Saturday, March 19, 2011

Landry turns 2 months

Our little LLBean (Landry Lucas Bean) has turned 2 months! It seems like yesterday that I was pulling you out of the water into the fresh, crisp air on the day you were born. Karl and I have enjoyed watching you grow and change. You have been a lot of work. We call you our high maintenance and sensitive baby because you absolutely love being held and bounced and seem to have pretty bad colic. But you light up our hearts and you have a big brother who adores you to pieces.

Things I have been doing:

Smiling a lot especially when Mommy or Daddy approaches
Laying on belly and holding arms up to support your body
Still enjoying your Mommy's milk and keeping her up at night
Sucking on your fingers (I bet they taste like chocolate!) hehe
Staring at the television especially when Everett watches his shows
Enjoying naps in the swing
Cuddle time with your Daddy

Measurements:

You weigh 11 1/2 pounds (just a guess since we don't own a scale)
You are 23 inches tall and growing taller every day

Today I took pictures of you and of course I can not just choose 1 to post so here are some of my favorites.....















Friday, March 18, 2011

St. Pattys 2011

I arrived back home on Wednesday from a 5 day getaway to Fresno. I wanted to give Karl some space during his last week of finals so he could get some good quality studying in without the distraction of the boys and myself. We had a wonderful stay, but we are all glad to be back home again.

I have been wanting to make St. Patty's day cookies with Everett. Since I had been gone I needed to grocery shop and I did that on Thursday along with going to Target to specifically buy a shamrock cookie cutter. To my surprise, I could not find one at all. I found a bunch of 50% off St. Patty's day home decor, but no cookie cutters. I was so disappointed. But I suppose that's what happens when I wait til the last minute. So we compromised and made round cookies instead. Everett had fun rolling the balls and kept piling on the dough onto the cookie sheet. He was a very good helper! I had some cookies tonight and had some green frosting in my teeth. Karl was laughing at me because when I kissed him frosting somehow got in his mouth! hehe!


















Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Anniversary Weekend

Our anniversary was on a Friday this year so it turned into a weekend of celebrating! Karl loves to cook too and I had the pleasure of enjoying his amazing homemade dinner for me. Karl made steak with steamed carrots and broccoli with a buttery garlic lemon sauce and mashers and gravy! Also at my request he make me a special treat! Chocolate covered strawberries! Sooo simple, yet so divine! My mouth is watering just thinking about them! After we put the boys to bed we watched a movie called Dandelion Dust which was a great movie, but I recommend you stock up on tissue if you are going to watch it! I was in tears. Karl thinks I would have enjoyed it so he rented it. Although it was a great movie with a happy ending, I could have gone for a romantic comedy. In the middle of the movie my mom called to wish us a happy anniversary and we chatted for a few minutes. Then 10 minutes later the doorbell rang. Karl ran to the door to answer it quickly and I about had a heart attack. I was thinking, "What in the world are you thinking? You don't know who's at the door." Then I see out of the corner of my eye a woman walking in. For some reason I thought he was welcoming a homeless lady into our home. HAHA! I was out of it, I guess. To my surprise, it was my mother. Karl had called her to have her come up from Fresno (which is a few hours away) to surprise me with an evening out. So my mother was the babysitter! I was blown away.... she came in and I said, "What the H***!!!!" I couldn't believe it! I am super hard to surprise because I am a very observant person. I was in stitches! Saturday evening we had a date night and went out for a lovely dinner to Chevy's. I have an amazing hubby! Wow babe! I give you props for pulling this whole thing off!








Friday, March 4, 2011

5 Blissful Years!

It's amazing that 5 beautiful years of memories have been made. 5 years ago today, I married my best friend and love of my life! It literally seems just like yesterday that we stood before God, family, and friends to make a commitment to each other. We have stood by each others side through many happy times and also very challenging times in our lives. I believe all these experiences in our marriage have only made us stronger and even more in love. God knew that I needed a man like Karl and brought him into my life at the perfect time.

Karl and I have moved all over the country. Well it feels that way. We followed God's way out to Atlanta where Karl studied for several years for his chiropractic degree. We were blessed with our 1st baby boy, Everett. Then after 3 1/2 years, moved back to California so Karl could transfer schools so we could be closer to our family. We now live in the San Francisco bay area and were blessed again just 6 weeks ago with another bundle of joy, Landry.

I love our life together as a family of 4! Never imagined we'd have 2 boys, but I absolutely love having boys! They sure have a way with me. We are very excited about our future together and looking forward to growing our family even more. Yes, I know, we are crazy! We are looking forward to the time when Karl will graduate with his doctorate degree in chiropractic and hopefully open up his own practice.

I love you Karl! Thank you for being such a blessing in my life and for being a wonderful and loving husband to me. You know me so well and you know how to make me smile! Here's to many, many, many more years together in love!









Fashion Passion Spring Style

Fashion is my passion along with many other things. I still can't believe that when I was 6 years old I threw a fit when my mother put me in a dress. I would put up a fight just so I would not have to wear a dress. How did I turn into such a girly girl? Although I still don't wear dresses that often now due to my insecurity of my ghostly white legs I will wear a dress every now and then. I love shopping, of course! What girl doesn't? And putting outfits and accessories together. These ares some of my finds for this spring that are on my wish list. Doesn't mean I will get to buy them though. But a girl can dream, right?


Victoria's Secret Embellished blouse


Victoria's Secret silk button front-henley top


Victoria's Secret necklace top in grey


Colin Stuart Basket weave thong sandal


Chinese Laundry in toffee


Express layered chain bauble necklace


BCBG watch


BCBG little white dress


Becca multi-way crochet bandeau swim suit


Express chiffon notch neck smocked dress

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

I had a blast taking some pictures of Landry when he was 3 weeks old and then at 5 weeks old. I dream of becoming a professional photographer someday... and this is the best I got with our little camera. I really want a professional camera, but ours will have to do for now.



3 weeks old


3 weeks old


3 weeks old


3 weeks old


5 weeks old


5 weeks old


5 weekd old


5 weeks old

Welcome to our family of 4!

Karl and I are super proud and excited to have the privilege of welcoming our water baby, Landry Lucas into the world in January 2011! Karl and I had a planned home water birth (at my mothers house since that is where I was temporally living). Karl had moved up to the San Francisco bay area to start his first quarter of school, so I was back in Fresno taking care of Everett with a big, FAT pregnant belly! Lots of work taking care of a 2 year old going through the terrible 2's! But he certainly lights up my heart!

I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby. I was quite worried that I would go into labor or my water would break all while Karl was away at school. I prayed it would be on a weekend sense that is when he made his trips back down to Fresno to be with Everett and myself. I am not a very patient person when it comes to the unexpected. So we prayed and prayed that we would have a baby born on the weekend and God sure knows best because I went into labor on a Saturday night! The Lord has perfect timing!

I'd been having contractions off and on for several weeks, so I was thinking it could be any day. I had tried everything under the sun to help induce my labor naturally. I joke that it was my white bean chili. On Saturday the 22nd of January we had a relaxing day at home. I took a nap and got some good rest in and cooked white bean chili for dinner. Right as we sat down to eat at 6:00pm, I began having contractions. Could have been the chili, but I don't think the spicy chili would get to me that fast. After all, I only had a few bites. I had to get up and walk around as the contractions were pretty painful. They came and went and then Karl began to time them. These contractions were all over the map with no consistency what so ever. They were 10 minutes apart then 7 minutes apart then 12 minutes apart. I didn't think it was the real thing and thought it was false labor. They eventually started getting closer and closer together. 5 minutes apart and 7 minutes apart. At this point we were contemplating whether or not to call my midwife or not to see what she thought. And a few minutes later my midwife, Detrah called. We told her what was going on and we decided that I would wait it out and give her a call back. Probably 20 minutes later we gave her the OK to come on over.


My gracious mother took Everett to a hotel. I didn't know how long I'd be in labor and did not want him waking up and hearing mama screaming and in pain and get scared.

With some soothing Christian music playing and candles burning and the smell of lavender, I was all ready to get this whole process done! My real labor began with contractions 2 minutes apart lasting for about 1 minute. Those 1 minute contractions seem like the longest 1 minute ever. But I was able to walk around, stand up which felt the best and sit on my big exercise ball to do relaxing movements to help with the pain. Around 9pm I got into the water. I rented a birthing tub from a company that keeps the water warm which was super nice! It was great laboring in the warm and relaxing water. I loved it when I was able to do that during my labor with Everett (although I ended up delivering him on a bed) which I loved to death! I've said it before and I will say it again... the warm water is like a natural anesthetic. No drugs for me please! My babies were born into the world drug free! I was having contractions and Karl went into the kitchen for something and I said to him, "babe, I want you in here with me." So he leaves and come back to me with his swim trucks on." LOL! I was thinking, what in the world?? I had meant in "here" as in the living room with me helping me through the contractions and Karl thought I meant in the water with me. Oh my... a little miscommunication. That was too funny! It must have been around 11pm when I suddenly felt the urge to push. Detrah did 1 exam and that was it. She told me I was at 9cms and after 1 contraction I started pushing. Must have been that contraction that opened me to a 10! As the baby was coming out I could feel his little head with tons of hair! That was such an incredibly amazing experience to be able feel him coming out! Within less than an hour of pushing, he made his appearance into the water at 11:44pm. Karl had planned on catching the baby, but that one last push came pretty hard and fast that he just popped right out into the water and another midwife, Alex who is interning brought him out of the water and into my arms at last! What a relief because all that hard pushing was over! I held him so tight against me and just loved on him. After several minutes I got out of the water with the baby and layed down to have Karl cut the umbilical cord and to deliver the placenta. I was not expecting the labor to only be 6 hours. I knew the 2nd baby usually comes a lot faster, but I was not expecting it to be that fast. Compared to my 23 hours of labor with Everett, this was a piece of cake!


What an experience for sure! I am so overjoyed that I had the opportunity to have a home water birth. I would not have done it any other way. I am thankful to have had Karl there with me through it all and not stuck in traffic in San Francisco! I am blessed to have such a knowledgeable and wonderful and nurturing midwife who I love dearly! And most importantly to have a very healthy baby boy weighing 8 pounds and 2 ounces and 21 inches long. What a joy! I love you, Landry Lucas and look forward to a lifetime of many memories with you and our sweet family! You have a mommy and daddy and big brother who love you so much! xoxo



Karl setting up the birthing tub a week before my due date.


All set up and ready to go!


During my contractions... 2 minutes apart!


I think this pictures about explains it all! AUGH!!!!


Holding Landry Lucas for the 1st time!






1st newborn check from Detrah my midwife!




Getting weighed for the 1st time. 8lbs. 2oz


Landry wearing a onesie that was Karl's when he was a newborn.









Landry at 1 week old