So...Bummer

So...sad news.
We have lost all our pictures from 2011.
Of course we still have the ones on blogger, the ones on photobucket, and the few that we printed - thank goodness.

But it is true.
Our pictures are gone.

And so...
There will be no pictures from First Daughter's birthday, our new house, or Easter - to mention a few.
Bummer.

Between blogger having issues and our server {and backup} having issues, this was not a good week for family documentation.

But it is ok.
Thank goodness it was only 5 months, not all of our pictures.
And thank goodness it was only pictures.
Our family is happy and healthy and together creating memories.
That's what really matters.


Oh...and a lot of my poems are gone too :(



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So...Guest Posting::On The Floor

Check out my guest post today over at

Taste of T.

I am so excited for Tanya and her new sweet baby girl. Being a mother is the best.

Especially for the first time.

Thanks Tanya for letting me share some thoughts on being a mama!
It is something so dear to my heart.

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So...16 Favorites

01::finding musical scribbles in First Daughter's notebook.
02::dreaming about home projects.
03::swimming pool sized bath tub.
04::a co-write.
05::Grandma & Grandpa here for First Daughter's birthday.
06::late-overs. {genius subsitute for sleepovers}
07::the river trail. tree swing and all.
08::sun.
09::personal training sessions. i'm a believer.
10::supportive friends.
11::music.
12::poetry.
13::Husband.
14::my family.
15::chocolate covered pomegranates.
16::much needed roadtrip.



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So...Mothers' Day Favorites

::daffodils in the sunshiney window.
::handmade book with original illustrations.
::homemade button picture frame filled with photo of my three favorite girls.
::tradition to visit Grandma Bonita {and picture of the three Bonitas}.
::visit from grandparents all the way from Boston.
::First Daughter turning six.
::four generations.



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So...A Girl and Her Cupcake

Mmm. That cupcake looks good. What's that bright, hot, firey-looking thing on top?
Oh! It's a candle! I guess I'm supposed to blow it out. I wish...I wish...I wish for more cupcakes...
Let's see if this thing is any good...
Mmm...that's actually a pretty good cupcake!
Sister, you should really try these cupcakes. They are soooo good.
Oops, sorry for spitting crumbs at you while I talked with my mouth full. I just can't get over how good these cupcakes are!
Don't mind if I do...

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Monday Memories 029: New Mom

May 8, 2005
Six years ago yesterday, I became a mother for the first time. The perfect gift on my first Mothers' Day.

The labor was long - 14 hours or so - but everything was new, a little bit scary, and extremely exciting. We knew our lives would change as soon as that baby was born and we could hardly wait.

We went to the hospital at 11:45 pm Saturday night. I suspected that I was leaking amniotic fluid, but wasn't sure. We went to the hospital assuming we would be coming home shortly after. We didn't expect we would have our baby.

After being checked, the nurse told me that I was in fact leaking amniotic fluid and would need to be induced. I was hooked up to pitocin shortly after midnight, and given the epidural about an hour later.

The night was long. The nurses kept telling me to try to get some sleep while we waited for things to progress, but it was too hard. With the anticipation and excitement of a new baby along with a blood pressure machine squeezing my arm every ten minutes, it was near impossible.

My first mistake was coming to the hospital on an empty stomach. I didn't know that I wouldn't be able to eat once the epidural was in. I hadn't eaten since dinner the night before. I was hungry! My second mistake was going to the hospital at 11:45 pm, without taking a nap first. With no sleep and no food all night, I was pretty exhausted when it was time for baby to arrive.

The day was full of lots of waiting. With an epidural I couldn't feel most of the labor and contractions that went on all day. I honestly don't remember what we did all day. I only remember trying desperately to sleep and not being very successful.

About twelve hours into the labor - at noon on Sunday - I had finally progressed far enough to start pushing. Unfortunately, my pushing wasn't doing very much. At one point, the nurse even left Husband and I alone and told us to "keep practice pushing" while she was gone. {???!!!} I asked what we should do if the baby started coming and she assured us that the baby wasn't coming anytime very soon.

The doctor came in and we pushed a little more. Things were still not progressing. First Daughter was stuck in the birth canal and her head was turned. At this point they weren't too concerned, but weren't very hopeful that things would progress quickly. The doctor left to go deliver some other babies - two C-sections and another delivery at a different hospital.

At 2:00 pm the doctor returned and my condition hadn't changed much. I had been pushing for two hours and still no baby. After threatening a C-section, and with assistance from some forceps that looked a lot like a torture device, I was able to buckle down and get our baby out around 2:25 pm.

The moment I heard her newborn baby cry, I had no breath. It was the most amazing sound I had ever heard. I was overcome with emotion in those minutes after her birth. I felt so much love for her and so much love for Husband. We were a family. I instantly realized the significance of that moment. It was as if time slowed down.

I remember sobbing when they handed me my sweet new bundle. The nurses kept asking if I was ok and I assured them I had never been better.

Weeks before First Daughter's birth I was very concerned about the delivery. "What if I can't get her out?" or "What if I don't love her enough right away?" were a couple of my concerns. Little did I know how natural it would feel to have this new baby in my arms and in my heart. She belonged to us and I felt that. It was as if she had always been a part of our family. I'm pretty sure she was.

I couldn't have asked for a better first child than First Daughter. She is amazing. Since the day she was born I have felt overwhelmed with gratitude for the chance to be her mother. She is so smart, loving, enthusiastic, joyful, and fun. She challenges me in all of the best ways. Being her mother has already made me a better person and continues to do so.

I pray everyday to be the mother she needs me to be. As I have expressed before, being a mother can sometimes feel overwhelming. I worry about being a good mother. I especially worry about being a good mother for First Daughter. Partly because she's my first and partly because of how she challenges me. I worry that she will suffer because of my weaknesses. I pray everyday to be strengthened and guided as mother to her.

I love her more than I can even express. Being her mom is the best.

Happy Birthday First Daughter!!!



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So...2011 Girl Mix

Because last year's Girl Mix was such a huge hit {it still plays faithfully in our car stereo} I thought it was time for another. Not sure how this will compare with the other, but it's full of some of our all time favorites, mixed with a few new ones. Can't go wrong with Justin Bieber. Or NSync.

Girl Mix 2011

Sk8ter Boi::Avril Lavigne
Somebody to Love::Justin Bieber
Round & Round::Selena Gomez & The Scene
Ordinary Girls::Miley Cyrus
When Will My Life Begin::Mandy Moore
I'm Yours::Jason Mraz
Bad Day::Daniel Powter
How to Believe::Ruby Summer
Magic::Selena Gomez
It's Gonna Be Me::NSync
When You're Gone::Avril Lavigne
I See the Light::Mandy Moore
Once Upon A Dream::Emily Osment
Firework::Katy Perry
I Gotta Feeling::The Black Eyed Peas
Lucky::Jason Mraz ft. Colbie Caillat
Viva la Vida::Coldplay
Gift of a Friend::Demi Levato
Fly::Hilary Duff
Never Say Never::Justin Bieber

Leave me a comment if you would like you're own.
Nothing like a list of fun songs to sing along in the car to with your kiddos.
Perfect for a sun shiny day.
And if you haven't yet received last year's and would like a copy, let me know.
I'd be happy to send you both.

**WSGMS Pick of the Week**


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