DIY vs b.u.y.

recently, i tried my hand a little homemade finger paint experiment. i'm not toooo crafty, so this was slightly out of character for me, but it was probably snowing + i didn't want to get out with the littles, or maybe i had seen too many episodes of bubble guppies that day, who knows! point being, i pinterested homemade paints + came across a recipe that was completely safe/edible, washes out easily + only a few ingredients to make. (hand raising emoji here) i'm in. welllll i'm not gonna count this necessarily as a fail, because my boy had some fun for sure + i consider that winning... BUT i will say some things are just worth buying vs. doing it yourself. too much or too little of whatever ingredient, my finger paints came out more like finger paint gel + his artwork dried crunchy, womp womp. we got the real deal + since made valentines, had all sorts of fun, + our fridge is covered in precious paintings from our guy, sweet arrow + even little lucy. maybe next time i'm feeling super adventurous i'll give homemade another shot, but for now crayola is rocking it + i'm all right with that.

xoxo

...in which i paparazzi'd abel while he drank his hot chocolate from a mug

...but i mean, look at him.

h e a r t  e y e s  f o r e v e r

+ infinity more

abel is quite the ham, so chatty these days, playful little limit pusher, smarty pants mcgee... HOW IS HE SO SMART?! pumpkin love is still going strong, now pronounced "puh- ooon"... however, hearing him say "sunshine" still takes the cake as far as melt worth toddler speak. he's got me laughing 'til it hurts, cheers-ing every drink, bite or otherwise, still snuggly as ever + the child has no fear... this gives me lots of them. his new favorite past time is climbing onto whatever is near by + free falling onto something below... his mini trampoline (accident waiting to happen), the couch (same story), or auntie's floor (this ended in tears). 

i could not love him anymore, my body seriously feels sometimes like it could burst with the amount of love i have for him. he's funny, adorable, sweet, frustrating, willful, + so much more. he has me more than on my toes lately + some days questioning if i'm doing anything right as a mother. does anyone else with a two year old feel this way?

i love you abel! i'll shout it from the rooftops!

+ now for that ethereal blonde hair, those chubby toddler hands wrapped around your big boy mug, piercing blue eyes, china doll skin, + hot chocolate mustache... the stuff life is made of.

^^^i mean, he laughs out loud at original mickey cartoons, swoooon

february has consisted mostly of....

j a m m i e s .

i could seriously leave it at that. there's been snuggling too, pretty sunsets, & color showing itself and getting us excited for spring. stomach bugs, bath time, sweet valentines from chris, 5 ingredient muffins & snow. but mostly, jammies.

Chosen by The Honest Company

"Hooray!"

A couple months ago I was contacted by the Honest Company about using this sweet photo of a tiny Lucy in a special upcoming project. My first thought was, SOMEONE PINCH ME... & I still mostly feel that way! If you haven't heard of the Honest Company you can read more about them HERE. It's a brand of effective, unquestionably safe, eco-friendly, beautiful, convenient, and affordable products for babies + families. We LOVE their products, mostly their adorable diapers like the one in this photo. 

Later this year, The Honest Company will be sponsoring the renovation of the UCLA Hospital Santa Monica Birthing Center waiting and lactation rooms. As part of the new design, their Founders (Jessica Alba (squeal! overly excited emoji x1000 here) and Christopher Gavigan) have decided to include photos of real Honest family members, and have chosen this photo as one of those that will be framed + featured in the new space! 

I'm normally pretty private about these sorts of things because I never in a million years want to seem like I'm boasting, but I am seriously just beyond flattered that they chose our photo + love representing such a wonderful company. As soon as the project is finished I'll share photos here! Again, pinch me... so exciting :) 

As a sidenote... is anyone else crying over how much lucy has grown + changed over the past 3 months? ...oh just me? time slowww downnn! Happy Monday! xoxo

5 months of my sunshine girl.

lucy, today you are 5 months old.

i don't know how i allowed another child to grow this fast on me...

you are my little bundle of sunshine. always happy, always smiling, always shouting from the rooftops, "life is fun!"... especially at 7 in the morning. i can tell that you have a big personality + i love it already. i love YOU. last night you mastered sitting up all by yourself + we are fairly certain that you'll be graduating from a gummer grin to a couple little teeth in the coming weeks. your cheeks? i told your brother + i'll say it again... butter + syrup worthy, and your thighs? two little hammies, also squishy enough for snacking. you are the sweetest little thing, darling as pie i tell you! i always tell you that when i grow up i want to look like you :) but maybe you'll grow up to look like me, and i guess that isn't so bad either. whatever the case, i hope that you always love yourself + see yourself + your heart the way i see you + the way God does. you're a light, a true beauty, + the world sometimes likes to convince women that they aren't. i pray for you my dear, that you won't buy into it. if you get my booty, own it, if you get dad's eyebrows... well haven't you heard that "power brows" are in? you're on track for both & i have to tell you that they are two of my favorite features! i mean, the way your dark, heavy brows frame your breathtakingly blue eyes? melt me. and no one works a polka dot swimmie as cute as you do sister. it's my job to mold + shape you, and teach you what's truly beautiful in God's eyes, and i am committed 10,000 percent to doing just that. thank you for being a sweet angel baby, for being the easiest sleeper, for loving your post on my hip the way you do, and for making me a mama a second time, and to a daughter. i dreamt of you, and you are all that and so much more. 5 months! hip hooray, i'm so proud of you :)

love, mama