While We Wait For Daddy to Come Home...

...we find many ways to entertain ourselves.

We practice our facial expressions- some cute, others...interesting. Nonetheless, learning expressiveness : ) Someday my future son-in-law will thank me for this game when he realizes he has the ability to know what she is thinking by just looking at her face!

We invent new games. There is the stand and cheer game, test chunkiness of limbs by sticking them in random small places game, stick the clip on our noses game and (my personal favorite) the push buttons on the t.v. so Mom only gets to see 1/4 of her show game! Yay : )

I can tell what you are thinking, "does Lindsey EVER clothe her child?" Let me answer that question with a collage o' K.

Yes, I do dress her. However, as previously mentioned, spit up is still making a frequent appearance in our home. So instead of having to change her 4 or 5 times a day, if we are at home we go diaper for the first little bit after meals. Easier on the washing machine and my patience : ) Her happiest time is right after her nap and meal...so diaper pictures happen more than I would prefer.

She is so much fun- I love hanging out with my little bud!!!

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

Seriously, do I have a child old enough to do this? :

*only click on the video if you are willing to not hold our annoying "my kid is the greatest kid in the world" parent voices!!!!*

Or, possibly this? :

That is correct, we got us a walker. It is definitely a work in progress, but she is sooooo close! The first video is her first steps on Wednesday (well, not first...probably steps 5,6 and 7), and the second one is from tonight when I had some backup to help film the momentus event.

As you can tell by our embarrassing voices, we are not at all proud of our little peanut : )

She turns 1 in exactly two weeks...I am fairly certain I will not meet the occasion gracefully!

Where did the last year go...SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!

Getting Old

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend about clothing choice, during which I was informed that the reason I didn't feel the need to dress more "adult" was because I was already old (those weren't the exact words, just the basic concept).


The initial response was shock and disbelief. I thought of all the people who have told me I look too young to be married, not to mention all the comments and looks I got while pregnant. Then I realized I really hadn't heard that in awhile...almost year to be more specific.



Since then I have looked at myself a little closer every time I pass a mirror. Have I really aged that much in the past year? What could have caused such an abrupt end to my youthful appearance?


I am starting to see now what I think my subconscious has been hiding from me, fearing I would be unable to deal with it.


My once carefully styled hair is now quickly thrown into a ponytail, and bits of food somehow get entangled in it, occasionally going undetected for hours at a time.


My wardrobe, which used to be a priority, has taken the backseat and is now looking fairly pathetic.


My rule of never leaving the house without makeup has been broken on numerous occasions.


Bags under my eyes have formed from the nights I lie awake in bed.


The places of my body that were once thin and tight have been replaced by bulges and literally fallen victim to gravity.




What is the cause of all this?


I believe it has a LITTLE something to do with this:



Motherhood is such a unique experience. My outer appearance has definitely changed as I have taken on this new role. I have most assuredly aged.


However, I see something everyone else may not see.


I see the messy haired, nude faced woman in a t-shirt and jeans who would rather help her child practice walking than spend that extra 30 minutes in front of the mirror.


The bags under my eyes remind me of the nights I lie awake thinking of ways to be a better mother and wife. I see the late nights I spend silently praying for peace as I think of raising my children in this world.


The joy I have discovered as I have found my true place in the world as a mother has translated into "smile" wrinkles around my mouth and eyes.


The new shape of my body links me to all women who have sacrificed tight buns and abs to become a mother.


So to the world, I may just look haggard. Luckily, while looking more closely at myself these past couple of weeks than I ever have, I have discovered a new sort of beauty.


I can honestly say I have never felt so beautiful.

Practice Makes Perfect...

...or, in my case, practice makes incredibly gradual incremental improvement!


When I was pregnant, I decided that I needed to improve my photography skills (or, I guess more accurately, find some photography skills). It hasn't come as naturally as I would have hoped, but I have tried to stick with it and I feel like it is finally paying off.


For practice, I have been begging people to let me take their pictures. A few weekends ago, my pleadings paid off and I got to photograph some of my favorite people!


I have never seen a more perfect blend of 2 people than this family! Justin and Tina make them some CUTE babies! They were SOOO well behaved and followed directions so well! I feel like the pictures turned out really well.


As always, Megan and Braden made for a good time! Can you believe a child is coming out of her in like 3 months??? I can't wait for Phoebe to get here (fear not...that is not actually her name, it is what I call her while she is in fetus form). My favorite spot was on the bench, reminds me of the movie Notting Hill!



One of my favorite things about taking pictures is how much you learn each time you to it. I can look at these pictures and say to myself, "Looks great, but next time I need to be aware of where the branches are or this would be a more flattering body position!" It's so exciting to be able to constantly improve something.

I also learned that I am addicted to editing...probably a little too much! I love all the different things you can do with pictures, but I need to find a balance between manipulation overboard and fine tuning. I guess that will come with time as well.

Any input you have regarding these is much appreciated. Can't reach my full potential without feedback!


Finally, Braden snapped some shots of my family, and I am basically in love with them. How jealous are you of the East Coast fall colors? And this is even after most of the brightest colors had fallen off...INCREDIBLE!!!!



BEWARE Jones and Dillingham families...I have got my eye on you as my next victims!

Piggies and Playdates...

Let me start with this disclaimer...I realize how silly these pigtails are! For those of you who have seen K, you know that the entirety of her long hair is on the top of her head- basically the opposite of male pattern baldness. I will, however, take it over mullet baby head ANY TIME, ANY DAY!!!!

So really, the ability to put pigtails on her has been present since day one. However, now that the rest of her hair is getting longer, it looks a little more socially acceptable. Ideally, her hair would be a little longer on the sides and back, but basically I am in love with them!

I had to include this picture because of her facial expression. She had just toppled over...an extremely common occurrence in our home. Whenever she falls or bonks her head, she makes the following face and says, "oooohhhhh bonk!" No tears...just ooohhhhhh bonk! We love it!

Last week, Kerrigan had her first bona fide play date. Miss Teagyn (HELLO, how cute is her name????) is the daughter of one of my friends who I used to work with. She was due 6 weeks after K, but K came early and T came late- so they are actually 8 weeks apart.

You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at them though. Teagyn is SOOOO advanced in her jabbering and mobility. She is too cute, and they had so much fun. Thanks for having us over guys!

I wish I had been able to get more pictures of them, but most of them turned out blurry, which I didn't realize until I put them on the computer.

Kerrigan's New Favorite Verb

pil-fer (plfr)v. pil·fered, pil·fer·ing, pil·fers

v.tr.To steal (a small amount or item).

v.intr.

To steal or filch.

*AWESOME*

We are totally pumped about this new behavior...makes for an impeccably clean home, where items are NEVER taken from their spot and hidden in a new, less obvious place...ha!

A Very Merry Halloween to You! (and just a little late : )

Halloween was awesome this year. It was crazy busy and so much fun!!! In the morning we went and took pictures (I will post later), then a Trunk or Treat at the church, followed by the Halloween party of the year hosted by the one and only Josh and Colleen...if you haven't been to any of their parties, you should definitely remedy that situation! They go all out, an attribute I aspire to have one day. We are talking fog machine, strobe lights and of course, chocolate fountains o' terror (which is really just a chocolate fountain, but mix in Halloween and the lbs I gained from consuming its liquid deliciousness...it becomes the fountain o' terror!)

Costumes were a must have at this party. The Jensons sported reindeer antlers whilst the other Jensens embodied the spirit of pimp and pimpette. Josh and Colleen captured the very essence of Summer Lovin' in their Danny and Sandy costumes...and yes, she even performed a cheer...and I unfortunately did not take a picture of Mary and Jake- who for one night were able to become Lucy and Ricky Ricardo (I have had "LUCY, you got some 'splaining to do!" stuck in my head since). Every time my eyes caught sight of Megan and Braden's dramatic interpretation of a shotgun wedding, I giggled in delight...and then of course took a picture. Jared and I discovered that as Sarah Palin and Joe Sixpack, we make very irresponsible parents...which resulted in us keeping Kerrigan out until almost 1 am. Good thing we are our normal responsible selves the other 364 days of the year- maybe that is a stretch, lets say 350 days to be safe!


And what was Kerrigan, you ask. Well, she was a Walgamott. What is a Walgamott? I am so glad you asked : )
Back in the days when my marriage was still fairly new, my in laws were always talking about Walgamotts. I must not have been listening very closely, because every time I heard that word, I pictured a small, furry creature. Imagine my embarrassment when I voiced what my idea of what it was, only to discover it was actually my sister in law's maiden name. Many a teasings in my direction have occurred due to this mistake.
So when I found this costume at Children's Place for $.99 last year, I decided that the child in my womb was destined to be a Walgamott for Halloween. I think it is actually a bear, but aren't you glad you asked what a Walgamott is?!?!

Now onward to Thanksgiving...I LOVE FALL!!!!!