Flower gleam and glow...

Found these pictures from when Tessa was teeny-tiny. We still don't use a hairbrush. I'm probably setting myself up for some pretty epic wrestling-we-have-to-brush-that-rat's-nest matches by not getting her used to it. She won't wear bibs, or socks, or shoes either for that same reason. Silly little hipster and silly mama.

The best recipe for happiness? Mommy and daughter dates.

Yesterday our family went to get a tour of our new apartment. We'll be moving in the first week of September. It'll be so good for Tessa because there is a playground (literally) in our backyard and there are activities for kids every week. It'll be good for me because there are plenty of other moms around and a walking trail just a few steps from the apartment building. Perfect for those times when I just need to get Tessa and I out of the house but don't have the energy to pack everything in the car. It'll be good for Brady because he'll be able to come home for lunch and he'll also get to ride his bike to school. Saves us some serious cash. We're really anxious to just get this move over with. We hate moving.

After our tour Tessa and I dropped dad off at school and then walked around the outdoor mall next to our new apartment. We people watched, talked about how much we love "da-da" and shared a frozen yogurt.

We both agree that we are NOT big fans of Red Mango but we ARE big fans of daddy. We have so much in common!

I love dates with my little chick:

The best recipe for happiness? Baby curls.

I am obsessed with Tessa's hair. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have a baby with curly hair but it actually happened. Her locks have a mind of their own and we NEVER brush them otherwise it comes out straight. Anyway, here is an entire post dedicated to those baby ringlets of hers. And a video just so I can remember how she moved, looked, and sounded that day. I'm so grateful for all of the videos that help me freeze time and relive those moments over and over again. 

^Have to have a bow these days because her bangs are too long and daddy wont let me trim them^

Happy Friday!

The best recipe for happiness? Nine months.

Today my baby girl is nine months old. Nine! And she is the most precious, wonderful thing there is. 

Happy 3/4 Birthday Tessa Kaye!  

The best recipe for happiness? Packages from Amazon.

This is what we do when we get packages from Amazon. I don't know what it is about kids and cardboard boxes but they are Tessa's favorite toy. We (by we, I mean me) decided it would be fun to make it into a fort. And we all know it's not a real fort unless it has your name on it and don't forget your windows with flower boxes. To make it really official we threw in a pet dog. The box sure looked cute but the only way I could get Tessa to go inside was to cover the bottom with cheerios, and even then she would only go in halfway. She preferred playing in her front yard with her pet orca, Willue (pronounced "will-oo" because I refuse to call it Willie and Walrus would just be weird). She had a hoot of a time avoiding mom and her camera. Later we will add a library and a master bedroom to the fort...as soon as Tessa gives me back my markers.

The best recipe for happiness? Copycat.

I'm not exactly sure what I would call the noise they're making in this video and if I did know, I'm not sure I'd know how to spell it. How about, "phubbbbbphubbbbbphubbbbb"? You'll just have to see for yourself:

It feels like I say this for every stage, and maybe I do, but this stage is probably my favorite so far. She's such a little person! She's pulling herself up on everything and she'll chase dad all over the house. She has sweet little baby curls (that's right, curls!) and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. Oh, and she says, "Da Da Da" all day long :(

Basically, she's the best and we want a million more just like her!

The best recipe for happiness? A little 24 inch angel.

Yesterday was a very difficult day for me. I have a habit of assuming I know what people are thinking about me and more often than not, I assume what they're thinking is bad. This makes it difficult to 1.) create friendships because I get really self-conscious and 2.) be comfortable with my performance because I assume everyone is thinking I'm doing a crummy job. Either way, I end up saying or doing things I wouldn't normally say or do. This makes a mess of things, I tell you.

In an effort to counteract this bad habit I've decided to focus on doing service in different areas of my life. Trying to focus on others rather than myself. Trying to love and care for them rather than worrying whether they love or care for me. You know "losing my life" so I can "find" it.

Yesterday I invited a bunch of moms to play with Tessa and I at the wading pool. I made an extra effort to focus on them rather than myself. I tried to act confident and join in the conversation. There were a couple of hiccups but all and all I did really well. Success.

But I went home and started allowing myself to think they didn't like me and I spiraled. Fail.

One of the women couldn't make it because she is moving and needed to clean her old house. I offered my services. She has a toddler, which makes cleaning difficult, so I said I'd play with him while her and her visiting teachers cleaned. Attempting to think of others. Success.

When I got there I realized one of the visiting teachers was someone that really intimidates me. Dang. Not off to a good start. The son didn't really want to play with me and kept running back to his mom. Rather than just trying my best, with love still in my heart, I began to think everyone thought I wasn't helping at all. To make a long story short I caused my friend more stress than help and probably ended up looking like a jerk. How's that for making assumptions? Major fail.

I got home and went to my room and laid on my bed and cried. I'm religious. I pray. I feel Heavenly Fathers comforting arms around me often. But I wasn't feeling those arms yesterday.

Tessa saw when I came in. She saw that I didn't see her. She saw which direction I went. Tessa is a scooter, not a full out crawler.  Because of this, getting around takes some effort. She rarely goes long distances unless she really wants something. She was on the other side of the house.

Sprawled on the bed, feeling sorry for myself, I hear a small noise. I looked toward the door and there was my little girl. In the hall. Scooting as fast as she could to find me. When she saw me look up and see her, she gave me a smile that was similar to this picture:

 She had followed me. I got on the floor and she made the long journey to my bed. When I picked her up she clapped her hands and open-mouth-kissed my lips (she does that sometimes and it's awesome). She then wrapped her little hands around my neck and gave me a mommy-I-missed-you-why-didn't-you-pick-me-up-but-I-forgive-you hug. There were the comforting arms I asked for.

I guess sometimes Heavenly Father uses someone else's arms to pick you up, even if they're as little as arms could possibly be. The littlest arms are the strongest.

I can't believe she dragged herself all that long way just to get to me.
Actually...
 I can.

The best recipe for happiness? Killer upper body strength.

Tessa all of the sudden seems like such a big girl. She's eating big girl food, she'll clap her hands when you say "yeah!", and if you blow a raspberry on her cheek she'll turn around and give you one right back. Then she'll laugh and laugh. The most recent event of her "bigness" is her sudden ability to pull herself up on everything. It's so cute because she'll get up and then not know how to get down. This results in her sticking out her bum just willing the ground to be right under it. All of this pulling up stuff just happened this morning. Brady said, just before he left for work, "I bet she'll pull herself up on her crib any day now." Well, it happened sooner than we thought it would. I put her down for a nap and when I went in there to check on her there she was, standing up on her own. Pleased as punch about it, too. She's such a little person now. And this is so much fun.

The best recipe for happiness? A big meal.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm loving feeding Tessa these days. It used to be so frustrating for me but now that she's eight months old we've started to give her whatever we're having for dinner. Last night she had stuffed peppers and baked potatoes. Much more appetizing than the pureed baby food, which she's not a fan of.

Tessa is so independent! She doesn't like being spoon fed and wants to do everything herself. The problem is, you can't eat pureed peaches with your hands and she can't quite get the spoon to her mouth without the food slipping off. Frustrated Tessa. Frustrated mom. She's loved the past few days because she can actually pick the food up with her hands. No spoon needed! No mom needed! 

In the pictures below she was eating manicotti for lunch. Let me just say, this girl knows how to enjoy her dinner. She has to be hosed down after every meal and I find left over food in the strangest places...ears, hair, diaper, between her toes, you name it, foods been there.

Last night she was so messy she had to have a pre-bath before her actual bath. You might say I'm overdoing it with the baths but you try and keep her from eating the floating food mixed with soap. Yuck. I'll take the double bath. 

In the next day or two she's going to try some BBQ chicken (blended so it's a little easier to chew) and she's going to LOVE it. My fearless adventurer is also a fearless eater. 

  

Happy 4th!

The best recipe for happiness? Wading pools.

^I love this picture. She looks like such a little lady.^

Yesterday I took Tessa Kaye to the wading pool at the park. I love how excited she gets with everything in her life. She's such a curious little explorer. She went right in that pool and marched those chubby little legs everywhere she could. She smacked at the water and then giggled, quite pleased with the big splashes she was making. She smiled a welcoming smile to every child that was near beckoning them to come join in her fun. And every once in a while she would lift her head up, face towards the sky and let out a triumphant yell. No fear. Just curiosity and joy. And lucky me, she held tightly to my finger the entire time.

^Also one of my favorites.^

What kind of adventures are you going on this summer?

The best recipe for happiness? Baby on board.

So I promised occasional posts during our cruise not realizing that I'd have NO service the entire trip. It was nice to get away from my phone/computer for a week but it did mean no posts. So sorry. I'm currently in the process of collecting pictures from family so I will have more to show. Brady and I decided we'd rather soak it all in than take pictures, which was awesome in the moment but not so awesome when you're trying to remember it all and show your family everything you did. While I'm working on the posts from the cruise, here are some pictures of my adorable baby. The first few days were really difficult for Tessa but she gradually got used to the new faces and new noises around her. She's such a little trooper.

The best recipe for happiness? Getting from one place to the other.

Look out world! We have a scooter on our hands. Who knew how fast babies could be. I remember the first time she did it. I put her down, left the room to get a drink of water, and when I came back a moment later she was gone. I had a heart attack but found her on the other side of the living room on her way to the bathroom I'm sure. No idea why she loves the bathroom so much. She's getting pretty fast, especially when she wants something and moms not looking:

She'll follow me everywhere and grab my ankles to hold her :) Whatever mom is doing she wants to be doing it, too. She's SOOOO much fun!!

The best recipe for happiness? Kidnapping your husband and running away to the park.

Yesterday Tessa and I convinced Brady that a trip to the park in the middle of the day was much more important than work. He didn't put up much of a fight since it was b-e-a-utiful outside. We packed up a luch and met him there. Tessa and Brady had a hoot of a time playing in the water and mom had a hoot of a time chasing the crows out of our picnic bag (they put a hole in my bag of nuts, the brave little things). Sometimes mom and dad do things that they think is awesome... Tessa not so much. Like when dad put her upside down and mom said, "hey, nice catch! Smile while I take a picture." Well Tessa didn't think pretending she was a fish was as fun as us but as you can see by the picture below she's pretty patient with her mom and pop. Fish or not, right side up or upside down I still think she's a pretty nice catch. How's that for a cheesy last liner... I've heard I'm pretty good at those.

The best recipe for happiness? Diapers that fit.

During baby girl's breakfast I noticed a little outfit malfunction. No wonder we have so many blow outs! I guess we need to go up a size? She has such a cute little bum.

The best recipe for happiness? Celebrating seven months.

Today my little Tess-bo-bess is officially seven months old. Is that crazy to anyone else? Tessa and Brady will be celebrating while mom is at a two hour dentist appointment. Nice.

^"What's the big deal mom? Why all the pictures?^

The best recipe for happiness? A little giggle, chortle, and down right hysterical laughter.

Sometimes I like to go through my blog and watch all of the videos I've made of my sweet baby. Today I'm obsessed with her laughing videos. It started out as a little giggle and has gradually transformed into full out oh-my-gosh-my-side-hurts-mom-you're-so-dang-funny-I-can't-hardly-stand-it laughter. Which I love. Tessa is so good for my soul. She lives each day with tears of laughter in her eyes and I find myself laughing right along with her. No one can make me laugh like Brady and Tessa. Not the gosh-that's-sorta-kinda-funny kind of laughter but the kind that comes deep from your abdomen. The kind that just bursts from your lips and sends waves of happiness rushing to every part of your body. And trust me, as a first time mom living in no sun Seattle, I need that kind of laughter every once in awhile. Aren't sure what that kind of laughter sounds like? Come spend a weekend with Brady and Tessa or better yet, watch the video below. Tessa will show you how it's done:

The best recipe for happiness? Memorial Day weekend.

Happy Memorial Day! This time last year Brady and I were on our way to Chile. I can't believe a year has already gone by since that miracle of a trip. This year we're just lounging around and enjoying the extra day we get to have Brady all to ourselves. On Saturday we went to Alki Beach for our family adventure (more on that little ditty later). Brady snapped the cutest shot of Tessa. I know I say that a lot and I know I have some really great shots of that little girl but this one takes the cake:

Let's get a closer look, shall we?

^Just look at that double chin and those plump little cheeks! Irresistible.^ 

What are you doing this Memorial Day?

The best recipe for happiness? Six reasons to love mothers.

1. They Make everything all better.
2. They're One-of-a-kind.
3. They Take such good care of us and treat us nice.
4. Even though it's Hard they always help us.
5. Every time we need them they're Eager to help.
6. We really Really love them!

A few weeks ago my friend Katie and I were talking about mothering. She asked me a question that I've been mulling over all week long, "So, how is mothering?" Flash forward a couple days. Tessa and I were at the park. Tessa was screaming and I was struggling to get the stroller and bags in the trunk without spilling everything all over the parking lot. I was exhausted and it was very apparent in my sweaty face. A group of people, about my age were getting in the car right next to us. They looked from the screaming baby to her haggard mother. A girl said, "That makes me never want to have kids." Another responded, "My thoughts exactly."

As a mother you have to be able to function on little or no sleep. You have to be willing to clean up vomit, and blow outs and who knows what else. You have to put your wants and most of the time your needs last. You're being grabbed with sticky fingers or having your hair pulled or sucked on. Just doing something as simple as going to church or the store is difficult because you're wrestling, chasing, and corralling kids the whole time. It can be discouraging because the only thing you've accomplished is a clean bathroom and most days that doesn't even get done.

And that's where the world gets stuck.

They can only see the tough stuff: A screaming baby and an exhausted mother wrestling a stroller into the trunk. And believe me, the tough stuff is a reality, there is no doubt about that, but it's not the only reality. I've been thinking about Katie's question for weeks and even more so since that incident. I haven't been able to quite answer her question...until today.

So Katie, even though I haven't slept in six months and my hair is constantly dripping with spit here's the answer to your question, "So, how IS mothering?":

click here

The best recipe for happiness? Getting your hands dirty!

A month or so ago Brady had to change the oil and Tessa thought it was the coolest thing! First we put on Brady's hat and then we thought "why stop there?" and put her in the oil pan (brand new, never used). Here are her mommy's-little-mechanic-daddy's-little-helper-oh-my-gosh-I'll-just-die-from-how-cute-she-looks pictures. I couldn't decide which ones I liked more so I'm adding them all! You're welcome grandparents!

 ^If Tessa were a deer, this would be her "deer in the headlights" look.^

 ^I just love those eyes!^

 ^I love this picture and I bet I can guess what she's doing.^

Happy Tuesday!