Watching the Snow Fall

Love to watch my daughter playing in the snow.  It's as if I'm seeing the snow fall through her eyes and I remember what it was like when I was younger, snow was magical then.

Now I'm just thankful that I stay at home with my kids so I don't have to drive in it, because driving in the snow and ice in my crap car is just no fun, especially now that my daughter is starting to pick up on my not so great driving skills.

Linking up with young and restless blog hop

Merry Christmas People

Been busy with getting ready for Christmas, like everyone else out there.

Merry Christmas, here's to hoping for a calm and quiet one.

Please VOTE For My Christmas Card

Real quick, if you think my Christmas card is as hilarious as I do, please go VOTE here.
I'm #42 title Naughty Baby.  Thanks!  

My 8 Month-old Sleeps Worse than a Newborn

The other night I was seriously considering googling "how to get my baby to sleep longer at night" after getting up to feed around the 5th time that night.  Seriously, most newborns sleep more that this, and my boy is 8 months now!   This is just ridiculous.  Most babies his age are either sleeping through the night or just getting up once or even twice, not 5 times!

I'm just so tired people, waking up every 1 1/2 - 2 hours to nurse an 8 month-old is just plain crazy.

Well, enjoy it while it lasts little man, because in about 4 months he is being cut off.  And I'm going to give him so much cow milk his belly isn't going to know what to do and hopefully Isaac will sleep all night long.  Or daddy can get up and feed him once in awhile (probably not).

He also likes to bite himself in his sleep, and his mama too.  Eight month-olds should not have 4 teeth, they just shouldn't.  

Last night he just wanted to stay up and play...and cry.  He went down at about 8:00, woke up at 9:30, nursed, then 10:30, nursed, nursed, nursed.  Stayed up till 1:30, then woke up again at 2:30, let him fuss, nursed, then went back to sleep for a few hours, nursed, and slept till about 8:00 am.  I feel so frustrated.  Farmer can't help because he gets up at 4:30 am to milk. 

Then morning arrives, and he looks all cute and innocent, like this...



and then I'm not mad anymore, well, until later again that night. I hope he outgrows this soon.

But please always keep those chubby cheeks.

Prayers and Silence

On Tuesday, December 18th, there will be a blogger day of silence.

Please pray for the souls lost in Newtown, Connecticut. Also prayers for the families of the victims, may they find some sort of peace this Christmas.

Christmas Tag: How I Celebrate Christmas

 I was tagged in a Christmas tag by dmacke from the Macke Monologues to answer a few questions on how I celebrate Christmas, so here goes:
(note:  photos below were taken at Lucy's Grandma's, because I still have yet to finish decorating, I'm quite the procrastinator)



 1. What makes Christmas such a special holiday for you and your family?
 Celebrating the birth of Jesus of course, the reason for season!  I used to go to midnight Mass, but since the kids, it's Christmas morning Mass (not dragging my baby out in the middle of the night, he would just be crabby the whole time, and I would be miserable).  I have fond memories growing up of Christmas time, being with family, eating Christmas cookies, watching the Christmas tree lights, listening to Christmas music...

2. Were you told the truth about Santa Claus by your parents, or did you find out another way? 
Nope, I figured it out myself, my mom would use the left-over new wrapping paper she bought for the Santa gifts the year after that for other gifts, and Santa's hand-writing looked awfully familiar (yeah, I was probably about 10, a little old but no regrets).  I wasn't mad at them about "lying to me", I was just like, "Okay, that makes sense, kind of sad but okay."
Do you plan on telling your kids about Santa (if you have them or plan to have them)?
Yes, I have told Lucy there's a Santa (and Isaac when he's big enough)!  One of the origins of Santa Claus is of St. Nicholas, who was a real person, a great Catholic bishop and eventually saint.  I also think believing in Santa Claus represents a sort of innocence (at least to me) and I want my children to stay sweet and innocent as long as humanly possible.
(another note:  Moms who tell their kids there isn't a Santa, that's fine, whatever.  But please tell them not to say anything to other kids.  I was at a family Christmas party last year and Lucy's second cousins were telling Lucy very loudly that there was no Santa.  That's just not cool, and she had just turned 3.  Luckily she has no memory of this.)




 3. Real tree or fake tree?
Growing up it was real all the way, and the bigger the better.  Now with my own little family it's a fake tree we bought for cheap at Walmart a few years ago (yes, I shop at Walmart sometimes and I don't care who knows it).  Now we'll always have a tree even when money is tight (like now).  But someday, when we have big house, I still want that real tree...someday.

4. Do you open presents on Christmas morning, Christmas Eve, or both?
 Christmas morning for sure. We've yet to go shopping though...I know, I know.  Anybody who knows me personally knows I procrastinate.




5. What is your favorite Christmas movie to watch, and favorite Christmas song to sing or listen to?
Favorite movie and song...White Christmas.  Also like watching Elf, The Santa Clause, A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, Bells of Saint Mary's, Muppets Christmas Carol, Home Alone 1 and 2, Miracle on 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and I'm sure there are more that I am forgetting.  

I love any Christmas songs by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Blue Christmas by Elvis, Santa Baby, and the classic Christmas songs.  I so want to get that new Christmas CD from Michael Buble too.
Linking back with Raising Reagan and a sorta fairytale

The Magic of Window Light

The last image of Lucy is my favorite, I love everything about it.  The side lighting on her face, the shadows, her eyes and her expression....it's really hard to capture a natural expression from my girl nowadays.  All I seem to get lately is a cheesy grin and some weird pose which usually includes her lying on the floor with one or both legs up in the air (not very lady-like).


I really like how this series of photos turned out, thanks to Jessica for inspiring me to do this.

Snowman with Attitude

The other day farmer took a break from doing farm chores to build a snowman with Lucy.  I saw them through the window, it was so sweet to watch.





Can you guess what Lucy's favorite color is?  I have no idea.


When Bruce (the farm dog) got too close, Lucy threw a snowball right at him!  That would have been a good picture, but I had already put my camera away (sad face).  Dirty mangy mutt.


Here's the finished product, unfortunately his arm broke off.  He looks kinda mad too.  Snowman with attitude.

The W Family part 2

Here is the rest of The W Family session part 2 (click here to see part 1).

Since it's winter right now we couldn't do the whole session outside (and if you've ever been to Wisconsin in the wintertime, you know why).  But I was able to get some beautiful shots inside by the fireplace.

Oh, and aren't their babies just adorable!  I have some pretty cute nieces and nephews.









We did decide to brave a few shots outside, I think the lighting in this one is so pretty.

Thank you for asking me to take your pictures, I had so much fun doing it!

The W Family Session part 1

Been pretty busy this past weekend editing photos from the family session I did on Saturday.

My sister-in-law asked me to take photos of her new baby and the family.  Her little baby girl is just so sweet and pretty smiley for being a month old. My only regret was that I couldn't take newborn photos of her because me and the kids were pretty sick the whole month of November and I didn't want to risk getting that sweet new baby or her mama sick too.

Here's a preview from the session:









Had to take a nursing break and have cuddle time with mama






Part 2 on the rest of the family should be up sometime tomorrow.


Linking up for WW at In the Moment, live and love out loud, project alicia