the cake.

i will "blog" about my sons first birthday. it's really a great story. including 50mph wind gusts & 2 mommy meltdowns. but for now... a before & after.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

leaf hunt.

yesterday we went on a leaf hunt. we loaded up the bike trailer & went exploring. & then came home & made leaf art. sometimes it's the best feeling to hide your never-ending "to-do" list & just play. to say "yes" to anything your kid asks to do, within reason of course. it honestly feels better than crossing off the list. i need to work on doing that more... because they're probably not going to always hang out with me all day forever. we had a great day!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:founders park

linebacker in training.

i have so much blogging to catch up on..including our sweet son's first birthday last week!! what! but I guess I've been too busy with shenanigans like this... seriously? he is pushing 5 times his weight. (don't do the math.) haha enjoy.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

first day of pre-k!

new school. new teacher. new friends. she had a great first day! she said she felt a little "shy" right when we were leaving but when we got there she walked right in like she owned the place. growing up! too fast!

sorry for the scrunch squint face. she needed her shades on this sunny morning.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

rain,rain, don't go away.

rainy day pictures were way too much fun! i will cherish these sweet pics always.












- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:downtown, indianapolis

photography by liv.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

future's so bright...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

the preliminary bath.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

poolside.

sometimes you gotta just take a break, soak it in & munch on a granola bar.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

uncle joe is here!

& he brought finn his first "cloquet lumberjacks" hockey jersey. that's the high school dutch was the goalie for that went all the way to state. but lost in overtime. daddy's still not over this fact & i'm not supposed to talk about it. ha. yay for uncle joe! and yay for me for having a full-time "manny" while we get settled in our new casa! whoop!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

tough guy.

liv calls the fat rolls on finn's arms bracelets. please check out our manly son...on the hot pink 4-wheeler with all his "bracelets."



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

i miss you.

"hello blogness my old friend." oh hi old friend. my dear b-log. the blog i used to love to spend so much time on. the blog that was my "me-time." the blog that was my online scrapbook. the blog that made me not feel guilty about not having a baby scrapbook. the blog i documented all the milestones in our exciting life. the blog i *used* to update. the blog whose program has changed since the last time i logged on so i barely could figure how to write this. the blog that would warm my soul a bit when people would say..."i love reading your blog!" well i miss you. truly. i'm not sure what happened. i could blame the transition to becoming a family of four. i could blame my iphone & the fact i rarely almost never get on a real computer anymore. i could blame a bit of post-partum funk. i could blame my new obsession with instagram. i could blame the fact i need a "pintervention." but whatever the reason...i'm back. i have a lot of catching up to do. but i've always known you were out just waiting for me. do i even still have any "followers" out there?

they say the darn-dest things.

liv's conversation with a sweet random old lady.

old lady: how old are you?

liv: i'm three.

old lady: when will you be four?

liv: well, when i'm all done being three.

what can i say? my daughter can nail an answer.

he has risen indeed!

hope everyone had a "hoppy" one!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

manboobs.

gorgeous weather + spring break guests + teething babe = blog slacker. here's a nice set of manboobs to hold you over.


also, our lil guy started sitting up by himself this week!


-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

6 months!

i won't be that mom that says, "where did the time go? how could you be half a year already? you're growing up too fast. it just flew by!" no, I won't be that mom. ;) happy half birthday sweet boy. you are a momma's boy indeed & have stolen my heart.

6 month stats: 23 pounds, only 9 lbs. less than your FOUR year old sister. no teeth yet. and have mastered an amazing army-crawl which consists of getting to your destination by doing 360 degree turns. we love you finn!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

so hipster.

liv has embraced her role of big sis like no other. she is by far finn's favorite. he follows every move she makes... which i'm not sure is a good thing. this week she broke the law by texting while driving.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

fauxhawk.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

5 months.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

superbowl 46.

indianapolis snagged the honor of hosting the super bowl. not gonna lie, it was pretty cool to see & i was for once actually okay with the fact that i live in indiana in the month of february. (i swear it's usually the longest "shortest" month ever, full of cold & darkness.) but no! amazing weather & such a fun vibe. it kinda felt like a trashier sportier version of times square. hahaha. we were so glad we got a pic of finn downtown just so he can look at it one day and think "well, that's pretty cool."

p.s. how good was madonna's halftime show?

beyonce bond.

i know no one will ever believe this.. but if baby barrett #2 would have had girl parts.. her name was going to be "evie blue." i mean does anyone else think its crazy beyonce + jay z named their baby girl "blue ivy?" i was so meant to be famous.. ps. my hair was this perfect after i pushed out a kid too. haha. happy weekend all!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

4 months.

i have been slacking on this ole here b-log! one day i will better manage my time, i just know it! finn is 4 months old and pretty much just awesome. huge. and down right one of the smiley-est babes I've ever come across. WAY more easy to please than miss liv ever was. not that I would change her for the world...she just would used to make us WORK for a belly laugh. finn just needs to you to slightly look in his direction for one of the best chuckles you've ever heard. his laugh even sounds chubby. it's amazing. i have alot to blog about so stay tuned my sweet readers. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

ruffles and rolls.

ruffles and rolls. i'll let you decide which word goes with what picture.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

buds. best buds.

my cup overfloweth. my heart is busting with love...nothing beats clean sleeping babies. and ps. no they don't sleep together. just was holding finn while reading liv a story and they both feel asleep. and yes. that is chocolate sauce all around my daughter's mouth.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

farewell 2011.

here are some random pics from twenty eleven. ones i never blogged that are just hanging out in my phone.

liv being liv.


bump alert.


dutch & i in the hospital waiting room..minutes before we got to hold finn for the first time.


my sweet cousin aka sister jana w finn. flew from texas to hold me up. love her more than words.


pumpkin patch. (i love men with diaper bags.)


the cutest gentleman around.


shopping trip with gramma kathy.

oh what.a.year. without a doubt, hands down, THE most eventful year of my 30 years of life. i can easily say i experienced my highest highs and the lowest lows in 2011. why you ask? well..let's see: i'll try & highlight a few things in chronological order. one year ago today, my sweet dad..one of the hardest working men i know lost his job. the job he had for 30 years and the reason why we live in indiana. although he had "exceeded expectations" on every single review he's ever gotten he was indeed "let go" without any notice and without any reason. although it was hard to see my dad so shocked & disappointed, it warms my heart the countless extra hours he's gotten in this past year just being "poppy."

ok so if i elaborate this much on all the events of 2011...i'd be here all night. so here goes: dad lost his job of 30 years. dutch and i finally got knocked up with baby barrett #2. we put our first home on the market. liv turned 3 years old. i got pretty fat. liv had her first flower girl gig and she screamed all the way down the aisle. we had 33 showings on the house in 2 months. we got an offer. an awesome one. we sold the house. we moved out. i was 7 months pregs. it got really really hot in indiana. i lost my ankles. we moved in with my parents. which totally rocks. i realized i'm really picky. i resigned from my job and embraced my new dream job of a "sahm." i went into labor. we had a baby boy. he decided to scare the crap out of us. but then we finally got to bring him home. my parents dog died. we adjusted to being a family of four. we laughed a lot. cried a lot. prayed a lot. i dang sure ate a lot. and am i really gonna go ahead and put this on the blog? yes i am. 2011. is the year i lactated on an innocent lady. the lady who i stood topless in front of while getting a postpartum spray tan before a night out with my husband. i took pictures of the breastmilk streaks down my body to prove it but that's just wildly inappropriate. oh 2011, thanks for the memories. you've forever changed me. i welcome 2012 with open arms and covered nipples. haha. good night folks.

twenty twelve.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone