All in Parenting

Life lately

As a family we have been enjoying our days together. At the end of the day we often look at each other in bewilderment wondering where the day went. We seldom seem to make it out of the house before 1pm except on the days we have doctor appointments or concrete plans. Otherwise our days consist of afternoon walks, late lunches out, running errands, and lots of baby cuddles and feeding time.

While our baby sleeps we like to watch him, talk about him or look at pictures of him. We are completely and utterly obsessed and in love with him and we would not have it any other way. Even though Jasper will not remember these first few weeks together as a family, to me they have been a dream come true and will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Bella Baby Photography

When you are exhausted after delivering your baby, but love the idea of having professional photos taken of your new little bundle Bella Baby Photography is the perfect alternative. The best thing about Bella Baby is they are a photography service offered through the hospital so there is no need to plan ahead. A photographer will simply stop by your room and offer their services which means the ultimate in flexibility for both you and your baby. For our session the photographer came by just as our baby was hungry, so she happily popped back in once he was done feeding. The other selling point for me is how they are able to capture a handful of great shots in roughly fifteen minutes. No fuss and a few priceless shots of the newest addition to our family makes for one happy mama. 

First week home

The first week home with Jasper was a crazy combination of sleep deprivation, euphoria, hormones and visitors. Every time I glanced at Jasper I would be in awe of how this perfect little human being came out of my body and even more staggering- the face that we get to keep him! The mere thought of how much I loved him sent me into a whimper.

Jasper's first Halloween

Since we were uncertain how old Jasper would be on Halloween we decided to forgo purchasing him an elaborate costume this year. Thank heavens for thoughtful grandparents who saved the day and showed up to the hospital with a Halloween costume for him to wear in the coming days. Despite Jasper's parents being completely brain dead and forgetting half his costume at home, he was still able to be the hit of the day when we paid a visit to Cameron's work. 

Our first family outing

When Jasper was a mere four days old we were feeling a little restless and decided to go on a sunset walk along Alki. Before our walk, we briefly met up with some of Cameron's coworkers to introduce them to our little fella. Even though we were deliriously tired at this point, I am delighted I asked one of them to snap a few photos of our first family outing.

As we made our way back to the car there was a special feeling in the air as the sky became a blaze of pinks, purples and oranges. Gorgeous sunsets this time of year are rare, so I could not help but feel it was Asher's way of letting us know he was with us in spirit and as excited for Jasper as we were. Life is a combination of bitter and sweet, highs and lows. I am grateful for the sweetness Jasper has already brought into our lives. Every glance, smirk, yawn and smile I grow increasingly smitten by him and everything he does. 

Jasper's first photo shoot

When Jasper was just a mere three days old, we had a little time on our hands at the hospital so we set up a mini photo shoot. I have longed for such a sweet subject and had the best time photographing him until my little heart was content. He was a dream to work with and a real natural in front of the camera. I foresee a lot more photo shoots in his future. 

Welcome home Jasper!

On a dark, stormy and wild night, as the electricity intermittently flickered at the hospital Jasper Crew McKinley was born Saturday, October 25th at 10:57pm weighing 9 lbs 3.3 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. From the moment we found out we were expecting, we knew his arrival would not only be the highlight of our year, but our life. Even before he was born he was the center of our universe and we continuously felt the outpouring of love our friends and family felt for him. 

Once he was born and took one look at us with those dark, steely gray blue eyes it felt like we have known and loved him forever. The continuous worry of the past nine months immediately melted away. He is our everything and we are honored to be his parents. 

A Children's Library

With a new little one in our midst we are eager to build a wonderful and inspiring children's library. Some of my fondest memories from childhood were being read to before bed time, circling every book I wanted from our monthly book order and then eagerly anticipating their arrival and spending many a long Summer day reading the afternoon away on our deck. In an effort to teach our child to love reading at an early age and to create an environment where books are more interesting than video games and television with the help of family and friends we have been busily building our children's library. 

What are some of your favorite children's books?

Paternity leave survival kit

Aside from counting down the days until our baby arrives, I am also eagerly counting down the days until Cameron is home on paternity leave. It will be such a joyous occasion to spend my days with two of my favorite boys by my side. In celebration of this special time in our lives, I thought it would be fun to put together a simple, but thoughtful little paternity survival kit for Cameron.

Learning to slow down

Pregnancy and motherhood have taught me a lot about myself. They have forced me to look inside myself, tested my faith, my patience and taught me how much I yearned to be a mother. Like most women I assumed children would naturally come. Once I decided I was ready to have them then nine months later they would be safely placed in my arms. Looking back, I realize how naive this notion was. After unexpectedly loosing our first child I constantly feared I would not be able to have another child. I feared this not for any medical or logical reason, but more out of not understanding how my life was going to look. 

Honest diaper cake

Over the past couple of months we have been showered with many lovely and thoughtful gifts from friends and family for our baby. Today I wanted to share one of the most practical gifts we received- an Honest diaper cake. What is a diaper cake some of you might ask? A diaper cake is a clever way to present an essential, expensive, but not necessarily the most exciting baby need out there- diapers. Along with almost one hundred diapers inside the cake there is non toxic nursery essentials like laundry detergent, baby wipes, face and body lotion, bubble bath, and healing balm. 

Apple Picking at Gordon Skagit

Although I already mentioned Gordon Skagit Farm in a previous post last week, I also wanted to mention how much I really love their little apple orchard. Their apples are reasonably priced and are some of the crunchiest, most delicious apples I have ever eaten. In keeping with tradition with came here again this year on Asher's birthday. After we picked our apples. we decided to snap a couple photos of the three of us in the orchard. Initially, I had mixed emotions about focusing my attention on anyone other than Asher, but after some thought I came to the realization that no one is probably more excited than Asher for us to be growing our family. 

Honoring Asher

Each year on my son's birthday I simultaneously feel sad and look forward to the date. My thoughts often turn toward how old he would have been, what kind of party I might have thrown for him and what our life would have looked like if he were around. Inevitably, on the day of his birth I have moments of tears and sadness, but my general feelings have been of gratitude and happiness. I know without a shadow of a doubt my son would want me to be happy. 

Friend baby shower

Last weekend some of my nearest and dearest friends hosted the loveliest baby shower for me and baby #2. Initially, I was a bit of nervous about being the guest of honor at the party. My typical role is hostess and I wasn't certain how I would feel being on the other end. However, I can honestly say once I was there I felt comfortable, loved and supremely spoiled. It might be all these pregnancy hormones running through my body, but upon reflection I felt overwhelmed by my friend's kindness and outpouring of love for me and our new baby. 

Baby fashion

Before our little one starts to express an opinion in the clothing department, I am going to enjoy to the fullest extent dressing him in whatever suits my fancy. Here are some of the outfits I have put together for our little one. Much like my own wardrobe I am drawn to bright, happy colors for our little guy. 

Gender reveal

A recent trend in the world of pregnancy is to host a gender reveal party. With our first child we hosted one and so it only seems fair to host another one for our second child. If we have realized anything over the past couple of years, it is that life can take some unexpected twists and turns. When life is good it should be celebrated, which is reason enough for me to have a party.

A family of four!!!

There is exciting news and then there is scream-it-from-the-rooftops-call-everyone-you-know type of news. We are happy to announce we will be adding our second child to our family in October. My heart is so full right now I could burst!