Heirloom Dress

When I bought Maeva's blessing dress I had planned that every daughter I had would just wear the same dress, but when I was pregnant with Riis I had a change of heart.  I felt that she needed something all her own.  Sometimes it seems that the second daughter just happens to get the shaft.  Hand me down everything!  So I wanted something special for Riis.  Then it hit me,  I should use my Mom's wedding dress!  After getting clearance from a few family members, it was all mine.  I asked my aunt (my mom's sister) if she would make it for me.  She very willingly did.  It became an instant heirloom.  My grandma made that wedding dress for my mom and then my aunt turned it into a blessing dress for Riis.  If ever there is a fire, this is the item I will be saving.  I feel so grateful that both of my girls were giving a piece of my mom at their blessings.  Maeva, her name and Riis, her dress (did I mention after she was married in it, it became her temple dress? So special!)

Ryan's coworker made these cute sandals for her.

Her Birth Story

Riis is here, came a day before her due date just like her big sis.  

6.6.12 3:04 pm

8 lbs 1 oz 20.5 inches long

I can't believe how much different this labor was for me compared to the first.  I felt like I had never done it before.

I started having contractions 2 nights before she was born.  On the second night (or early morning rather) they were getting quite intense, about 5 min apart & had been that way for about 3 hrs.  We called Ryan's sister to come sleep at out house with Maeva so we could go.  We got to the hospital around 6 am & by 9 am they sent us home :( I was 4 cm, but my contractions had slowed way down & they decided since I was going natural, I should just go home.  I was so upset on the drive home.  I was so tired & in pain & just ready for the baby to come.  I decided when I got home I would take a shower & try to get some sleep since I hadn't slept for 2 nights now.  Well as soon as I got in the shower the contractions started getting closer & much more intense.  I stayed home & labored till about 1.  I didn't want to get sent home again, so I waited till my contractions were like 2 min. apart.  Before going back.  The drive there was insane.  I was transitioning in the car.  Ryan was speeding, dodging traffic and trying to squeeze my hip to relieve the pain all while driving.  When we got there, I had at least 5 more contractions beofre we got to our floor, one in the elevator that made us miss our floor.  Finally we made it to the desk & luckily they got me in a room as quickly as possible.  I was an 8 when they checked me & then I had her about an hour later.  

 Didn't quite have time to do my hair & make-up before labor :) Woopsy!

It's a...

I have loved loved loved having a girl!  I am serious, every little girly thing she does like wear her tutu everyday, put makeup on, mother her babies etc.  makes me so happy.  I love seeing her do these things, cause I remember doing those things when I was a little girl.  I love that she lets me do her hair & on the rare occasion that I myself get ready, she always notices & tells me I look beautiful.  (The other day she told me my pants were awesome.) She is such a responsible little lady & does her best to clean up after herself. At this very moment, she is busy painting her dad's toe nails telling him to "Hold still ok." It's heart melting I tell you! (What a nice dad, he is meant to have girls I must say) I am so happy to have another little girl in our family.

I am also so happy for Maeva to have a sister.  I pray that they will always be the best of friends.  I was  lucky enough to have a sister right close to me.  We had some good times... and some fights as well.  Although I can't remember any at the moment.  I know one day they will be happy to have each other.  And I know I will be happy to have both of them. (Although, I'm not sure I will dress them matchy matchy like my mom use to do with us.)

some shoes to fill

I can't take credit for this idea.  I saw it on Pinterest.  BUT I can take partial credit for the tiny babe that will be filling those shoes in June.  Not to worry IF it is a boy, we won't make him wear those pink shoes.

going up?

Last month Ryan's sister, Ashley took these pictures for us.  Yes, we chose an elevator.  We thought it'd be fun & different.  Despite the tiny space, Ashley got some good shots.  I've been waiting for way too long for Ryan to get around to editing them, so I'm just going to post them as is. (I hope he'll understand)

My 2 favorite things about this lady is that she calls her dad Ryan when she really needs his attention. And her new line, "I'm running away." 

Yes, that would be the parking garage.  Sometimes it's just easier to let Maeva pick the shots.

terrific twos!

Yesterday my baby turned into a real-life toddler.  After seeing how fast year one went by, I made a goal that I would savor every moment with her.  And I am happy to report, I did just that.  I have zero regrets. I have let everything go, but Maeva. (We could use a good deep-cleaning around here.) We really lived this year to the fullest and the best way to celebrate is with a big birthday bash.  Yes, I am "one of those"  I care about every detail & plan most of her party the year before. It's those details that make life special & memorable.  Without celebrations life just wouldn't be... fun.  Before you say, "Dumb!  Maeva won't even remember that!" THINK AGAIN!  She will remember thanks to my dad for capturing these precious moments.

This is some of my family & the birthday banner that sis in law Angi made, who made these for last year's party.

I'm new to the cake world, but when I saw this cake over a year ago I knew Maeva had to have it for her 2nd birthday.  I was so nervous about it.  I practiced it a few times before her birthday & was happy that the cake that turned out best was her actual birthday cake.  It was a birthday miracle!

We ended the party in the pool.  Maeva is very tricky in the pool.  You can't take you eye off her for a second.  She has jumped in several times this summer before I am even in the water.

i do it!

Maeva has become extremely independent in her young age.  She wants to do EVERYTHING herself.  If I try to hold her hand on the stairs she says, "No, I do it!"  Then she proceeds to go back to the bottom & start over.  She does this with pretty much everything.   It's like she is punishing us for trying to help her.

 She also has to put on her own shoes 

(don't mind her toothbrush on the floor there.  She did not put it in her mouth until it was sanitized.)

She also loves to help.  A drinking glass got left out one night, so she took it upon herself to put it in the sink.  She stood on her tippy toes trying to reach the sink, dropped it in... and it shattered.  Luckily it was contained in the sink right?

How long is this love of chores thing going to last?

ready or not...

Ryan & I got a little taste of what 3 kids would be like when we spent the week watching my nephews. 

(And I thought one was hard)

The boys really like playing hide & seek (always hiding in the exact same spot) So I decided to wear a mask such as this one:

& take my camera when I went to "find" them.

Apparently Maeva only thinks it's funny when she is the one wearing the mask.

 Does this make me a mean mom?  These pictures are classic...

5 big ones

We have been married 5 years today!!! That's a whole hand! It seems like a lot to me.  I'd be lying if I said, "It's been the best 5 years of my life."  The truth is, it has probably been the hardest 5 years of my life.  Growing up is not as fun as it looks.  The key, I have learned is to find a companion that you can endure hard-grown-up life with.
One of the easiest decisions I ever made was the one to marry Ryan.  It was a no-brainer, light bulb flickering on type of experience.  It hit me very hard & at the moment the clouds parted & I knew that the Big Man upstairs had not forgotten about me at all, but had the greatest gift for me I could ever ask for, that gift being Ryan.  I know that sounds extremely cheesy, but I believe that 100%.
Ryan has made the hard parts of our life much more enjoyable.  They say you really get to know someone & their character when you go through challenges together & I can tell you that Ryan is exactly the person I thought he was when I married him.  He is always happy & positive.  Unfortunately I know he can't say the same about me, but I would be even worse if I didn't have him by my side while I over react about every tiny situation that gets thrown our way.  What a lucky drama queen am I.

The View from up Here

Let me tell you a few of my favorite things about living in a condo complex:

#1.  I am certain I have the best view of anybody else.  I get a direct shot of the pool & the main entrance parking lot.
Some days for fun I sit on the deck & watch tow trucks towing cars parked in the wrong stalls.  A few times I have even seen these victims come running out in very few clothes to stop tower.  On one occasion I saw a tow truck attempt to tow away 3 different vehicles based on what the person in distress was telling him to do, I imagine it was something like this, "I couldn't park in my own spot, cause THAT car is in my spot." Then the next guy says the same thing so it's kind of like duck duck goose for the tower & pure entertainment for me.
I also get to enjoy this teenage couple, I like to refer to them as the "Romeo & Juliet" couple.  Get into big fights with arms flailing, and the whole works.  The girl usually ends up in tears.  I wonder what she's still doing with that guy.
Then we've got the hot bikini babes.  Don't know where they come from, but it makes me super uncomfortable to take Maeva to the pool with my sweet farmer tan in my mom-modest-suit with all these as Ryan likes to call them, "Jersey-liscious" types strutting their fake stuff all over the place.  My favorite part about this group is how done up they get for the pool.  Hair, make-up, the whole nine yards.
Today, I saw this hot-shirtless-muscle man pumping iron right outside the gym??? Maybe he was multi-tasking.  Working on his tan while getting strong??? Maybe he's waiting for an invitation to join the garage bods who work out in their open garage? Either way, it made my day.
The diamond in the rough though has to go to this fellow we like to call, Closet Smoker.  He sits in his storage closet on the deck & smokes.  Now you can't smoke within 25 ft of the building, but this guy thinks he is so tricky & no one knows he's in there building a campfire in his mouth.  What he didn't account for was our bedroom window that faces his deck.  He spends HOURS in there!  Last week while in there he was blaring some extremely loud old love songs.  "I wanna know what love is"  & "I've been waiting for the girl like you." Those 2 same songs over & over again for 5 HOURS!  I am no even kidding!  It's was the best!!!
Hmmm, what else do I love about condo living??? Well I guess that is it.  I guess I just love the view.

This is probably one of those, "ya had to be there" moments.  But I just had to document them for my own purposes.