4 year old logic & photography

after putting together a little folder of kid pics for clif, i realized i had missed blogging this picture. the funny thing is, when i took it i specifically remember vivian asking me to get the camera. i obliged, thinking what a cute shot it would be with the girls matching...and then vivian surprised me by feigning sleep. i waited patiently, she then opened one eye and said, "did you take it?" i quickly did, and then she said, "let me see....yep, that's a good one." i couldn't agree more! ;)

the artist

when i was in college i very slowly began collecting art. it was pricey and i was poor, so when i say slowly, i mean slooooowwwwlly. ;) however, it inspired my love of original, unique art, and a dream i would some day fill my house with these beautiful pieces of work. in addition, i would always stroll through galleries and feel totally ready to go home and paint my own masterpiece! well...apparently the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree...

this past weekend i took vivian to the arts center for a play, and afterward we made a quick trip through the museum. she was very interested, and asked lots of question. this weekend i needed to finish a few paintings myself, and vivian asked if she could have her own canvas....and this was the result!! (i did paint the blue background, but she did the rest completely by herself!) my favorite parts are how clif is holding frances and frances is holding a rattle AND, of course, the two purple balls...one for both her AND bauer. i must say, this is my finest acquisition yet!! :)

bonus footage

apparently i forgot (oh, i wonder how THAT happened) that celeste had both her big camera, AND the little camera the day frances was born (not to mention the video recorder), and here is the lost footage! aunt sis and i before miss frances debut...

and sweet uncle jon, too!

clif in the waiting room while i was being prepped. he looks a little scared i think?!

the very patient group: celeste (aunt sissy), aunt su, gege, popa, dotdot, pawpaw, auntie addie. (uncle jon, uncle seth and steph were there too, just not in this shot.)

awwww....brand new #6. (wow, i cannot sis and i have had SIX post-baby pictures made together!!)

proud mommy!

next generation of day's just keeps getting bigger...

auntie addie flew in JUST for miss frances birth...all the way from philly.

yeah...i love her...just a little bit! :)
what a great day!!

you gotta laugh about it...

yesterday was frances' one month check up. miss f weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. was 21.5 inches long, and had a head circumference of 14". that makes 5% for weight, 50% height, 10% head. uh, what?! i have a tall, skinny, pea headed kid? since when?! i must admit initially i was a bit concerned, but sweet dr. i said...no worries. she is growing, eating, strong, and looks amazing. woohoo!! i guess i am just going to get use to the idea of having a tiny baby...(this is a major change from mr. b!)

so on that note, and to honor today, which would have been my grandfather's 83rd birthday...i adopt his famous saying "you just gotta laugh about it." there are few things that are too small for sweet miss f. but today we found one. vivian's doll stroller. teehee....uh-oh, it doesn't look like miss f thinks she has much to laugh about... ;)

may thus far...

our newest addition may be doing a bit of this...

but let me assure you...the rest of us (meaning clif and i, mainly) haven't!! which is why this is going to be a bit of a catch up post. this and that of the last few weeks. the above is one i just couldn't resist taking...is there anything cuter than a sleeping three week old?

-the saturday before mother's day, vivian and i had a little mother daughter date. we went to the arts center and saw their production of aladdin. afterwards i asked her, "what was your favorite part?" and she answered simply, "all of it!" :)

-vivian thought miss frances needed a sleeping buddy, mr.gorillee.

-everyday we have a little "IIIIII want to hold her" time. bauer always looks so proud.

vivian always looks so happy...frances...well she looks a little concerned.

but brother's extra love is always comforting! ;)

-we were expecting sweet miss frances to be around ten pounds, so when she debuted at a mere 6 lbs. 9 oz. we were a bit shocked. this is our smallest baby, by far...and frankly we were not prepared in the clothing department. luckily vivian has a vast wardrobe of doll clothes, for some of which she has matching dresses...

it has been a life saver!

-speaking of life savers...here is mine. what would III do without this great partner?! frances sure does seem to like some daddy time. :)

-frances is also fitting in quite well to our night time ritual. especially story time, she seems to have found the perfect spot...right between brother and sister.

-and even though she has met her aunt su before, apparently this time she was super excited (i mean look at that face!)...i bet it is because she knows her twin cousins will be here in just weeks!

purple crushers

not your average soccer group pics, but not your average soccer team, either!

we had such a love\hate relationship with soccer season this year. we LOVE our team, we LOVED to coach, we LOVED watching miss v finally figure it out, get in there, and kick the ball! but twice a week, and pregnant, and mr. b wanting to join the team, made for some challenges.

luckily...we survived. better still....we really did have fun! we will definitely do it again this fall...

i just hope we have such a great group!! :)
*photos of course by the fab miss whitney loibner.

i promise...

...to catch up!!
but if it is one thing i have learned as a mother...sometimes you just have to toss the schedule, and go with the flow...
but i couldn't let this mother's day go without a little recognition.
a few years ago i was very upset by mother's day. in only a few short weeks my mother will have been gone seven years. it doesn't even seem possible, and yet it seems like forever. i still want to call her, and tell her something funny i saw at the store. i still feel her, when i need that extra push to make it through a tough situation. and i still see her...sometimes in my own hands wiping dirt off a kiddo's face, or sometimes in my children. and so every year when mother's day rolled around i felt cheated. it wasn't until someone pointed out to me (as i was having a rather large fit of self-pity) that i WAS the mother. uhhh....well....DUH!! it sounds simple enough, but sometimes you get so wrapped up in the details, you can't see the whole picture. there are SOOO many women who struggle with infertility, and i have three beautiful, healthy blessings!
so for every mother's day that has followed, not only have i relished every minute (in fact this year we celebrated "mother's day week")...i have expanded this idea to include all the women in my life who have been an inspiration to me as a mother...here it goes (in no particular order), and you know who you are:
joan: our matriarch...very genuine and true, very rarely losing her cool...how does she do that?!
sissy: without you i wouldn't know how to bathe a baby, change his diaper, or over feed him!
cbb: the big sister i never had....someone who knows just how to worry, and then pray about it.
s: an all-round can do, gal. your energy, creativity and insight inspire me.
a: the calm in the storm. always able to smile no matter how many balls you have in the air.
wl: think before you speak...a concept i have yet to master, but what a great idea! ;)
su: the planner of all planners....always looking ahead, but always stopping to enjoy now, too.
kh: a child at heart, and therefore always full giggles.
there are many many more...but these are the ones that pop to mind.
so what's the point, you ask?!
i was so blessed to be the daughter of an amazing woman...
i am so blessed to be the mother of these amazing children...
and i pray that god will continue to bless me, by surrounding me with this amazing group of women, who define all that i hope to be as a mother.