment with my own little family. As I caught myself repeating Isla's bedtime mantra to myself over and over...usually I only say it to myself once before putting her down but tonight it was like her heartbeat in my ears,

"protect her"
               bum.bum
"watch over her"
               bum.bum
"she is my heart"
               bum.bum

..... I was reminded just how very, very blessed I am.

Hug your babies tight.

xo.
S

Genius Momvice

Hi Friends! 

Just a quick post to share a little trick I have started using. I have saved the extra announcements/birthday invites/thank-you cards etc because Isla likes to use them to color on or cover with stickers. They are also a great size to throw in your purse for a 'distraction activity' at a restaurant or in the car. 

xo

S

Discovery Park

Hi Friends!

Our other nature adventure this weekend was at Discovery Park in Seattle. There are a bunch of areas to park and wander around. Discovery Park is the largest park in Seattle- it has beachfront to lounge on or just beach comb , trails, a visitors center--even teepees! Seriously it's so huge you can get lost there (which is why you should pick up a map in the parking lot!) We parked in the North Parking Lot and wandered around the visitors center and reflection ponds (that don't really reflect but are fun to see).

From the visitors center we continued on to the North Beach. The trail is pretty well shaded and goes downhill most of the way (as you may expect). There aren't bathrooms centrally located so I would definitely recommend using the bathrooms when you find them along the way (the portapotties are in odd locations). You can see the lighthouse from the beach and there are a lot of logs to sit on and enjoy lunch. Isla loved beach-combing and collecting shells. 

We took the North Beach Trail and then the Loop trail to get back to the parking lot. It's a really pretty walk but it can be warm and in the sun so remember water and sunscreen.

 Oh, and about that map---seriously pick one up....getting lost isn't the worst thing in the world (It's pretty gorgeous out there) but when it's warm it can be a little frustrating. Our navigator only speaks 10 words so we were at a bit of a disadvantage :)

 Have fun guys! 

S (&Isla :) 

Hike: Franklin Falls

Hi Friends!

We spent Saturday soaking up nature during our Franklin Falls hike. I thought I'd review it and our kiddo pack in case you're interested in adding it to your Bucket List.

REI's hike review is below --I thought it was helpful enough to copy in this post.
___________________________________________________________

Hike : Franklin Falls Trail

Rating: Easy

Distance: 2 miles roundtrip, 250 feet

elevation gain.

Hike Description: The Franklin Falls Trail follows the south fork of the Snoqualmie River. It’s an easy walk that rises gradually through old-growth forests, with views of Denny Creek. There are several spur trails along the way, but these aren’t recommended for kids because the terrain on the spurs is steep and there are no guardrails. The trail ends at the base of Franklin Falls. You may hear the traffic on 1-90 in the distance, but the sound you’ll really notice is the squeal of delighted children playing in the cool water. As you approach the falls, give little ones a hand, as the rocks can be slippery from the spray. A good twomile

loop can be made by turning right 0.25 miles before reaching the falls. A right turn at this junction will take you back to the Wagon Road trailhead. This short connecting trail joins the Wagon Road Trail.

Driving Directions: Take I-90 east to Exit 47. Turn north, drive across the overpass and turn right at the “T.” In 0.25 miles turn left on Denny Creek Road #58. Follow this road 2.5 miles. Just beyond the campground, turn left on a paved road. In 200 feet, parking is on the left and the trailhead starts on the right. A Northwest Forest Pass is required for parking.

Tips: Very popular on the weekends in the summer, this trail is sure to have a fair amount of traffic.But kids absolutely love the cool water at the end.

_________________________________________________________

My Additional Notes: 

Now that you've read that please re-read the last sentence because we didn't.
Parking can be really difficult, especially with it's proximity to the campground if you don't go in the early morning/afternoon. We got there at 12:30 (total fail) and it was packed. Luckily we found parking near the trailhead but it can get REALLY backed up.

There are 2 bathrooms by the trailhead (this is very nice!)-- one is handicapped accessible. The other is the one I used. It is disgusting, in my words to B "It smells like you're inside Isla's diaper bin"--but it's really nice they have them there if you really 'gotta go' before you head up to the falls.

I wouldn't expect a kid younger than 4 or 5 to walk the entire way because of the uphill climbs. If you do, be ready to bribe them with snacks and treats (I saw one lady who gave her kiddo a ring pop to keep them busy- brilliant). Isla rode in the pack the whole way and did great. She loved all the bridges, shaded trail with big trees overhead and of course the falls.

Bring lunch! The Falls are perfectly flat and lovely to sit down and picnic while the kiddos romp in the water.

Pack bathing suits and water shoes! The waters cold but the Littles we spotted didn't seem to mind.

The road to find the trail is really easy! Enjoy the drive on I90--it's so pretty :)

and now.....a quick little review on our baby pack.

 We have the Osprey Poco Plus which you can check out on REI: Here.

The pack is awesome! It has tons of little spots to pack goodies for the trail--snacks, water, diapers, wet-bag (I forgot that!) etc. It's fully adjustable so it fits my smaller frame and B's bigger one nicely. It has the handy-dandy sun cover included which conveniently zips out of the backside and slips back in when you don't need it. The sun cover is something you think you'll never need in Seattle but we used it both times this weekend. Isla wasn't so sure about the pack at home but once we were on the trail she loved it. She seemed really comfortable and loved being up 'high' to check everything out.

 The pack also has little stirrups on the sides for kiddos to slip their little feet in. 

Obviously we're big fans around here--check it out!! 

xo. 

S