Family Photos - April 2015

We used Kate's first birthday and the Easter holiday as a great opportunity to get her "one year pictures" and some family photos as well.  We used Jessika Loucks Photography and returned to the beautiful backyard of some dear friends of ours, which has served as a beautiful backdrop for many of our professional photo sessions.  We were so pleased with how the photos turned out!  Below are some of our favorites, and a video showing all of the shots Jessika captured for us. We are so blessed with such beautiful and photogenic girls!

Kate's First Photo Shoot!

Kate Anna Hayden

We are so grateful to Kimi Wilson of Kimi-G Photography for the many times she has thoughtfully captured family memories for us, beginning with my maternity photos when we were expecting Tess.  Thankfully she was available shortly after Kate's arrival for a newborn/family photo shoot!  We couldn't be more thrilled with the gorgeous shots of Kate, taken informally in our bedroom. 

 

And...we are so excited to hear that Kimi and her husband are expecting a little one of their own, which is an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness and perfect timing.  She shares the touching story on her blog!

The Baby Bump #2

 

Final bump pic! 38 weeks,
 at the doctor's office.

Well, baby number 2 is already getting the short end of the stick when it comes to pictures.  During my pregnancy with Tess, I was positively religious about taking almost-weekly baby bump pics!  This time around, I have the constant distraction of a high-energy toddler who leaves me pretty exhausted at the end of the day, and the pregnancy is often the last thing on my mind.  But thank God for the iPhone and social networking, because I was able to scrounge up at least a few pics I've snapped and can gather them in one place (here) for posterity.  You can see somewhat of a progression below! 

 

Toward the end we are also talking with Tess quite a bit about what to expect with a baby in the house and what it means to be a big sister.  She's thrilled, although I'm not sure she really gets what's happening.  I am hoping it will make more sense when my belly isn't huge and there's an actual baby on the scene! 

 

As an (almost) after thought, I asked my dear friend Tiffany -- on very short notice -- if she would take some informal maternity pictures for us.  I really wanted baby number 2 to have some photos of the family who was excitedly anticipating her arrival!  We picked Woodward Park as our venue and spent a couple hours one late afternoon snapping away under Tiff's creative eye.  I'm super pleased at how they turned out and at the fantastic price (almost free)!  It's so great having talented girlfriends...

 

We are getting super close!  Can't wait to meet our precious little girl number two. 



13 weeks - just starting to show!



24 weeks (with toddler and Mickey Mouse)



26.5 weeks (I kinda popped!)

31 weeks in the Starbucks bathroom (hey, it
occurred to me to snap a pic and so I did!)

34 weeks, in Las Vegas for the PrideStaff
Annual Convention (with my friend Danielle)

Getting ready to be a BIG SISTER!

 

During the last month of pregnancy, I "volunteered"
(due to being "advanced maternal age") for weekly
fetal monitoring tests at the hospital...baby girl
was the most active they had seen in quite a while!

 

Nipomo Visit

One of my favorite pictures of all time...



Last weekend we ventured to the coast to visit some family who just relocated to Nipomo.  To make the complicated family tree more simple, we consider them our aunt and uncle -- Rusty and Tenli.  It was a wonderful little getaway for us, very relaxing, and we also got to see their daughter Rhyan, her husband Michael, and their new baby girl Dylan.  On Saturday afternoon, the girls (Tenli, Rhyan, Tess, Dylan and myself) shopped at an interesting little craft fair in Halcyon while the guys played 9 holes.  Tenli made a delicious dinner for us, and we turned in fairly early for a great night's sleep in their guest room.  On Sunday morning we took a quick drive to Osso Flaco Lake for a walk on the beach.  It was just beautiful, and I had to share some of the pics taken on my iPhone.  Oh how I wish I'd had my Canon, some warmer clothes, and more time to capture the expanse of sea, sand and sky.  I managed to get some adorable pics of Chad and Tess that will be wonderful mementos of their relationship for years to come (she is the ultimate "Daddy's Girl"!).  Tenli also took a great family pic of us on the beach, which I love.  We had a great time catching up with them, seeing their new place, and exploring the Nipomo area.  The sights and smells (beach, farmland, eucalyptus trees, the ocean air) remind me so much of my childhood in Ventura! 

 

Hiking in the sand ain't easy when you're pregnant! Just sayin'.

Our Sweet Valentine

 

We're so thankful, once again, for Kimberly Wilson and Kimi-G Photography, for capturing these ADORABLE shots of our little Tess at 18 months. They made for the perfect Valentine's Day card! Everyone love seeing her in this darling red dress. Time continues to FLY as our sweet girl grows and grows.... We are enjoying and savoring each new stage and experience with her.

 

Duck Tales

We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving in Fullerton with our Suich family, and on Saturday afternoon "Grandma" suggested that we take Tess to the park to feed the ducks. Below is a pictorial of our fun little adventure.

Beautiful Tri-City Park in Fullerton.  We initially tried the Fullerton Arboretum but they now have very conspicuous signage that ducks are NOT to be fed.  I was glad though, because this park was so beautiful!

Here, ducky ducky ducky!

Getting started....that's Grandma Meg (The Instigator), Great Uncle Dan, and Grandpa Ron along for the adventure.

Woops! We did not account for the fact that as soon as Tess saw bread, she would eat it. How would she know any better?  This was so hilarious to us, all the bread she kept shoving in her mouth, toddling around with puffy cheeks wondering why we were laughing at her....

Then Daddy stepped in and helped her learn how to toss the bread to the eager ducks....

And M ommy got in on the action, while Tess continued to snack....

And of course Grandma was at the center of it all, and was on-hand as the geese got brave and took the bread right from Tess's hand....look at that shocked expression!

Sometimes you randomly get a really great shot of a duck....

Or of the sunlight in your little girl's hair as she is playing on the grass....

Or of a PRICELESS Daddy-Daughter moment.

I PROMISE we did not see this sign until after we had fed 2 loaves to the ducks and were on our way back to the car!  I am sure the ducks survived.



Tess Is 12 Months Old!

Not that you'd have any proof of it with a picture of Tess in a "12 Months" onesie. Yeah, this mom totally dropped the ball on the 12-month photo shoot.  August was a fantastically busy and fun month, so this one thing fell through the cracks! But the pic to the right was taken at about 12.5 months, as part of Tess's one-year portraits (and our family portraits) done by our trusted friend Kimberly Wilson at Kimi-G Photography.  More on that later -- I have fantastic pics to share but I'm not quite ready yet!

Due to all the birthday festivities and my return to work, we were about 4 weeks behind on Tess's 12-month checkup.  But we went last week and Tess is the paragon of baby/pre-toddler health, and endured her 4 shots like an absolute champ!  As far as her size, she is right around the 50th percentile for her weight (about 22lbs), height (about 29 in), and head circumference (about 18 in).

This is such a FUN age, with all sorts of development happening very quickly.  It seems like every day I am surprsied by something new she has figured out, or signed, or said, or understood.  This Mommy is loving all the interaction and imitation that's going on, and I'm enjoying having more and more funny Tess stories to share with family and friends.

Here are some of the latest milestones! 

--As of her first birthday, she is in a forward-facing car seat!  This makes car time much more fun for Mommy/Dadd and Tess.

--She is learning how to feed herself with a spoon.  It's messy, but food is actually making its way into her mouth! It looks like she is favoring her right hand.

--She is down to just 2 bottles a day (morning and night) and is drinking whole milk instead of formula.

--When it comes to table foods, there are no limits!  She seems interested in trying anything at least once, and so far there is nothing she flat-out refuses.  Current favorites, though, are raisins, banana, beans (black or pinto), cheese, and broccoli.

--Not only is she walking, she is RUNNING!  She loves to be outside, loves open spaces, loves to be chased by Daddy.

--She is using lots of baby sign language: more, all done, please, thank you, diaper (potty), shoes, NO.  She totally loves her "Baby Signing Time" DVDs and asks to watch them every day (she brings me the remote and points it at the television).

--She is needing the baby sign language less and less, because she has LOTS of words!: mommy, daddy, bath, bottle, bye-bye, water, bear, dog, Burnie (our cat), blankie.  Granted they do not sound like they would if you or I said them, but the point is that she is doing a good job of communicating, and feeling understood makes her HAPPY!

--She loves to turn on her music and DANCE! Current favorite song is the Veggie Tales version of "This Little Light of Mine."

Our little one is full of energy and vitality! People always tried to explain how fantastic it is to re-discover the world through your child's eyes, and I'm finally starting to see what they meant.  Everything is new and an opportunity to learn and be awed.  It makes me conscious of treasuring this time with her, and of appreciating all of the beauty and novelty around me.  And it makes me want to show her the entire world!  Time is already flying by....we have so much to see and do and be over the next 17 years or so!

Pregnancy Photo Book ~ Shutterfly

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a variety of layouts and cover options to choose from.

Celebrating 65 Years ~ Happy Anniversary, Grandma & Grandpa!

This gorgeous portrait of my grandparents was created by my Uncle Mel,
their second child and youngest son.  He is so incredibly talented! 
Not only did he take the picture, he applied pastels and paints to make
the picture look so incredibly warm and realistic.   

Last weekend our extended family on my Dad's side got together to celebrate my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary. (The official date was in March, but our party had to be postponed.) We had a wonderful dinner in my Aunt and Uncle's backyard while we enjoyed honoring Quentin and Fern for their many, many years together. Before the party, my Aunt had asked each family member to contribute a written memory or blessing that would be put into a photo album for Grandma and Grandpa. It was so neat to get to read everyone's special tributes. Here is my contribution....



It would be impossible to share all the many wonderful memories I have of my grandparents, and what an amazing thing that is! For as long as I can remember, they have been a strong and steady presence in my life. When I think of them, my heart fills with all of the feelings and emotions that go along with being "home." Being with Grandma and Grandpa has always meant fun, love, laughter, comfort, security, family, delicious food, and knowing that I am part of something incredibly special. That "something special" is bigger than our family and all the joy we have shared over the years -- it's the way that Grandma and Grandpa have filled their life so full of God's truth and love that it can't help but overflow into the lives of everyone they touch. They are, to me, everything that grandparents should be, and helped give so much love and fun and stability to me in my childhood. Some of my favorite memories of my grandparents are: swimming and playing with my cousins at their house, Grandma's "fried" chicken, looking through old photo albums at their house, taking a trip to Carmel with Lisa and Jennifer, getting tickled by Grandpa, hearing Grandpa's funny stories, hearing Grandpa talk about meeting and falling in love with Grandpa, having fashion shows and practicing "modeling" with Grandma, the scent of Grandma's hand lotion, and all the laughing we have done together. There is no way to put into words the impact they have had on my life, from the time I was a baby and even into my adulthood. Their legacy of love and faithfulness (to God, to each other, to our family) has been the foundation of our family for more than half a century. Happy Anniversary, Grandma & Grandpa ~ I love you from the bottom of my heart, and I am so proud to be part of your legacy. "Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me." ~ Ps. 16:6

Contribution on behalf of Tess.... I know it took a long time for Chad and I to finally start a family, but even before we were ready to be parents I prayed that God would make it possible for you to be a part of my child's life. Seeing my little baby girl being held by two of the most important people in my life gives a feeling of completeness that I can't really describe. I long for her to know you and have the kinds of memories with you that I do. When she is old enough I will have so many stories to share about my childhood days with Grandma and Grandpa....and my parents (her grandparents) certainly have a high standard to live up to! I intend to teach Tess about the foundation of love and faithfulness that you created for our family more than 65 years, and all the ways that you have influenced us. One of my most treasured possessions (well, really it belongs to Tess) is the set of watercolor pictures you (Grandma) painted for her nursery. I am so grateful that you would do something so special for both of us, and I will make sure she always keeps them safe.

Here are my pictures from the party.  It was so neat to watch the slide show that was shown for their 50th Anniversary, and see all the old pictures again. And the cake! It was so delicious. Almost as sweet as Quentin and Fern!

Tess's First Trip To The Lonestar State!

Almost a year after our last visit to "The Big D," we returned to Dallas the week before Easter to show off our precious little Tess to our best friends Randy and Lindsey.  We had a wonderful time, as usual, and lots of adventure, too.

We arrived on Palm Sunday and immediately hit up Steak 'N' Shake (this is a must for me -- I absolutely love their banana milkshakes!), and were joined by Lindsey's sister Chrissy, who was excited to meet Tess.  After that, our next priority was a Costco trip to make sure we had plenty of good wine to enjoy during the week.  Our first night in town, we attended a traditional Passover Seder meal at their church (and saw lots of now-familiar faces!).  It was a fun experience and the rabbi who "presided" over the dinner was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining.  I felt a little weird eating the dinner roll that came with my bacon-wrapped filet (the dinner was catered, and not a traditional Jewish meal except for the Passover "elements" at the center of the table) but since I am not Jewish I quickly came to terms with it. 

On Monday we had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to the Dallas Arboretum.  I had been looking forward to doing this for such a long time!  We picnicked, drank wine, walked through beautiful gardens, took pictures, played and napped on the grass, and shopped the gift shop.  It was just wonderful.  On the way home we stopped for dinner at Torchy's Tacos (their only Dallas location) for AMAZING queso, tacos, and their famous dessert called "nookies."

Tuesday was our adventure day.  Lindsey and I made a trip to Addison (a few towns over) to visit the PrideStaff office and suddenly found ourselves in the path of an oncoming tornado.  What was supposed to be a 30-minute visit turned into a couple hours, as we waited for the tornado to move out of the surrounding areas so that it was safe to drive back to their house.  At one point the office's property management called and had all of us "evacuate" into the women's restroom in the building's interior.  Fun times!  Lots of family and friends called and sent text messages to see if we were okay, since the severe weather made national news.  Thankfully, although we got lots of rain and hail, we never saw a tornado or any of the tornado damage that was done in the area. 

On Tuesday night we also had a much-anticipated double-date night (no kids!) to go see The Hunger Games at the local AMC dine-in theater.  What an awesome experience! It's not cheap, but if you love going to the movies, you should try this at least once (assuming you have one in your area).  This particular dine-in theater has leather rockers, a full-service bar, and delicious menu -- and even a 21-and-over theater if you don't want to risk having your movie ruined by snickering teenagers.  It was SO fun to order drinks, appetizers, and dinner and have it all served to us while watching the movie. 

On Wednesday, Lindsey and I were able to have "girls' day out" while the guys watched all three kids (Brynlee, Degan, and Tess). We shopped, ate, talked, shopped, talked, and ate and it was fantastic.  We capped off our afternoon by taking some gorgeous pics of the kiddos in a field of Texas bluebonnets.  

For our "farewell" dinner on Wednesday night, we grilled up some delicious steaks, had truffle-oil potatoes and salad, and two really great bottles of wine.  After dinner we made "wedding cake martinis" (YUM) and Lindsey and I attempted to make a Reese's peanut butter cup pie...it didn't turn out exactly as we'd hope, but it was chocolate and it was dessert, so it was well-received.

Thursday morning we had some "sisterly" time while both of Lindsey's sisters (Missy and Chrissy) came by to visit and play with Tess.  It was a slow and easy, relaxed kind of morning with a yummy breakfast and lots of good coffee and conversation.  By 12:30 it was time to load up for the airport and head home...and make our tentative plans for our next rendezvous with the Sullivans!

By the way, Tess did so great on the plane, both directions.  We flew Virgin America and had a really great travel experience with them -- and got a super deal flying out of LAX.  We will definitely fly with them again if we can!

See below for our pictures from the trip.

PS...It was in Dallas that Tess figured out the "army crawl"!

Baby's First Easter

We had a lovely Easter Sunday, celebrating with local family and friends!  In the morning we attended our small church group and after the meeting had a lovely brunch together.  From there, Chad and I headed to Reedley for a beautiful Easter dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's house out in the country.  I managed to get some adorable pics of Tess out on the grass with a little Peter Rabbit from her very first Easter basket (thank you, Grandma!).  While we ate and visited in the backyard, Tess napped in the warm, fresh air in her Pack 'N' Play. In the afternoon we left Reedley and headed to Chad's mom's place for a light dinner and dessert, and another Easter basket for our little Tess.  See below for pics from "Baby's First Easter" -- we were so blessed to have such a wonderful day for this milestone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day From Tess!

Thank you to Grandma (Barbara) for the ADORABLE little outfit!

Tess 6-Month Portraits

Here are the few portraits we had done (at JCP) of Tess for her "half birthday." Little did we know she was coming down with a cold and that was the reason she would not SMILE like her normal, happy self (and hence the reddish eyes in some shots)! Still, we were glad to mark the milestone.  I'm so grateful to Grandma (Melody) for her help with baby wrangling during the photo shoot!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I thought I'd share some fun photos of Tess that I took this morning -- it's amazing what a cute outfit and a little iPhone creativity can do!  Thanks to Grandma (Barbara) for the adorable "First Valentine's Day" outfit.  Can you believe our little girl will be 6 months old next week?!

2011 Family Christmas Photos

Better late than never, I finally had the opportunity to look at, and then post, these pics from our family Christmas "photo shoot" with Kimi-G Photography on December 26th. (Kimi-G did my maternity photos and Tess's newborn pics -- she's great!) Kimberly did SUCH a good job of corraling 3 young kiddos into looking at the camera and snapping the shutter at just the right times.  It was quite a circus, all of the "adults" behind her, clapping and making silly noises to get all the girls' faces pointed in the right direction.  Elise (age 5) was a big help with her little sister Everlee (10 months), and then of course there was Tess (4 months old at the time).  The matching Christmas dresses were a generous gift from Grandpa Paul and Grandma Barbara.  The girls looked so pretty!  What a fun memory.  I think we got some great candids.  Oh, and that's Chris dressed up like Santa. 

Christmas At The Oxford House

Here's a pic of our Christmas. Usually I am vehemently opposed to colored lights, but I wanted to make the tree as colorful and entertaining for Tess as possible.  I really loved how our tree looks this year, and it seems like our house has never looked better with its holiday decor.  We're definitely feeling the Christmas spirit, thanks to our sweet little one!

Tess's first pic in front of our tree.  (Unfortunately it turned out to be her ONLY pic in front of OUR tree, since we got so distracted with the holiday madness!)  As you can see, she is more interested in sucking on her burp rag than indulging Mommy in sentimental photography....



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